“So, I went back up to Waikato and I came back down in January and I got there and they said, ‘no, not at the moment’ and I got home and next morning there was a letter in my mailbox saying that I had the job.”
Barrett Street Hospital has long since closed, and Robbie had seen a lot of changes over his near half a century with the district health board.
“We only had one locator [pager] down at Barrett Street amongst all of us. Up here we’ve got a locator for every one of us. We can’t go away and hide, so no, it’s changed quite a lot really.
“See, down at Barrett Street we used to do showering and dressing the patient or helping to dress the patient and up here you’re just taking them from A to B.”
In the early days, Robbie was also required to accompany ambulances.
That experience came in handy one night when someone banged on his door saying a man had collapsed.
“So, I thought I’d better not muck around getting changed because the guy might stop breathing ...
“I put my slippers on and ran out across the road with my pyjamas on and spun him onto his side and made sure his airway was all clear and kept him alive until the ambulance got there.
“And then the ambulance driver made me go up with him to A & E, so all the nurses gave me heaps. So there’s good stories.”
Robbie said he had stayed in the job because his colleagues had become like family and he loved working with people.
The orderlies team held a morning tea to mark his 48-year milestone.
Orderly supervisor Ocean Falaniko said he was initially worried he might have trouble with his older, more experienced charge.
“But as time wore our banter was actually pretty good. I was shocked considering he’s been here longer than I’ve been alive, but no, we get along like a house on fire.
“As he said, it’s one big happy family and everyone gets in and does their job no complaints and there’s always a bit of time to laugh and keep everything light-hearted because a happy worker is a hard worker - or so I’ve been told - and that’s definitely been my experience here.”
He said Robbie had the perfect personality for the job.
“He’s very gentle with his patients, very calming and soothing because, you know, coming to the hospital and having to go here, there and everywhere can be kind of stressful for them.
“He’s really good with kids. I’ve noticed him doing a few transfers that he puts them at ease gives them a little giggle and yeah it’s just that nature that he has with people in general.”
Cleaning staff member Sue Taingahue stopped by to share a joke with Robbie.
She said he had a unique ability to put patients who were going through a tough time at ease.
“He makes people who are probably unwell, you know, not feeling great - really sick - he kind of helps them and puts a smile on their face.
“His position isn’t just that one thing, that orderly position or whatever he is. His personality is huge.”
As for retirement, Robbie said that could wait.
“I just love doing it and I’ll probably go on doing it as long as I can.”
He had no plans to leave the job he said had been perfect for him.
