On the 4th of September 1973, CA & VJ Willet were officially registered with the Electrical Contractors Association and so began 50 years of work for the local electrician. Colin commenced his electrical apprenticeship as a 14-year-old with the Southern Electrical Authority (now Ergon) working in Brisbane and Warwick. Pocketing a minimal wage, Col also worked for Delahunty’s on the weekends installing antennas, attaching 50-foot masts to the rooftops as television was welcomed into homes. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, Col worked at Delahunty’s Betta Store in Allora before starting his own business.

In the early years, Val worked in the office at CEFN Stud during the day and would complete the bookwork for their business in the evenings. Val would later join Col working in the office at the family home while raising their four children. The local dairy farms provided substantial work, as did farming irrigation installation and repairs and then appliance repairs in the 1980’s. As digital television was introduced, the Willett family loungeroom became a production line for UHF antennas for every home in Allora. Customer loyalty was appreciated with Col often taking leave from family holidays to keep local farms operational. Col and Val fondly recall their first job at the Bourke Bros dairy farm at College Green in Clifton, suppliers of fresh milk to the Clifton district who became lifelong customers.

Career highlights for Col include the opportunity to complete all the work for the last 22 years at the Pilton Zoo, commencing work long before it was open as a tourist destination; and being awarded a trip to the USA in 1992 to tour production factories after a successful era of sales and service for Kleenmaid appliances. He enjoyed his young working days alongside Neville Hedges, Ray Barrett and Gay Neale. In a long remembered and often spoken of tale, while working on the Allora Hospital with Ray, Col had a piece of timber embedded in his knee resulting in sepsis on the eve of his wedding to Val in 1971. Col refused doctors’ advice for hospitalisation so that he could attend his planned honeymoon.

Col and Val’s tips for young ones entering business are simple, “Know your clients well, look after them and they will look after you”. They have enjoyed the many lifelong friendships formed over the years with cups of tea and good yarns shared while downing tools for smoko or while popping in to pay your bill back in the days before online banking.

Now after fifty wonderfull years Col and Val have officially retired from Willett Electrical. They thank their many wonderful clients for their support.

Col and Val look forward to enjoying their retired days playing veterans tennis, travelling together, and enjoying the company of their adult children and grandchildren, sharing in their achievements in life.

This article appeared in the Allora Advertiser, 9 August 2023.