Cloncurry sisters Debbie Smith and Maree Walduck, born in Cloncurry and brought up on nearby Fisher Creek Station, have clocked up 75 years between them at Cloncurry Hospital.
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The sisters received their 30-year Certificates on Monday last week at a special staff recognition ceremony.
North West Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Lisa Davies Jones said the sisters have made a huge contribution to the Cloncurry Multipurpose Health Service, and their long service is testament to their loyalty, hard work and dedication to their patients.
"Debbie calls herself the 'forgotten person' as we had somehow left her off the long service list, and she let us know," Ms Davies Jones said.
"We still managed to get her certificate printed off, signed and framed and presented to her on Monday."
Ms Davies Jones said Debbie had a reason to feel aggrieved having actually started work at Cloncurry Hospital in 1980, three years before her older sister, Maree.
"Next year will be her 40th year, so she's requested a 40-year pin and thinks it might be ready on time if she puts her order in now," Ms Davies Jones said.
Debbie Smith started in administration from school, then went to work for Aboriginal and Islander Health before it became Community Health. Debbie is now Admin Supervisor and has also trained as a rural and remote x-ray operator.
She has higher aspirations however. "Sometimes I end up running the hospital when everyone else goes away and I love being in charge," Debbie said.
Debbie is an expert quilter, like her mother, grazier Helen Monize and has had a quilt entered into the Ekka.
Her proudest moment is winning community awards for decorating the hospital and entering floats in Cloncurry's street festivals.
Her creative genius comes to the fore and the hospital collects the trophies.
She has some funny stories to tell about the annual Christmas party at the hospital with various Santa Clauses coming to grief on the steep slope behind the hospital.
Maree started work at Cloncurry Hospital in 1983, after working in admin at businesses in Cloncurry. She started in hotel services as an orderly, then a wards person then a cook, and is now Hotel Services Supervisor, leading a team of 10.
Maree also trained in X-Ray services and has been doing X-Rays for about 20 years at the hospital.
She is a team member for North West HHS, and travels around the district working alongside other support services in outlying facilities to bring their services up to the high standards required by Queensland Health and the NWHHS.
She is famous for her fabulous meals and baking and still likes to help out in the kitchen when needed.
"I like keeping busy and the job is always different. I'm usually flat out all day. I know that I'm here for the patients, keeping them comfy," Maree says.
She carries that creativity into her home and finds crafting such as quilting, scrapbooking and other crafts, as taught to her by her mother, is very therapeutic and relaxes the mind after challenging shifts at work.
Staff mental health is a high priority for Maree and she helps her staff with coping mechanisms so they have a good work life balance.
She has also been involved with the Cloncurry Hospital Auxiliary committee since it began.
