Andrew Hoath and John Munn – a legacy built on friendship and community

A constant in the Jubilee Sawmill spanning over 4 decades, Andrew “Hoathy” Hoath and John “Munny” Munn have seen it all.

Their friendship began as teenagers.

Both were on dates at the bowling alley in Mount Gambier, and  as Hoathy was leaving he noticed that someone had damaged two of his tyres on his panel van.

Munny, to the rescue, had a tyre to spare.

“Luckily, I wasn’t the only panel van driver that night,” laughs Hoathy.

Since then, the two have essentially grown up together. Through their careers, community involvement, and their friendship.

Munny started his apprenticeship as a fitter and turner at Chapman & Saunders, joining Jubilee in the 80’s, post Ash Wednesday.

After Hoathy’s apprenticeship years at Woods & Forests, he then worked elsewhere, only to return to Jubilee – to stack timber.

 “Funny times back then”, Hoathy says.

 “I completed my 4 year apprenticeship with Woods & Forests as an electrician, but the volume of apprentices vs available positions resulted in me having to find work elsewhere. I wanted to work here at Jubilee, so I decided to get a job stacking timber while waiting for a position to open.”

That position eventually did open, and Hoathy is now the Jubilee Maintenance Manager.

Munny stayed on too, helping to lead the team as Mechanical Supervisor.

One of the biggest changes over the years, Munny says, would be volume going through the Drymill.

“We used to process about 28kms of wood per day, and now we process enough wood to make it to Adelaide and halfway back to Mt Gambier.”

As well as growing in their careers together, the duo shares a passion for helping their community.

For years, Hoathy and Munny have been delivering donated timber to local high schools, supporting wood working programs that would have to cease otherwise due to rising costs.

“Seeing what the students create is really special”, Munny says.

A few other projects they’ve worked on include building garden beds donated to the AC Care Homelessness Centre’s community garden, contributing to the Mulga Street Primary Safe Spaces initiative in collaboration with Grant High School, and upgrades to a transportable building at the school, creating community hub for families.

Hoathy says, “Munny and I are similar in the fact that we both are here to help, and nothing is beneath us.”

“If things need to be done, we will get it done. In a work sense as well as outside of work, we want to help people”.

When asked what their favourite memory of working together is, the duo laughs, “There’s probably not much we can share without incriminating one another!”

Munny jumps in, “Probably our competitiveness out on the cricket pitch.”

“And definitely friendship.”

“We have both had to make some really tough decisions at work, but one thing that has never wavered is our friendship.”