We sat down with Adam DeLuca from our Victorian Quarries team to learn more about the DeLuca family history.
I guess I was always destined to end up in the extractive industry in some capacity.
My great-grandfather arrived in Melbourne in 1925, far from his home in Sicily and his wife and five children (who he wouldn’t see again for 11 years). He went to the Wonthaggi coal mines and found blasting work there. This must’ve been so daunting as he spoke very little English and had no family here. I think about this sometimes when I think I’m having a bad day.
Years later, his son, my grandfather, started an earthmoving business. During tough times in the 1960’s my Dad, John, left his engineering studies to help in the family business as an operator and blaster.
When my grandfather passed away Dad started his own business and ended up working at Yarra Valley Quarry. I can still remember going with him on school holidays and sitting on the engine covers while he was loading. I would’ve been around 12 years old. That obviously wouldn’t happen now.
I started working at 13, operating a traxcavator for a local earthworks contractor, which wouldn’t happen these days either. And then at 18 I moved to Yarra Valley Quarries on afternoon shift maintenance.
My dad, started at Boral Montrose in the early 1990’s, working various machines there until he retired in 2018.
I started at Boral Montrose in 1999 on fixed plant maintenance. I went on to become the face loader operator with a stint as site coordinator in between. In 2007 I joined the Drill and Blast team as a Shotfirer and Survey Technician and that’s where I am today.
My sister Kym joined in 2004 as a Haul Truck Operator and we worked together for a few years in the Load and haul team. Then Kym went on to join me in the Drill and Blast team as a shotfirer starting approximately 2010.
My brother Joel started working at Montrose around 2002, as an excavator operator. Joel is a qualified boiler maker by trade, so he also did maintenance work. I used to bust the buckets on the face loader during the day (due to the harsh rock) and Joel would spend all night fixing them!
It was a bit strange having Dad, my sister Kym, my brother Joel and me all working on the same bench at Montrose. I can remember this happening quite a bit.
Some of my favourite times are in the beginning while working in fixed plant maintenance. There were only three of us and Andrew Rankin was our site coordinator at the time. It was hard work with long hours but we made it really enjoyable with plenty of laughs.
I’m lucky enough to work at different sites everyday so I get to work with a lot of great people. I got to work with Keely Preston putting together the history room for the Montrose Quarry open day last year. And working with my family is great - Dad has retired now but I see my brother and sister regularly.
My grandfather had three explosive boxes from when he used to do blasting on civil jobs back in the 1950’s and 60’s. He gave them to my Dad and when I became a shotfirer in the 2000s, my Dad gave them to me. The other items I have collected over time mainly from auctions.
Outside of Boral, I am a massive Daft Punk fan and have a room at home filled with their memorabilia. It’s overflowed into other rooms now. I also love bass guitars. I currently have 13, with the one my Dad purchased in 1964 when he was 16 being my prized possession.
I’ve recently taken up metal detecting but haven’t struck it rich yet.
