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Tony Siemer

"I started work at Emmco in January 1953 as a toolmaker and I worked there for 30 years. I was among a group of skilled German toolmakers making plastic moulds for refrigerators.

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When I arrived, I was surprised how far advanced toolmaking was at the Orange factory.

There were hundreds of other migrants at the factory from many different countries, and in the early days the universal language was German.

I was a convenor for the Australian Metal Workers' Union for many years. I and a number of others founded the Email Employees' Credit Union, which later became the Orange Mutual Credit Union."