By Kyra Gillespie
Former Pakenham Secondary College student Sabrina Kerber returned to school on Monday 23 October to share her experiences as the first female BHP field geologist.
Speaking to a group of Year 11 girls, Ms Kerber showed through her success in an overwhelmingly male-dominated industry, that girls really could do anything.
When Ms Kerber completed her honours in Geology in 1978 at Monash University, she was the only female to graduate among 11 other men.
But for Ms Kerber, being a girl never fazed her or stopped her from doing what she loved.
“Being a girl never held me back, not once”, Ms Kerber said.
From there she joined the mining industry initially as a field exploration geologist with BHP hunting all minerals from coal to diamonds and gold across Australia and NZ and progressing to environmental and education roles still with the Big Australian.
These followed short projects with the Antarctic Division, several months involved in the film industry and as an information specialist before a few years as an environmental and OHS consultant working in Borneo, Malaysia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
From her early career days with BHP in her twenties through to her field work in Antarctica, the key message that Ms Kerber conveyed to the young students was that a career could go in all sorts of directions.
“You can change you careers, what you choose does not have to define you.”
“I’ve reinvented my career many times, and it’s taken me to amazing places.
“A career can evolve and go in many different directions.“
Starting in Kakadu working with the indigenous communities, Ms Kerber’s incredible images that she provided from her career enabled students to see the changes in the industry from the early nineties through to now.
“Health and safety was very different to what it is now.
“Back then, we would wear shorts and a singlet to field trips in 50 degree heat!
“It’s definitely changed for the better.”
Born in Warragul and educated in Pakenham, Ms Kerber’s career took her all around the world, including Russia, where she put to good use the Russian that she took up in her first year at university.
“It’s amazing how one subject in first year enabled me to work in Russia years down the track.”
But despite all the travelling, Ms Kerber said she still made use of the valuable lessons she learned locally.
“I found that the things I had learned back in Year 10 at the school I was using in my auditing roles in Tasmania and Papua New Guinea.”
“You never know where your education will take you.“
