Becoming an early childhood educator, let alone director, wasn't a priority calling for Louise Murfet. But fast forward three decades, and that's exactly the direction she stayed in.
The long-time director of Jacaranda Preschool at Caringbah, is retiring this year.
An integral part of the community since she came in as director in 1992, Mrs Murfet made the move from a preschool in Mascot, where she attended as a child.
She dived into the industry as an untrained, having started an office job working in secretarial accountancy.
"They gave me the job because I could do the wages," Mrs Murfet said. "Office work wasn't my calling but I didn't know anything about children. I did my childcare certificate course, which was the second year - the beginning of those courses in TAFE."
She found herself in a room on her own, with a church helper who would assist in washing up.
"The best and biggest thing has been the introduction of regulations," Mrs Murfet said. "Early childhood education is so important. Children learn more in the first three to five years than they do for the rest of their lives."
Steering the centre through the COVID-19 pandemic period also proved challenging, she said.
"It was a big shock to us - parents couldn't come into our centre and past our COVID-19 line," Mrs Murfet said. "It was hard for everyone but the children's resilience was amazing.
"The new ones hadn't had that socialisation - birthdays, sleepovers, staying at grandma's, but we understood a lot about what children were thinking and feeling when we did an art exhibition about COVID-19 for Hazelhurst Gallery last year."
Memories of uniting with colleagues within the industry will form a standout hold as the exiting director calls it quits.
"We've tackled changes together - funding and advocating with other directors against things that were wrong with the system, and being able to push our agenda in Parliament, and on people who really didn't want to know it," Mrs Murfet said.
"When the national quality standards came in, we embraced it, and we exceeded them twice so that was pretty special."
Saying goodbye to the kids will be sad, but also a farewell left with fond recollections.
"I always say I get a big buzz seeing the children arrive - hard to leave mum behind but by end of year they go off a million miles an hour ready to take on the world. That's what keeps me going," Mrs Murfet said.
But a new chapter begins. "I'm of the age it's time to retire," she said. "My daughter lives overseas so I'd like to travel, and allow the next generation of director to do their thing."
The preschool is also celebrating its platinum 70th anniversary in November this year.
