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When Elie Yim arrived in Australia from Hong Kong in 1974, she was still a teenager.
Her family had decided to migrate to Australia in search of better educational opportunities for their children. At the time, Australia was also changing. The White Australia Policy had recently ended and migrants were beginning to arrive from a wider range of backgrounds.
For Elie, it meant starting a new life in a country very different from Hong Kong.
When she first arrived, she lived in North Port, Melbourne. She remembers having to adjust to her new surroundings. Coming from the busy and highly developed Hong Kong, she found some of Australia's infrastructure at the time less advanced.
One of the biggest differences was the amount of space. There were parks and open spaces everywhere, something Elie was not used to seeing in Hong Kong.
Elie completed her education in Australia before undertaking professional training and getting a job with Telstra.
"That was my first job and my last job," she said.
After getting married, Elie settled in Doncaster, where she raised two daughters. She has lived in the area ever since and now has four grandchildren. After many years of working and raising her family, retirement gave Elie the opportunity to do something different.
While her daughters were growing up, Elie was busy working and did not always have time to pick them up from school. When she retired 16 years ago, she decided she wanted to give something back to the community. A year later, she became a school crossing supervisor.
For the past 15 years, Elie has worked at the intersection of Manningham Road and Williamsons Road in Doncaster, helping children and families cross the road safely. Standing at the crossing where she works each day, she pointed to the street around her. "This is my office," she said.
Over the years, Elie has watched many local children grow up. Some still recognise her years later. One girl Elie used to help across the road grew up, got married and became a mother. She later came back with her own child to visit Elie.
And this lollipop lady really does hand out lollipops. On their birthdays, Elie sometimes gives the children a treat, and some have learned to look at her pockets to see if she has any waiting for them. "The children are really lovely," she said. "I feel very happy."
Elie enjoys getting to know the children and families who use the crossing each day. The children talk to her and tell her their stories, while many of the parents have also become familiar faces over the years.
But the job also comes with an important responsibility. Elie has seen how quickly dangerous situations can develop on busy roads, particularly during school drop-off and pick-up times. "People are always in a hurry," she said. Parents drop their children off and often want to drive away immediately.
Elie would like to see more attention paid to road safety around schools, including more speed cameras and better road safety education for children and parents.
Just a few weeks ago, she helped a driver who was confused by road closure signs due to construction works further along the road. She believes better education and awareness can help reduce accidents on the road.
Elie's work has also been recognised.
This year, she was named School Crossings Victoria Region 3 Supervisor of the Year and was recognised by Manningham Council for the achievement.
Mayor Jim Grivas congratulated Elie on the award, acknowledging her professionalism, reliability and connection with the community, and thanking her for 15 years of service to children and families at the Manningham Road and Williamsons Road crossing.
It has now been 52 years since Elie arrived in Australia as a teenager from Hong Kong. What began as a new life in a very different country has become a long connection with the Doncaster community.
And to the many children and families she has come to know over the years, Elie is simply their lollipop lady.
