by Kym O'Leary

The Middlemount I Keep Coming Back To

by Kym O'Leary

Some places become part of your story.

Middlemount is one of those places for me.

I arrived as a Commercial Graduate with Anglo American, fresh out of university and excited about what lay ahead. If I'm honest, I also had a picture in my head of what life would look like. A share house with other graduates. Plenty of socialising. A smooth transition into adult life.

Instead, I was handed the key to a camp room with orange shag pile carpet.

It wasn't exactly what I had imagined.

The day I arrived in town involved a lot of tears. I questioned whether I'd made the right decision and whether I was cut out for life in a mining town. Then my first day on site ended, and something shifted.

The people were smart, welcoming and genuinely cared. They didn't just ask how work was going. They asked how I'd slept in my camp room, invited me to social events and made me feel included. Before long, life felt full and surprisingly easy.

Looking back, I think that's what made Middlemount special. It wasn't the town itself. It was the people.

"For a long time, I thought success looked like the city. What Middlemount taught me was that success can also look like community, friendship, meaningful work and people who genuinely care about one another."

I still remember every Wednesday being cash flow day. At the
time, I thought my manager Rob was tough. Looking back, I realise it was care.

He expected me to do my job well and that's something I'm incredibly grateful for. Once I'd prepared the cash flow, I had to walk into his office and explain the result. If we were above or below our cash call, I needed to understand why and be able to explain it clearly.

Anyone who knows me knows I don't particularly enjoy being put on the spot. Every Wednesday I was nervous. At the time, I wished Rob would go easier on me.

Today, I'm grateful he didn't.

He taught me accountability. He taught me to understand the numbers, not just prepare them. He taught me that confidence comes from being prepared. It's probably why I still balance my credit card every month.

Later, I moved from the site finance team into contracts and found another leader who would shape my career in a completely different way.

Jodie believed in me before I fully believed in myself.

When I started talking about wanting to pursue a dream outside of my full-time role, she didn't tell me it was unrealistic. She didn't tell me to wait. She simply said she'd support it. I just had to find someone to job share with.

So I did.

It's one of those moments that changed the direction of my life, and one that probably doesn't happen without a leader willing to back their people.

What surprised me most about Middlemount wasn't the mining industry. It was how much the place would shape who I became. The confidence, friendships, opportunities and lessons all started there. In the middle of all of this, I left to take a twelve-month sabbatical.

Looking back, I realise just how remarkable that opportunity was. Anglo American gave me a year off to go backpacking, with the opportunity to return when I came home. The catch was that I might not return to the same role, but it felt like a risk worth taking.

When I returned, I contacted Anglo and was offered a position in the Brisbane head office. At the time, I thought I'd landed the jackpot. Isn't that what we're all taught to want? The city. The career progression. The bright lights.

I signed a lease and started work.
The job was fine.
The city wasn't.

I quickly realised I wasn't cut out for catching public transport every day. I'd grown up on a farm. I'd been driving since I could reach the pedals, sitting on a cushion. Space, independence and simplicity felt normal to me.

And while Brisbane had more things to do, I realised that wasn't actually what made me happy. What I missed were the simple things. Catching up with mates after work. Walking home. Knowing people. Feeling part of a community.

The things that had come so naturally in Middlemount.

Years later, I returned for a second stint. It was during that chapter that I worked with Jodie and was reminded of what had made the town special in the first place.

And that's when I realised some places stay with you long after you've left.

Not because of the buildings.

Not because of the attractions.

But because of the people who helped shape who you became.

For a long time, I thought success looked like the city. What Middlemount taught me was that success can also look like community, friendship, meaningful work and people who genuinely care about one another.

Years later, those are still the things I value most.

Some places become part of your story. Middlemount will always be one of them.

"At the time, I thought my manager Rob was tough. Looking back, I realise it was care."

Digging into Life

View all

Home Was a Place I’d Never Been Before

I was on my way home from a work trip when someone asked me a simple question.

“So, where are you flying home to?”

The One Thing I’d Tell Anyone Before They Leave on a Lap of Australia

Everyone says the first three months of caravanning are the hardest. They were right. Here's what no one tells you about learning a completely new way of living.

The Milestone I Missed

What a bike ride without training wheels taught me about parenthood.