Kalgoorlie-Boulder lollipop lady’s waves & warm smiles become familiar fixture at local children's crossing

Offering a wave and warm smile to each passing car, Julie O’Reilly has become a familiar friendly fixture at a Kalgoorlie-Boulder children’s crossing. The 70-year-old long-time local dons her hat, high-vis vest and stop flags twice a day to help Boulder Primary School children safely navigate the busy traffic along Lane and Wittenoom streets. The “lollipop lady” who has become known in the community for her enthusiastic waves at passers-by said she adored her job. “I love it, I love seeing the kids every day, they usually come over at the same time and they bring so much joy,” she said. “They always put a smile on my face.” Her infectious positivity struck a chord with the community so much that a post on a local social media page praising her gained more than 400 reactions and more than 60 comments from people singing her praises. Community members shared stories of how the traffic warden’s waves and smiles brightened their days. Ms O’Reilly, who does not have social media, was surprised to find out about the attention she was getting online. “I didn’t realise that people even noticed me at first, or did really care, but they do, they’re really nice people,” she said. “I love it when people wave back or chat to me so it’s not just me making their day, it’s them making my day as well. “It makes me happy so if you can make someone happy, do it, what have you got to lose?” With almost three years of being a traffic warden under her belt, Ms O’Reilly said she did not understand why there were not more people who get involved. “I was supposed to be retired, but I found it kind of boring, so I looked for something different,” she said. “My friend saw the ad in the paper and said, ‘Why don’t you have a go?’ I applied, got the job, and I’m really happy I did. “We need more guards. We need a lot more guards so if we can interest people in doing this job — it’s fun, you get to know the children, you get to know the locals, and they come up and they have a chat and that makes my day.” Ms O’Reilly reminded the community of the importance of slowing down in school zones to keep children safe. “Look out for the kids crossing, because they’re only tiny tots now but one day they’ll be driving, too,” she said. “If they know that you’re slowing down for them, they’ll slow down as well.” Kalgoorlie police station confirmed there was a need for more traffic wardens to operate children’s crossings across Kalgoorlie-Boulder. More information on becoming a traffic warden is available at the WA Police website or by contacting the Children’s Crossings Unit on (08) 6274 8731.