Rudy Nath was born in Suva, Fiji on 7^th May 1940. His parents were indentured labourers transported by the Colonial British Government of India to various colonies of European powers to provide labour for the (mainly sugar and rice) plantations of the region.

He attended St Columbus Catholic Primary School and Marist Brothers High School both in Suva before being sent by his parents to Rostrevor College in 1958, where he completed his intermediate studies. In 1959 he transferred to Kings College, now Pembroke, where he completed his leaving certificate, matriculating in 1960.

Rudy’s early years were played out against the theatre of World War II. He recalls an American army jeep being parked on his parent’s front lawn for many years, abandoned by the US army at the end of the war, and anti aircraft guns lining the shore of Suva Harbour, which was heavily mined during the war years. He had a happy childhood with many friends and sporting triumphs as a tennis and soccer player. His schooling was often interrupted by hurricanes and it was his job to board up the windows during the eye of the storm. He survived the Fijian earthquake of 1952, watching from the top of a local hill as the water was swept out of Suva Harbour only to return minutes later as a tsunami.

Rudy’s father, Bishnath, did very well for himself as an import export agent of grains, food products and other exotic manufactured goods such as valve radios. He was also an investor, accumulating a number of properties in Suva and renting these out to local families and business people, including his next door neighbour who was a brewer. Rudy recalls his Father installing a pipe from his rear shed to the neighbour’s brew so he could have beer on tap, literally!

In 1961, Rudy enrolled in a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Adelaide and throughout that year endeavoured to secure part time work as an apprentice pharmacist. Continuously rejected, without reason, Rudy sought the assistance of a young, up and coming equal opportunity solicitor, Don Dunstan, to assist with his plight. He recalls being escorted by Don to two of the pharmacies who had rejected his application for employment and watched as Don tore into them for their overt discrimination.

Don Dunstan became one of Rudy’s early mentors, assisting him at first with a pharmacy apprenticeship at "Fleers" on Hampstead Road Hampstead Gardens and, later, arranged for the Public Service Commissioner to interview Rudy, who was subsequently accepted as a Records Clerk with the E&WS Department on the princely sum of £1,117 per annum. Rudy had a distinguished career in the Public Service until resigning in 1992. During this period he worked in the E&WS, State Services and Public Buildings Departments performing senior administration and HR roles.

Following the outsourcing of the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES), Rudy worked for a number of private employment services organisations before joining Status as a recruitment consultant in 1999. Rudy has loved every moment of his life and highlights his project management of the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s first country emergency beacon project in Port Augusta, as well as his work with unemployed and highly disadvantaged people as being among his most enjoyable working experiences.

Both his parents have passed away, with his father joining Rudy and his brother in Adelaide for a few years prior to his passing. Rudy is married to Sue and together they have six children and six grandchildren. He lists his greatest personal achievement as educating his children, one of whom has achieved a PhD, and all of whom are employed! His biggest regret was not finishing his Pharmacy degree and he laments society’s loss of civics and family values instilled in him as a child.

During his 11 years with Status, he has made many friends with staff and employers of the Organisation, and has hosted many of them at our corporate facility at AAMI stadium during the AFL football season, treating everyone who attended as part of one big extended family. He is a man with a wicked sense of humour, outstanding work ethic and sales skills to match but inside him still beats the heart of a child who loves his model cars and boats.

Rudy, you have been a wonderful employee and on behalf of all your colleagues, friends and "employers", we wish you a very happy 70^th birthday with many more to come.

Rudy continues his role as Business Development Consultant with Status.

Gary Hatwell Executive Chairman