Meet Janelle Hodgson – Woodside’s first woman “wharfie”
Janelle Hodgson loves being a “wharfie” almost as much as she loves fishing and cooking.
Officially, her role is “logistics operator”. But Janelle insists wharfie is what she is, and she’s proud of both the term and the work.
Janelle made history in 2021 when she became the first permanent female wharfie on Woodside’s books. “It's not a traditional role by far, but it's very rewarding with so much job satisfaction,” she reports.
"It's so empowering because it's such a satisfying job. It's really fascinating to see how we all work together, safely and efficiently. My team is an absolutely awesome crew to work with, and I fit in really well."
Working outside suits Janelle, who loves the outdoors. Originally from a farming background in country Victoria, her early life centered around camping and fishing, riding horses and motor bikes. That was when she also developed a love for the water and cooking, and she maintains both passions today. “After high school, I worked in the hospitality industry before getting married early and had my daughter, Jessica,” she says.
She also got to run a restaurant in a popular Victorian winery, before switching careers and becoming a machine operator in an Uncle Toby’s manufacturing plant, where she loved the mechanical side of the job. Fast forward to 2006 and following a driving holiday around WA with her partner, Janelle was determined to move to the West. Cue another love. “We fell in love with the area, the lifestyle and the endless potential the area had to offer,” she explains.
“I got a job as an all-round operator operating trucks, loaders, bobcats, excavators, cranes and labouring in civil construction with a company installing the underground services, earthworks and roads for KGP’s fifth train.” She then moved on to the construction of Pluto LNG as an all-rounder in civil construction before returning to Karratha Gas Plant for mechanical maintenance during turnarounds.
Janelle spent five years learning many new skills – from steel fixing, concreting, rigging to the job of surveyor’s assistant. Then, at Downer, she was employed as a crane, truck and forklift operator and at Monadelphous in the shutdown campaign group. Gaining experience and knowledge with special tools and materials led to a role in the KSBF warehouse, resulting in a full-time Woodside position in 2019.
Two years later came the chance to become a wharfie. Wharfies, or wharf logistics operators, help load and unload supplies and containers from vessels that service Woodside’s and the North West Shelf’s offshore platforms and Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels. Cranes lift containers and cargoes on and off the vessels, which are then transferred by forklifts.
Janelle says she jumped at the chance of being involved. “I knew the opportunity would mean I'd become Woodside's first permanent female wharfie, and I was so happy to be outside and working in the heavy lifting operations,” she explains. “Roles at the King Bay Supply Facility wharf are highly sought-after because it’s such a great role with great work. You never stop learning and every day is different. We load and unload everything and anything that supports all of Woodside’s offshore assets and drilling operations. “It’s very fast-paced with a high turnover of vessels daily. In the 2024 Pilbara Ports report on the Karratha Supply Facility Wharf, we performed 24,000 lifts last year and moved 80,000 tonnes of cargo and that’s significant.” She adds: “It’s heavy, it's physical and it's hot. But our focus is always on safety and we've all got to have each other’s backs and have that trust element. Safety is the utmost priority and the teamwork and trust within crews is excellent.”
In her downtime, Janelle can usually be found on the ocean off WA, where she’s pulled in some massive fish and set State records along the way. Seems fishing is in her DNA, inherited from her father. “I take after him with being passionate about everything fishing,” she reveals. “He is passionate about fly fishing and has won Australian fly-fishing championship several times.”
When she’s not on the water, Janelle is likely to found in the kitchen. Perhaps she’s reliving her past life in hospitality. “Friends and co-workers always complain that they put on weight from my never-ending cakes and cooking,” she remarks. “I have a strong love and passion for cooking, baking and entertaining and spend hours in the kitchen.”
The kitchen and cooking, ocean and fishing, wharves and breaking glass ceilings – you’ve gotta love that list, and they all make up the many passions of Janelle Hodgson.
