• Natasha Morris—perhaps Perth’s only female plumber. Photo by Jenny D’Anger

by JENNY D’ANGER

NATASHA MORRIS says it may be the 21st century but Victorian attitudes abound about female plumbers.

The 29-year-old is one of only a handful of women in the trade, and far too many of her colleagues cling to outdated beliefs about female capabilities.

“My size puts [employers] off,” the pocket-sized sole parent tells the Herald.

Keen to do a motor mechanic apprenticeship in her old home town of Edinburgh, she was advised against it by the school careers counsellor because of the difficulty of breaking into a male-dominated industry.

So like many young women she took an office job, only to get bored out of her skull.

At 21—”I was a late starter”—she scored a plumbing apprenticeship and became Edinburgh’s runner-up apprentice of the year.

In a tale familiar to working women worldwide, she says: “I had to prove myself…work that bit harder, be that bit neater.”

Late last year Ms Morris fled the cold, grey skies of Scotland and landed in Fremantle.

“I wanted sunshine in the morning,” she smiles. “I wanted my daughter to grow up on the beach, not on a council estate.

“I’ve burnt myself quite a lot here, I’m not used to the sun heating up the metal [tools].”

There were many rejections before North Fremantle’s Young’s Plumbing took the plunge.

Boss Tony Young says he doesn’t know of any other female plumbers in WA right now, although there have been a couple in past years.

He took Ms Morris on because of her skills, her go-for-it attitude and her bucking the norm as a female in the male-dominated industry.

“I like breaking stereotypes,” he laughs.

In the two months since, he’s been impressed by Ms Morris’ work and on-the-job problem solving—”we are happy to use her brains”

Mr Young says Ms Morris comes in particularly handy for jobs such as the women’s change rooms at the Fremantle Leisure Centre and a local women’s refuge.

“I don’t have to clear the premises [for a man to go in],” he says.

Ms Morris’ tiny size means she can “fit quite nicely into cupboards” and her dainty hands can reach into tight spaces that men’s big hairy knuckles can find a challenge.

The uniform presents a bit of a problem, however: “I’m wearing 14-year-old boy shorts!” she laughs.

Plumbers’ union organiser Brian Bintley says the union is pushing for more woman in the industry, but admits it’s an uphill struggle.

“We don’t want the image of us as a man’s world and plumbers’ cracks,” he sighs.

“It’s still a good trade for women to get into. It takes a lot of care and concentration and I think young girls have the skill.”

With her daughter set to arrive soon, Ms Morris is keen to find affordable rental accommodation in the Fremantle area, making after-school child care easier to fit around work.

“We have done everything to find her a house,” Mr Young says, but the local rental market is tight and expensive.

If you can help, give Young’s Plumbing a call on 9335 2076.