General News
13 February, 2026
Robyn Tracey marks crossing milestone
For nearly half a century, Robyn Tracey has kept generations of Carisbrook Primary School students safe along the busiest stretch of Simson Street.
The beginning of the school year has marked 45 years since she became a crossing supervisor in the early 80s. The milstone simply began when Ms Tracey decided to apply for the job advertised by the shire, not realising she would be in it for this long.
“Back when I started, it was the old shire of Tullaroop, the job was advertised, I applied for it and got it. I was handed the uniform, flags and a stop sign and just said ‘hello, goodbye’,” she said.
“Back in those days, we never had the uniform we have now, we had a white dust coat with stripes called sand browns and a vinyl white and black peak cap.”
Since then, the much loved crossing supervisor has always sported hi-vis in the same place out the front of Carisbrook Primary School.
Ms Tracey feels there have been few other changes throughout her career, aside from seeing more families moving to the town and witnessing the children she led across the street, drop off children of their own.
“We used to work three times a day because the schools were allowed to go home for lunch, so I would be on site at lunch time,” she said.
“The town has changed, people move on ... when I first started, I knew every child, where they lived, everything. Nowadays, the roads have gotten busier, there are more trucks than what there ever was, and it’s constant.”
Ms Tracey recalls getting to know excited students so well, she could tell when something was amiss.
“There’s been times I’ve sent a child home, asking ‘where is your school bag?’ ... ‘school bag?’ they look up and ask,” she said.
“Or the child will ride their bike to school in the morning and in the afternoon and I’ll ask ‘where is
your bike?, you had a bike this morning’ Those interesting sort of moments.
“You also have to be vigilant. You have to know what’s going on around you, if there is a different car, you have to be aware and think ‘I don’t think that car has anything to do with this school’.
“Or, just asking, ‘did you fall off your scooter this morning,” the kid would say no, ‘did you fall off your scooter last night?” no again, ‘well, you have done well’.”
Carisbrook Primary School honoured the milestone as staff, students and families presented her with flowers, and nearly 100 handmade cards, leaving her deeply moved by the recognition.
“It’s overwhelming, I don’t do it for that. I do it to make sure the kids are safe going to school, because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ms Tracey said.
“I enjoy meeting the kids. I enjoy meeting parents. I love my job, and I love the kids. It’s close to home, I don’t live far away, and I just enjoy it.”