On Monday 23 November, the Rotary Club of Healesville awarded the Pride of Workmanship Award to local resident Treeka Allen.
Recognising vocational excellence in the community, the Pride of Workmanship Award is handed out annually and provides employers with an opportunity to recognise high quality workmanship.
Treeka has worked for Country Smart for 17 years and is, at this stage, a part of Healesville’s woodwork.
From starting in the Knox store in 1994 to selling the Healesville store’s first customer a hat before they even had cash in the till, Treeka has built great rapport with Healesville locals and visitors alike.
Meticulously managing the shop’s selection and display windows, Treeka’s devotion to her vocation is evident day-in and day-out.
Treeka said, “17 years ago I was so excited when I got the phone call letting me know a new menswear store was opening in Healesville and that I had been offered an interview.”
“I look forward to coming to work every day – spending time with my work friends, meeting people from all over the world, and being proud of the merchandise we sell,” she said.
Treeka’s employer and owner of Country Smart Russel Key attended the award event and said, “We are much better people for knowing Treeka.”
“We appreciate Treeka, probably more than she understands. As an employee she still gets asked to do Saturdays and Sundays and fill in the gaps but she manages the whole thing really well.”
“The whole town knows Treeka and her ability to retain customers has brought them back to Healesville and back to the store.”
“As a Healesvillian, you couldn’t ask any more than that of an employee of a small business in a town.”
Healesville Rotary President, Sally Piper, “Having personally known Treeka for so many years, I can say that she has always been really smiley and nothing has ever been a trouble.”
“I know the amount of work that she does getting that Christmas window in, and it has been an award winner as well,” she said.
“Treeka is somebody who does not just look after the customers, which is the job that we do in business, but she takes pride in presenting the stock as well, and that has a huge impact on how the community feels when they wander down our streets and see our shops.”
Beginning her career as an apprentice chef, Treeka then transitioned to an apprenticeship in car spraypainting, a field that, at the time, was not a common field for women.
“I was the first female to go through my TAFE and it was very difficult for women to get work in the field of car spray painting in those days,” Treeka said.
“My boss at my apprenticeship was fantastic and I was painting Porsche cars as a first-year apprentice. I even painted cars that were featured in Street Magazine,” she said.
It was not until the car spray painting business she worked for closed down that Treeka moved into menswear.
“When I was spray-painting, I had to wear chequered shirts and work boots and overalls, so I grew to like mens’ clothes.”
Treeka’s favorite things about working at Country Smart are the local community and her creative freedom.
“I love having the creative freedom to be able to set the store up the way I think it needs to be set up to run smoothly and I love that I get input into the things that we buy for the customers,” Treeka said.
“I love the people and I love coming here every day and meeting different people from everywhere and it’s not just standing at a register and passing over money,“ she said.
Living locally with her husband and children in Healesville is another of Treeka’s pleasures.
“I see my customers at the supermarket or when I am out at a social event. It is wonderful being a local,” she said.
“My local Cafe already knows my coffee order and they just take my cup. We really are a community here in Healesville and I love it.”
Treeka loves her job and plans to continue working at Country Smart for a long time.
“I love our shop and our staff – who have become some of my dearest friends,” she said.
The Pride of Workmanship Award has been around since 1976 and employees are nominated by their employers or colleagues based on their outstanding service and contributions.
For more information or to nominate someone for 2026, visit the Healesville Rotary Club’s website at: https://www.rotaryhealesville.org/
