28 April 2025

A light-bulb moment during Whitehaven’s Vacation Program

For twenty-year-old Ella-Luci Milfull (Lulu) the mining industry isn’t just a career path – it’s a part of her identity. Growing up in mining towns across Australia, Lulu’s passion was sparked by her family connections to the industry and nurtured by family friends and the tight-knit mining communities she called home.

Lulu has lived throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“I was born in Brisbane, but we moved around a lot – Groote Eylandt, Tieri, Moranbah and Mackay,” she added,

“Moranbah was where I spent six years of my childhood, and honestly, it was the best. Growing up there as a kid is something I wouldn’t change for the world; I couldn’t fathom anything different. And I think that’s where my love for the industry really started.”

With both her parents working in the industry, mining was always in Lulu’s blood.

“My dad’s one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to mining, but it’s not just him, my passion has come from my mum and godmother as well.

“Before my sister and I were born, Mum worked in the industry and has shared so many great stories. Her face lights up when she talks about the work she was involved in. She’s my biggest supporter. As well as my godmother, she’s a huge inspiration and has been a mentor throughout my degree and in relation to starting a career. Her achievements, such as being the first female general manager at BHP, inspire me to someday be a leader like her within the industry.”

While strongly influenced by the females in her family, it was her father’s background as an environmental scientist, and enthusiasm for working in mining where she felt a particularly strong pull to the industry. However, she initially resisted following in his footsteps.

“As a kid I wanted to do something in the health field but quickly realised that wasn’t for me. I always found myself coming back to rocks, geology and the environment. I remember Dad driving us from Moranbah to Mackay and he would point out the different species of grass and trees, or how he would bring back rocks, bird feathers or a piece of coal from site and give it to me. It is his passion and willingness to share that really influenced me.”

Lulu is currently in her third year at the University of Queensland, pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) specialising in civil engineering and majoring in mining.

She recently took part in Whitehaven’s twelve-week vacation program, which started last November, spending the first two weeks in the Remote Operating Centre (ROC) in Brisbane.

“It was a personal preference to do my vacation program based in Whitehaven’s Brisbane office as I wanted to experience the corporate side to mining before going to site.”

“The ROC felt like walking into a spy movie with all the computers and screens. It was eye-opening seeing how components of Whitehaven’s mines can be operated remotely from hundreds of kilometres away. I spent the first two weeks shadowing the team in the ROC, learning about what they do and the impacts this has on the business.”

“I also had the opportunity to work on a wet weather dashboard project and developed a love for coding. Before this experience, I hated coding – I did a first-year uni course and thought I’d never have to use it again. But now, I love it. My days were spent learning from data specialists, using PowerBi to visualise the data and working with data in SQL.”

Although Lulu relished her time in Brisbane, it was a visit to Whitehaven’s Daunia mine site during her twelve weeks that confirmed her career aspirations.

“I went to Daunia and got to sit in an operating shovel with PJ, one of the shovel operators,” she recalled. “That was my lightbulb moment. PJ offered to give me a tour of the shovel and I was standing, looking out onto the pit and I cried. It was embarrassing, but I knew that this is my industry. I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life.”

Following the completion of the twelve-week vacation program, Lulu intends to apply for Whitehaven’s vacation program again when it opens for applications in July, this time being based on site. She also plans to apply for the company’s Graduate program when she finishes her university studies.

When asked if she had any advice for students considering applying for Whitehaven’s vacation program, she said, “Just show them that you have a passion for what you’re doing and that you’re open to all different experiences within the industry. The selection team seemed to care just as much about my enthusiasm as my GPA.”

Reflecting on her journey, Lulu is excited for what’s ahead. “Mining isn’t just a job – it’s a lifestyle and passion. You can travel the world, be exposed to a multitude of experiences, make life-long friends all whilst doing what you love and making good money. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Whitehaven’s vacation program opens for applications in July 2025. You can find out more information here.

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