In 1955, after Noel came home from school one day, his father said, “You’re going to go work for Tom McKay. No ifs or buts about it.” By 1956, young Noel had begun his electrical apprenticeship. At that time, McKay had branches in Whangārei, Kaikohe, and Kaitaia. One of the first jobs Noel remembers working on was wiring Kaikohe Hospital, where he was apprenticed to Maurie Herbert, the lead electrician on the project. Maurie had only recently started and was working under Tom and Joe, who both worked hands-on throughout the project.

Being an apprentice back then was hands-on and hard graft. Everything was done with a brace and bit, with no such thing as electric drills. Tom McKay was still on the tools in those days, and most of the work was done using conduit (steel pipe). Apprentices would be told the length of pipe needed, and their job was to cut it and thread the ends of the conduit.

Noel remembers that Tom McKay had a knack for precision. If conduit needed to run along a wall, across the ceiling, and around a corner, Tom could simply look at it, bend it over his knee, and it would fit perfectly, with hardly any alterations needed. Joe Faithfull was the same. Over time, after watching the two of them, Noel became skilled at it too. He watched Tom working with his brace and bit and marvelled at how fast he was. Years later, Noel realised the secret: the crank on Tom’s brace was longer, which made the job much easier!

Back then, there were no calculators or computers to help with estimating or quoting. Noel was known for his quick mental maths and, when needed, he used an adding machine – essentially an early form of the calculator. The operator would tap in the numbers, pull the lever to enter them, add the next number, and repeat. The machine was far too heavy to carry anywhere, so it lived permanently in the office.

In the late 1950s, McKay did a great deal of aerial work, installing antennas so locals could get their televisions up and running. Wally, Joe’s brother, even placed an advert in the local newspaper promising TV installations within 24 hours.

During the construction of the refinery in 1963, there were about 12 electricians on site. Noel worked there while staying at the Ruakākā campground with his wife and sister-in-law.

In the 1970s, Noel spent a significant amount of time managing work in the Pacific. Rarotonga was the first overseas project for both Noel and McKay. Noel prepared the quote for the Rarotonga hotel project, and Joe said, “Well, you priced it, so you go do the damn thing. If you price something and someone else does it, you can blame them if something goes wrong.” So off he went to Rarotonga for about two years.

Noel recalls one day on the airstrip when everything that could go wrong did. The team was digging a trench to lay two cables: one running down the length of the airstrip and another providing backup. It took six days to complete the first pass. Noel told the team, “If you can get us back down the air strip by Saturday, I’ll pay you for Sunday as well.” One cheeky bugger called out, “What if we get there by Friday?” Noel laughed and said, “Then I’ll pay you Saturday and Sunday, and throw in meal allowances.” He remembers thinking there was no way to stop those jokers now.

The real problem was the digger. The bearing on the end kept wearing out, and whenever it did, the crew all headed off for lunch while Noel fixed it. However, this time, the entire main frame broke in half. Noel patched it together as best he could, tacking the frame while the crew kept digging and laying cable. They finished by Friday, and, true to his word, Noel paid up.

The old photos show Noel in shorts and T-shirts, often alongside his colleague Maurice, cigarette in hand. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was not really a thing back then. One day at the refinery, Noel was working among the steelwork, installing cable trays. A nearby welder had gone to smoko, taking his helmet with him. Noel needed to add another bracket, so he grabbed the welder, shut his eyes, and welded the bracket himself, pausing now and then to squint and check his progress. One of the foremen saw what he was doing and yelled, “What do you think you’re doing?” before dragging him into the office. Expecting a telling-off, Noel was instead handed a brand-new welding set and told to use that. Back then, it wasn’t about certifications – you either knew how to do the job, or you just did it.

In later years, Noel also worked on other islands, including power upgrades at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, airport approach lighting in Vanuatu, and terminal and control tower works under Graeme Clarke in Papua New Guinea. He also worked as a subcontractor to build a power station, install underground cables and wire houses on around five islands in the Tonga group, while Graeme Clarke stayed in Apia and organised shipping of materials to the islands. Around 2005, Noel returned to Whangārei to work on switchboards, and he retired in 2008.

Noel was not just an electrician. He was also a welder who repaired McKay machinery, a scuba diver when cable trenches were laid in the harbour, a digger driver, and crane operator. At one point, Lindsay even asked if he’d ever thought about becoming a pilot so the team could move more quickly around the country.

Noel’s legacy runs deep within McKay’s history. His versatility, hands-on skill, and fearless attitude made him more than just an electrician – he was a problem-solver, a builder, and a teacher. His ability to turn his hand to any trade made him an invaluable member of the team. Beyond his technical know-how, his experience and ingenuity remain a reminder of the resourcefulness and grit that helped shape McKay into what it is today.