IT WAS a special day for former Proserpine mill workers on Friday as they held their 18th reunion.

Retired mill worker Ron Read is one of the main organisers behind the scenes, having started working at the mill in 1953.

"I started work as an apprentice fitter and I retired as a maintenance engineer,” he said.

"During that time you study, you get a second class engineer certificate and then first class and you go up the ladder

"In my 46 years that made it easier because you're changing jobs all the time as you go up the ladder.”

Mr Read helped organise the first reunion 18 years ago and still helps it run today.

"It's designed to be for former employees, staff and directors at the mill as a way to catch up with people,” he said.

"It's great to see different blokes come together who haven't seen each other in a long time

"Two blokes may have not seen each other for 10, 15 years, and then they get together and it's very nice to see.

"There's a lot of experience in that room and there's a few that were probably there when I started in 1953.”

Mill Social Club secretary and current mill worker Michael Wright agreed it was great to see all the former employees together.

"We're learning by hearing from them and their stories of the old days,” he said.

"Most of these blokes here would have done 30-40 years at this mill.

"There's got to be well over a 1000 years' experience here. We look forward to getting old enough to retire and come to this day ourselves.”