Factory Friends Reunite 16 Years After Berrivale Closed

Carol Carter walked out of Berrivale cannery for the last time in 2010, tears streaming down her face as six decades of regional history came to an end. Sixteen years later, she organized a reunion that had everyone laughing so hard their faces hurt.

Carter and her friend Rhonda Voigt worked together at the South Australian fruit processing plant from 1971 until its final shift. The two recently decided it was time to bring their old crew back together, especially after losing a few former colleagues.

"I laughed that much that my face was sore by the time I got home," Carter said about the March 2026 gathering.

Berrivale wasn't just any factory. At its peak, the cannery employed over 1,000 workers and processed one in every five Australian oranges, churning out everything from Berri Juices to Ezy-sauce that filled pantries across the country.

The work was repetitive but the friendships made it worthwhile. Workers poked gherkins into jars, peeled onions for pickling, and got "stuck on the fruit salad line if you were naughty," all while sharing jokes and building lasting bonds.

For many, Berrivale provided crucial income. Single mother Carter moved to be closer to family and found steady work that let her give her kids "a little bit extra." Seasonal employees relied on the paychecks to buy school books and uniforms each year.

The factory attracted everyone from Greek and Italian migrants housed in on-site hostels to Queensland itinerant workers camping out back. Voigt's entire family relocated from Victoria to support operations, and she became known as "Rhonda from the office."

Sunny's Take

What makes this reunion special isn't just nostalgia for processing oranges. It's proof that workplace friendships can become family, especially when you're building something together.

Steve Smith, another longtime employee, summed it up perfectly: "Besides funerals, at my age, that's about the only place you run into people you haven't seen for a while." He missed the March reunion but hopes there's another chance to reconnect.

The friends are already planning to make reunions a regular event.