For nearly four decades, rain or shine, Rhonda Hampton has stood faithfully on Chandler Road in Keysborough, guiding generations of children safely to school with a warm smile and a cheerful wave.
In 1986, at just 29 years old, the Dandenong North resident put on the fluorescent vest for the first time as a School Crossing Supervisor for the Greater Dandenong City Council.
Thirty-eight years later, Rhonda has become a beloved part of the local community, smiling at many who once walked past her intersection with a backpack, now returning with children of their own.
What started as a job became a daily routine, not only for Rhonda, but for her daughter, Krystal Farkas, too, who spent every school day morning and afternoon with her mother on the crossing.
“It was just part of our life,” Krystal said. “I never caught the bus. I never walked alone. Mum was always there — every day.”
Over the years, Rhonda’s bright presence and genuine care has built a remarkable bond with the local community.
Ventura bus drivers honk in greeting, parents wave, and children smile when they see her familiar face.
She’s received countless thank-you notes, drawings, and heartfelt gifts.
“She has this bubbly personality that lifts everyone’s day,” said Krystal.
“She wasn’t just helping kids cross the road. She was brightening lives.”
To her, these kids are more than just pedestrians.
They are “her kids,” and many now greet her with updates on their lives and families.
“I’ve been here 38 years. I came out at 29 and I’ve watched them grow up, all the kids,” Rhonda said.
“Getting wheeled in their prams and then growing up and going to high school and everything.”
She never left her post. “Yeah, I’ve never left this crossing,” she says. “That’s why everybody knows me here. I love the job.”
Rhonda is at the crossing Monday to Friday, 8-9am and 2.45 to 3.45pm.
Despite hoping to reach her 40-year milestone, Rhonda has made the difficult decision to retire early due to recent health challenges.
“I’ll be broken when I go,” said Rhonda.
But she has no intention of disappearing from the community entirely.
“I’ll come past and see [the kids].”
Her final shift will be on Friday June 27.
If any local recognition is due, Krystal, and hundreds of school children can agree it is surely for a woman who turned a job into an act of community love and care.
