Almost seven million people live in Victoria and every day looks much like another for many of them.

But have you ever wondered what’s happening each hour?

What life is like for those in industries completely different to yours?

How packages get sent in an Amazon warehouse or whether baking really is a lonely job?

Here’s what 24 hours in Victoria looks like.

12AM

Bright lights, trucks, people and the hum of activity fills the midnight air in Footscray.

The evening shift of the West Gate Tunnel Project is well underway.

Workers in white overalls and hard hats gather around a coffee tray, having a much-needed break under the fluorescent lights cutting through the night sky.

Laughing and joking with each other, worksite banter is timeless.

If it weren’t for the faint constellations above, it could be 11am on any other worksite throughout the city.

Traffic through the blocked off intersections fluctuates between peak hour levels and being spookily empty, as cars take turns milling through the bottlenecked road.

Machinery starts and stops at regular intervals, echoing through normally quiet suburban streets in the surrounding blocks, shouting to its neighbours that work is afoot.

Around 12.30am, an orchestra of drills begins, what they cut through is unknown to an outsider, but interesting enough for colleagues to watch on from the sidelines.

Continuing through until 1am, no doubt irritating for the immediate community and their sleeping patterns, the project seemingly moves along at a snail’s pace through the night, with hours left before the night shift team clocks off at dawn.

1AM

The 1am slot on a Friday morning is an “interesting” part of a security guard’s night in Melbourne’s CBD, according to Heartbreaker Bar bouncer Nate.

Nate’s worked at venues around town for about four years, and has been on the door at Heartbreaker, on the corner of Lonsdale and Russell streets, for 18 months.

He’s an easygoing guy, and loves interacting with the patrons at the classic rock-themed bar, which dishes out ales, whiskeys and pizza until the wee hours.

Nate’s knocked back a couple of revellers who’d looked like they’d partied too hard earlier in the night, but reckons the usual clientele he deals with at this time are mostly harmless.

It’s not King St in 2005, he jokes, remarking it’s mostly enjoyable.

While quiet, the job is interesting.

People are either going home and want just one more drink or their just starting their night.

It is Melbourne, after all, and one of the busiest cities in the world for night-life.

Inside, bartender Angus McQueenie, decked out with eye make-up similar to one of his favourite artists Alice Cooper, is cleaning up glasses and pouring beers.

Old school hits from Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest are pumping through the speakers, and Angus says he sometimes has to use hand signs to understand patrons’ drink orders.

But just before 3am is when the drop-ins give way for the regular crowd full of sweaty people.

That’s not a turn off for Angus, who says he’d be awake anyway.

He might as well be paid for it.

2AM

Mildura gets very quiet very quickly once all the pubs and clubs begin to shut down around 2am.

Bouncers send the last few stragglers home, Mildura’s rooftop bar closes down for the night, and the radio that plays all night long in the town centre can start to be heard.

The one group still working is local taxi drivers.

In fact, some of them don’t start their night shift until around midnight.

One such driver, Gurjinder Singh often works the night shift into the early hours of the morning.

He doesn’t mind, even though it sometimes gets a bit rowdy.

The taxis don’t use the ranks in town anymore — they had become too unsafe.

He’s been lucky to never experience anything too bad.

Sometimes there are groups that are talkative or loud but overall he enjoys it.

3AM

A long way from the busy nightclubs, Warrnambool baker Dan Moore is ready to fulfil busy orders.

Being a baker is very hard to adapt to, he says.

The father of two has been doing the job for more than half of his life.

The key is to always think ahead — starting earlier means he can get all the orders done.

First, Dan mixes the flour, then places the dough on the scales.

It takes strength to knead before it rests.

Then comes the break up of items — the dough is cut into rolls and loaves and placed into tins in the oven.

About a quarter of an hour later, Dan is taking the rolls out — the loaves will need to bake for another 15 minutes.

You have to be a quick multi-tasker, he says, especially when you are baking the bread on your own without an extra hand.

It’s a high responsibility job and the first hour is always the hardest.

Dough can’t be over-kneaded and the room must be about 20C.

Leave the bread in the oven too long and it burns. Take it out too early and it won’t have risen enough.

It’s quiet at this time of the morning but at least Dan knows his day will be over more most others are even on their morning coffee break.

4AM

It’s a cold, dark and gloomy morning but it’s peak time for Xavier Rey to spring into action and prepare cattle for their daily milking at Solaris Farms in Allansford.

Xavier has only been a farmer for two years but he says it’s exciting and keeps him on his feet as there is always something to do.

Almost 1000 cows fill the paddock where they wait. They know what time of day it is.

Along with a group of working dogs, Xavier leads the cattle from his quadbike on a trail to the milking sheds.

It seems like it wouldn’t vary much but the farmer says he’s learnt to expect the unexpected.

Sometimes cows escape the paddock, delaying the milking.

Sometimes they try to flee the rotary — a circular raised platform, allowing Xavier and friend Callum to attach the milking machine from below.

The platform rotates very slowly, letting cows enter and exit the platform at regular intervals.

But the process is not quick, and as others around the state are pouring milk into their wake up coffees, Xavier is still manning the milking station.

5AM

Fresh food stall holders arrive at the Preston Market at 5am, ready for the rush of morning customers.

Fruit and veggie shop workers call out to each other, laughing and singing as they arrange colourful displays.

Fernando has worked at MnM Fruit shop for the last four years.

He loves the busy atmosphere of the market, where each day passes quickly in a flurry of customers.

He’s made many friends, young and old, through this job.

He’s even mates with some of the local homeless, who he often gives something to eat for free.

He plans to work at the market for as long as he can, hopefully until he retires.

Inside the main hall, workers in seafood shops and butchers are hard at work to the sounds of radio morning shows, to get ready for opening at 8am.

Fishmongers are pouring ice into glass cabinets and whole pigs hang from the ceiling in the middle of hallways.

Everyone is in the swing of the usual morning routine, like clockwork.

The market stays open until 6pm every Friday, making it an extra long day for the workers.

But none of them seem to mind, they’re ready to provide the freshest food to the residents of Melbourne’s north.

6AM

Before the morning commute can begin, Melbourne’s tram drivers are up early to get public transport moving.

At the Preston Tram Depot, drivers are arriving at work as the sun rises, in their uniforms and ready to get moving.

One by one, the depot gate swings open and another tram smoothly rolls out.

Inside the depot yard, lines of dormant E-Class trams lie waiting, like sleeping giants.

Aside from the hum of early morning traffic along St Georges Rd, the air is punctuated by the sound of tram bells.

This depot is historic, it’s been around for almost 100 years and was the place where some of Melbourne’s first trams were built.

But it’s still a crucial part of the city’s public transport system.

The 11, 86 and 96 trams all run from here, with more than fifty trams from this depot crossing Melbourne each day.

While the drivers are crucial to the functioning of the city, to them it’s just another day in the office.

7AM

It is early in the morning but Melbourne Airport is already humming with the sound of travel.

Passengers stand in queues, waiting for their time to travel away.

Others converge around the baggage claim with a sense of anticipation as bags tumble out onto the conveyor belt.

It’s busy but then again Melbourne Airport rarely sleeps, functioning as a revolving gateway to the rest of the world.

Outside of it, on the concrete laneways and sprawling tarmac, exists another ecosystem, featuring the workers who make Melbourne’s gateway tick.

Tanya Cauchi and the airside safety team monitor have already conducted a check of the runway, one of four for the day.

Nothing escapes their detail-hungry eyes. They’re searching for threats to passenger safety and the planes, like cracked tarmac, oil spills, rogue wildlife, or even overgrown grass covering the runway signs.

When the team isn’t traversing the runways, they’re liaising with baggage handlers and airlines to ensure safe practices.

There is a demerit point system to enforce driving rules on the runway and aeroplane bays to maintain.

It’s intensive work but for Tanya, it’s an exciting part of a job where no two days are the same.

She says nothing could match this job.

After working in offices previously, the thrill of working in a unique setting is too engrossing to leave.

The passengers huddled around their steaming coffees would rarely realise but without Tanya and her team, the airport’s hum would grind to a halt.

8AM

It’s 8am in the Mitchell household at Epsom, near Bendigo, and mum Lauren has switched shifts with her husband Simon.

She has come home from the gym and he has gone to work, leaving her to do the school run.

Their sons Angus, aged nine, and Finn, seven, are preparing to go to school and their younger brother Billy needs to get ready to go to tennis with his mum.

Lauren works part time and this is one of the days she has with the kids.

There are lunches to pack, uniforms to put on and school gear to double check.

Billy wants to eat his snacks now.

The cat is inspecting the family’s morning progress and their border collie is looking for a pat.

As Lauren cuts fruit for recess, Billy does what any two-year-old would at this time of day — he puts on a Darth Vader helmet with voice activation and begins imitating the sith lord.

The atmosphere is busy but calm and Lauren reflects that it is always more hectic on those days when she needs to go into the office.

She double checks the boys have everything they need in their school bags and then they pile into the car for the 15-minute car ride to school.

9AM

GP Dr Wei Lun (Alvin) Kong knows to expect the unexpected when he arrives to work each day at the busy Blackburn Clinic in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

Patients come and go from the clinic on Whitehorse Rd, visiting the various practitioners based at the site, which has been operating for 70 years and is well known by many locals.

Masks are still required, as Covid continues to surge in the community.

A typical day for Dr Kong could include anything from treating cuts and twisted ankles to conducting blood tests or checking for skin cancers.

A cyclist has come off their bike, so Dr Kong stitches up the long cut around his forehead with 22 stitches — saving the man a six hour wait in a hospital emergency room.

He says being a GP is a bit like being a detective. Listening is the key.

His clients could be teenagers or middle aged, and they often share confidences about their health with Dr Kong they haven’t even told their closest loved ones.

It’s a privilege he takes seriously.

Time management is one of the biggest challenges for GPs, Dr Kong says — often a patient will come in with a long list of concerns they want to talk about.

The most rewarding part is when a client says thank you for listening, he says.

Working through the pandemic, including in a respiratory clinic set up on the grounds of the clinic, was a huge challenge but staff felt supported.

The next patient is here. He lets them in and closes the door.

10AM

Nine fifty-nine AM, tick-tock, tick-tock.

The committal mention court at Melbourne Magistrates’ on a Friday is one of the most hectic lists of the week.

The physical courtroom is virtually empty bar the clerk who is in the final throes of ensuring the list kicks off to a smooth start.

Already the online link is bursting at the seams.

Office of Public Prosecutions prosecutors and Commonwealth prosecutors are on camera at the ready.

The usual array of criminal lawyers are also sharpening their tools.

Most of the action is online now after the pandemic.

It’s hard to remember how this frantic list was ploughed through before Covid.

It takes an organised and pragmatic magistrate to spearhead the list.

Who is the magistrate today? Will they come on to the bench close to the 10am start time? Ah, it’s Magistrate Tim Gattuso, perfect magistrate for the job.

Calm and composed, he reminds of old ABC News host Richard Morecroft.

An early matter gets off to a good start. Straight adjournment. Agreed by all parties.

The chopping and changing between state and commonwealth matters can get confusing but Magistrate Gattuso and his dogged clerk make the best of it.

Oh no, a custody link. The courtroom equivalent of the ‘00’ on a roulette table.

Sometimes the accused is not in the room, sometimes it’s the wrong accused, sometimes the link doesn’t work at all.

Relief for all parties, the custody link is perfect.

Magistrate Gattuso calmly navigates through another matter.

It’s 11am, the end of the first block. Only three more blocks to go.

Tick tock, tick tock.

11AM

Head chef Vittoria ‘Vicki’ Mauro is well prepared but that still doesn’t extinguish the anxiety from her mind.

It’s 11am and the hardworking chef’s kitchen at bristling Fitzroy North eatery Piccante is about to be swamped for a Friday lunch session.

It’s a nice day and people are out on the street.

Vicki’s gearing up for a “big one”.

Food prep is pretty much done except for a relish on the stove and some brisket braising in the oven.

She’ll prepare her “secret but special” tiramisu after the lunch rush.

A good chef should always look ahead, Vicki says.

Piccante has a big weekend ahead. Nice weather predicted should mean a roaring trade.

But Vicki says it means nothing if you aren’t ready for your customers.

Quality and sublime service is front of her mind this morning.

The rush will go unabated all the way until March — her kitchen is coming into its busiest period catering for the many Christmas functions and the summer crowd who wander in from the streets of the trendy inner city village.

Nearing midday and Vicki has summoned floor manager David Murray to the pass.

The pair discuss the new specials she will let rip today and over the weekend.

The french toast number looks incredibly appealing.

The meeting is over and Vicki has a few minutes to recheck she is ready for the impending rush.

Already a couple of early tables have come in and Vicki’s well-oiled machine revs up. Midday, a table of six walks in. Here we go it’s on.

12PM

It is midday at the Amazon warehouse in Ravenhall.

The workers are finishing off their morning meeting before heading back into work.

Through the organised chaos of the fulfilment centre, Markel Villasin is preparing to head to packing deliveries.

Firstly Markel gets ready to head to the vending machine, but not for a quick snack but rather pick up some personal protective equipment for work.

Amazon warehouse prides itself on innovation and efficiency — absolutely everything is labelled.

Markel sometimes feels lost in the big centre however the easy guides and arrows on the floor guide him where he needs to be.

Markel works in the packaging area where items are wheeled towards him to be scanned according to their size and placed in appropriate boxes.

After they’re boxed and taped, Markel sticks on a barcode which lets another machine generate the address of the package.

The box then goes through a conveyor belt to be labelled and loaded for delivery.

Soon, another Victorian will receive their next, eagerly awaited package.

1PM

By 1pm a local supermarket in the state’s west is preparing for an influx of customers.

From Friday evening, scores of tourists escape to regional hotspot Daylesford, and Blake Family Grocers has to be well stocked for their arrival.

The rush is soon to begin, so staff hurry in the preceding hours to fill shelves with food they’re proud can’t be found elsewhere in town.

Leah Walters will have ordered produce on Monday or throughout the week as needed, with much of it arriving today.

There’ll be little time for presentation once daily visitors shoot into the many-hundreds, so she gets in on display now.

Libby Carter mans the deli area and will work over the weekend.

She welcomes conversation and points out the genuine Van Berkel meat-slicing machine sat near a large charcuterie offering.

As basket-wielding shoppers start to file in, Libby cuts, weighs, and wraps wedges of Fromager d’Affinois double-cream soft cheese from France: a bestseller.

Some come inside for the wine selection, and others for the freshly-brewed coffee, an aspect to the business proving popular since its opening two years ago.

Regardless, it’s the shop’s workers, like Leah and Libby, who keep things running smoothly week after week.

2PM

It’s one of the busiest days of the week in the hotel business and by 2pm a steady stream of people has already been filtering through the doors of the Langham Hotel in the hope they can check in early.

Stepping in from Southbank Ave, guests walk past the pale pink London taxi and flower-adorned bikes to be greeted by a bell desk attendant who takes their bags to be sent up to their rooms and their car keys if they are using the valet service.

Guests are then directed past the coin-filled fountain and up the escalators.

Stepping onto the first floor, guests are greeted by the scent of ‘ginger flower’, an array of exquisite Christmas decorations and the smiling faces of staff standing at the check-in desks, including guest experience and club lounge manager Sophie di Fabio.

The hotel has been abuzz with activity since check out at 12pm, with staff busy cleaning rooms before the guaranteed check-in time at 3pm.

Some rooms are already ready for eager guests to walk into, but those whose rooms are not quite ready happily head upstairs for afternoon tea or out to shop while they wait.

Sophie enjoys her role and being able to contribute to guests — who often choose the Langham for a special occasion — enjoying their stay.

She has also checked in a string of “high-profile” guests to the hotel.

It’s a relatively busy weekend in Melbourne and staff have 115 guests still to check in as 3pm draws closer.

3PM

An hour in most CBD office buildings looks quite different to a newsroom.

It’s 3pm, the time where most people would expect workers to start their daily round up of tasks, treating themselves to an afternoon snack or a late coffee, the chitchat of the night’s dinner plans on everyone’s lips.

In the Leader newsroom, the hour between 3pm and 4pm maintains the same buzzing energy of the 9am to 10am block in most other workplaces.

Inside the HWT building in Southbank, the air is humming with activity.

Bringing hyperlocal news to all regions of the state is busy work, and this is a rare occasion where some of the statewide team has come together in the city.

Editors and reporters discuss the potential in a headline for a Heidelberg crime, while another journo is writing up a story on a sad demise of two seals in Warrnambool.

Other reporters are answering phone calls from their punch breaks and filing breaking news for afternoon editions, everyone else talking in hushed voices, respecting the court reporters remotely observing hearings in metropolitan court rooms.

The evening looms on the horizon, the promise of a busy weekend to come.

4PM

As the clock strikes four parents hurry to get their kids changed and in the pool ready for their swimming lesson.

Kids don their goggles and with squeals of excitement jump into the pool of Phillip Island Swim School.

The lesson starts with the kids doing some freestyle kicking before adding arm movements.

Then it is on to backstroke and torpedoes as parents watch on proudly, chatting to each other poolside.

Words of encouragement and supportive claps can be heard coming from the teachers.

Well done! You can do it!

Business owner and teacher Lawri Piera keeps the kids engaged and laughs along with them as they dive for toys, practising their breath control.

She loves being a swimming teacher, watching even the smallest achievements happen over their lessons.

And no lesson is quite the same.

Some arrive barely able to float but it won’t be that way for long.

The lesson moves along with more kicking and splashing before finishing off with some fun dives from the mat.

As the kids climb out of the pool their parents greet them with towels and they wave goodbye to their teacher for another week.

5PM

It is a mad rush every Friday afternoon for parents trying to get their kids to cricket matches.

Melbourne traffic is uncontrollable so getting from school to suburban ovals is always frantic.

James Alp is the father of Gabriel, 11, and Luke, 9, who both play in the Sunshine Heights under 11s team in the western metropolitan region.

They have won five of their six matches so far this season and the team have built a great bond.

James has picked the kids up from school and after a quick trip home for some afternoon tea, they all arrive at JR Parsons Reserve for their game against Grand United.

When the car goes into park, the kids are out and running before the blink of an eye to see their teammates and the pitch conditions.

It’s up to James to bring the kit bags out for them.

The warm up is complete and the team receives their address from team coach Adam Ciach.

The players as they are itching for activity so it’s always a short and sharp address.

The game gets underway at 5.15pm and it’s go time.

The players separate from their parents as they hit the field together.

Luke calls out ‘Dad’ during the game so his father watches his next ball on the rolled out grass pitch.

Players are cheering for each other in between balls and a wicket sparks a loud celebration every time.

It’s a wonderful atmosphere on a sunny summer evening.

6PM

Flinders Street Station is a hive of activity.

People have gathered around “the steps”, scrolling on their phones as they wait for friends or dates to arrive for Friday night drinks or dinner.

“Excuse me’s” are uttered as tired-looking office workers lugging laptop bags squeeze past fresh faced youths to enter the iconic station.

They touch on their Mykis at the carousels, push through into the concourse and stop momentarily to gaze up at screens before rushing towards the appropriate escalator to descend to the correct platform.

Most people avoid eye contact, pushing in earphones and intently focusing on their phone screens as they wait on the platforms.

A woman wearing a camel trench coat nabs a seat and pulls out a laptop to continue working.

Minutes later she pulls out an ear bud to hear an announcement that her train will now be arriving on a different platform.

She shoves her laptop back into her bag and runs to platform 12, just as a different train arrives on platform 10.

A mixed group of corporate types and students move towards the front carriage, waiting for a group of young women dressed in summery dresses and stilettos to step off the train into the sunny December afternoon.

The group embarks and scurries towards vacant seats to settle in for the journey.

One man pulls out a book as two friends continue a hushed conversation.

A few seats over a man and woman gripping suitcases gaze out the window as the train crawls out of the city, remarking on how busy the riverside bars are at this time of year.

And on and on, the trains whisk people to their destinations.

7PM

A balmy evening is the perfect setting for any family to head down to their local fish and chip shop for a Friday night feed.

Hunky Dory Fish and Chips in Port Melbourne is packed with customers, some lining out the door, waiting to get their hands on a fresh batch of delicious fish and golden, crunchy chips.

Melburnians are strolling through the bayside streets on the first warm evening of the summer, making the most of the warm breeze floating in off the ocean.

Laughter and gaiety are the backdrop for the busy evening in the fish and chip shop, as raw potatoes and fish are submerged into boiling oil, coming up a few minutes later golden and ready to eat.

The technology and decor of the store is modern and sleek, but the sound of workers wrapping up orders in big white sheets of paper has remained the same as it was decades earlier, the smell of hot oil, salt and fish still drifting through the air.

Order turnover happens as quickly as the fish and chip staff can get through them, averaging a five to 10 minute wait depending on order size.

Dim sims, potato cakes and freshly made salads are flying out the door, and seagulls are gathered outside, scavenging the remnants of meals left behind.

8PM

Just like a typical 4-year-old, Arya doesn’t want to go to bed.

As soon as ‘mum’ Sam Symons turns her back, she’s off, showing surprising pace for a koala.

Sam catches up with Arya before she climbs to her favourite daytime nook and carries her back to bed.

It’s easy to see why Arya isn’t ready to call it a day.

Her ‘siblings’ Junior the wombat, 2, and four-year-old wallaby Diesel are still rough housing on the lawn.

And a gaggle of girls, taking part in a 14th birthday sleepover for their human sister Ziva, are providing an unexpected audience.

Arya, Junior and Diesel are among the 300 odd animals at the Funky Farm — a boutique wildlife sanctuary on the Mornington Peninsula.

Run by the Symons family, who live on site, the farm offers a unique chance to get up close and personal with Australian wildlife.

While Sam is wrangling Arya husband Chris is giving four-month-old emu Victor his dinner.

Victor has just been chasing Ziva’s guests through the paddock and is a little distracted.

But he eventually obeys the instruction to sit and pecks away as Chris squats beside him.

He’s looking forward to getting to bed himself.

The day started at 5am and it’s been a long one with 150 people through the farm.

When Victor empties his bowl Chris guides him back to his paddock before heading off to find some takeaway for Ziva and her guests.

9PM

Jess and Mark don’t usually meet at the gym so late, but they’re glad they did tonight because it’s quiet and they have free reign of the equipment.

They’re ready to let off some steam after a busy week.

Jess gets to work lifting weights, something she’s only recently started since she heard her friend raving about how energised she feels after she completed a six week program.

Mark joins Jess at the gym whenever he can, but he usually works out by himself at least another five times a week.

He prefers going a bit earlier, but was happy to oblige if it meant he could gossip with his friend.

The gym is peaceful, two cleaners work in silence and the music is softly playing in the background.

A recap of the cricket plays on the news among other headlines and a few other people walk into the gym as Jess and Mark leave.

John walks into the gym at 9.30pm and is ready to go after too much pre-workout.

He comes to the gym this time everyday — puts his headphones in and gets to work.

He’s excited to get a personal record today, and has eaten in preparation for a big sweat session.

His workouts go for at least an hour and a half, so he’ll be here long after the cleaners leave.

10PM

When the sun sets and most people head home from work for the day, staff are still busy at The Animal Emergency Centre in Mt Waverley.

The clinic is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and staff have to be ready to care for whatever case comes through the door.

A trip to the centre is often a frantic and anxious time not only for pets but also their worried owners.

Whether it’s a dog who has been hit by a car, or a cat who has been bitten by a snake, quick-thinking staff work quickly to do everything they can to save the lives of animals, while also reassuring owners.

But despite often dealing with traumatic emergencies, there is a calm and welcoming feeling in the clinic off Blackburn Rd.

Vet Dr Jacqui Von Hoff says the centre is staffed in the same way a human emergency department would be — with vets and nurses rostered on 24/7.

It doesn’t matter if your pet is injured or falls ill at 10am, or 2am, or even if it’s in the middle of Christmas Day.

Patients could be dogs or cats that have been hit by cars, a dog bitten by another dog, and often, a dog who has eaten something they shouldn’t.

Vets at the clinic have treated dogs who have consumed illicit drugs, razor blades, socks, dummies and even a pair of reading glasses.

Cats have been rushed in after their owners inadvertently switched on washing machines and dryers, not realising their beloved felines had curled up for a sleep inside.

The clinic is stocked with specific drugs to treat animals who are bitten by snakes, consume human medication, or eat poisons.

Seeing animals walk out happy and well after arriving close to death, with their relieved mum and dad waiting, is the highlight for all staff at the clinic.

11PM

Getting to take in great views of the sparkling city skyline is a perk for cleaner Malliga Miller, who’s tidying up offices in Southgate which have been a hub of activity during the week.

And she’s in a good mood — it’s almost the end of her evening shift cleaning and wiping down desks, vacuuming and mopping floors.

Despite being the only one around late on a Friday night, Ms Miller says she doesn’t find the job lonely or isolating, and she much prefers cleaning offices compared to Southgate’s busy food court or other shops downstairs.

It’s easier when people are out of the way, she says.

People who work in offices go home — it doesn’t then get messy again when more customers come in.

Manager Pinwatanakal Chaloempong, known by many as ‘Kay’, looks after Ms Miller and about 50 other cleaning staff in the Southgate precinct.

Every office is different and the team cleans government agencies, software companies, retail businesses and the food court.

By the time the workers are back in the office, the floors will be vacuumed, kitchens cleaned and door handles wiped.

It will be a new day.