In the late 1970s Morelle commenced her court reporting career with the New South Wales Reporting Services Branch (formerly Court Reporting Branch). She was one of the first machine shorthand writers in New South Wales courts.
Prior to working as a court reporter Morelle was employed as Assistant to the State Registrar, Institute of Chartered Accountants, which held a number of subcommittee meetings per month. The minutes of these meetings, recorded by Morelle, became the agenda of the State Council, which also met once a month. This assisted Morelle to increase her shorthand speed to pass the court reporting examination.
To keep up with the latest developments in machine shorthand, which was in its infancy in Australia in the early 1970s, Morelle became a member of the National Court Reporters Association of America and has been a member ever since.
When the first Stenograph computer compatible theory book was published, Morelle upgraded her machine shorthand skills and purchased each edition of the theory book as computer compatible shorthand theory improved throughout the 1980s. Up until the late 1980s, when CAT was introduced into the Court Reporting Branch, Morelle recorded court proceedings using a manual shorthand machine producing transcripts by dictating to typists.
Between 1992 and 2005 Morelle taught the Court and Parliamentary Machine Shorthand course at New South Wales TAFE. During that period the course was upgraded to Certificate IV, which is the highest grade for certificate courses at TAFE. She taught four nights per week (two theory classes and two court-based speed classes) and worked as a court reporter during the day-time. She also represented TAFE on the New South Wales Standards Committee. Although that involved a very demanding workload, Morelle enjoyed both careers very much. She emphasised to her students the absolute necessity to learn the theory thoroughly otherwise passing high speed rates would be very difficult. Morelle has a long list of devoted past TAFE students who treasure her and her expert knowledge, for her genuine concern for their progress, and for being supportive of their achievements.
Morelle was engaged as Training Officer with RSB in the mid-1990s for a period of four years conducting part time theory and full time speed classes for pen writers who wished to retrain to use machine shorthand.
Over 40% of current CAT reporters employed by RSB are graduates from Morelle’s classes.
Morelle is responsible for conducting RSB court reporting entrance examinations. The students who sat these exams on a Saturday stated they were very relieved to see a familiar face and hear a familiar voice on the examination speed tapes.
Morelle was Secretary/Treasurer of SRAA (formerly ASRA) from its inception to 2005. She regards it a great honour being inducted into SRAA’s Hall of Fame.
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