Terry Ashworth was born and bred in Beechworth living in the town all his life until around 2015 when he moved away for work opportunities.

“I've just arrived back in town after recently finishing up with Forest Fire Management Victoria and having spent the last four months travelling in our caravan with my partner Lisa,” he said.

What did you do workwise?

I worked for 40 years for Forest Fire Management and Parks Victoria and their prior agencies, dating back to the Forest Commission in 1982. I've worked across most of the North East in about eight different locations from Echuca to Corryong undertaking forest management.

What led you to the role?

I was a tradie – a roof tiler, and when I was about 20 years old, work in the field was quiet. I applied for a job on the summer crew as a firefighter, staying there for 40 years.

What did you love about your work?

My ‘office’. It was the best office ever. The forests and parks of the North East are something else and I don’t think there’s anything like them in the rest of Australia. Also, the people I worked with. They were committed, passionate about their work, and supportive. Teamwork was number one as well as a priority with firefighter safety. There was a great variety of work in the parks and forests from working on clearing tracks due to storm damage and fallen trees to operating machinery. Every summer was fire season, and we did fire suppression, fire preparation and planned burns. I undertook facility and construction maintenance as well. It was a great job, and I met a variety of people. It was a good atmosphere, a great workplace especially with the teamwork, and I loved it. My last role was a forest, fire and roading officer in Tallangatta in the Upper Murray.

What do you do in the community?

In the past I have volunteered as a CFA member and umpired reserves and junior football for the football club of which I am a life member.

Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?

Having just moved back to Beechworth, I don't have a grasp of any possible issues but regional roads across Victoria come last after travelling through New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia. Victoria used to have the best roads.

What would you do to solve change or improve that situation?

Advocate for better roads. It’s about funding. Regional Victoria's roads are grossly underfunded, and council have limited funds as well.

If you brought someone to Indigo Shire, past or present, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?

Town planners from back in history to show them the fruits of their labour with all our different streetscapes and the myriad and variety of trees. We're very lucky. Seeing them every day, they’re probably not appreciated to the full extent that they should be. Beechworth is a place I always call home and I would enjoy showing the town planners around such a great town.

What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?

It’s a world of hurt right now. There seems to be either an extreme left or extreme right with no middle ground anymore.

What book are you reading?

I've just finished a biography about Stevie Wright from the Easy Beats called ‘Hard Road’. I love history and am now reading ‘Only Eleven Came Back’ by Stasys Jameikis. It’s about 1500 plus Lithuanians deported by Russia during 1941 and sent to the Arkhangelsk region in the Russian Arctic for forced labour. After 13 years, only 11 returned to Lithuania.