Allan Holt was born in Beechworth and is the youngest in his family.

“I have lived here all of my life except for a two-year stint in Warracknabeal where I did relief work at Rural Northwest Health,” said.

“I have been married to my wife Annette for 54 years and we have three children.

What did you do workwise?

I am now retired but I worked at the Beechworth Health Service for nearly 30 years (across four different name changes to the health service). I am a qualified accountant and held the role of Director of Finance and Administration.

What led you to your role/career?

I was a very bad asthmatic as a child and found physical work difficult. This led to a clerical role, and I found a love for numbers and bookwork. I then went to Charles Sturt University and undertook night classes and attained my degree in accounting.

What did you love about your work?

I loved the interaction with the clients when I started work in residential care. This ultimately cumulated in the amalgamation of acute, residential and mental health services on one site. It was very interesting times being involved in the planning and building of the new facilities at the Sydney Road location.

What do you do in the community?

I am the president of the Beechworth Croquet Club and a registered coach. This enables me to give back to members and watch them grow and improve their game. I also mow the croquet lawns. This involves a lot of volunteer time. The club has recently recognised my contributions and made me a life member which is very humbling.

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

I see an increase of mobility scooters, and I would like to see the footpaths improved for the benefit of all community users. In particular I notice that the footpath finishes at the entrance to the Beechworth Secondary College. This makes it difficult for users going past to the cemetery.

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

I would extend the footpath to the end of Sydney Road and up to the cemetery to assist elderly community members that go to the cemetery to visit resting places of loved ones.

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

I believe racial hatred is one of the current issues facing the world at the moment. Our inability to live in peace with our neighbours is causing major conflict across the world. I believe this will lead to a recession in Australia.

If you brought interstate or overseas friends to Indigo Shire, what would you show them, and why?

I would show them our natural fauna and landscapes. We see landmarks such as the Gorge, Woolshed Falls and rock formations known by locals as the Three Sisters and we take them for granted because we know they are always there. However, when we see them through a visitor’s eyes, they become more meaningful. I entertained an exchange student teacher from Japan and her excitement to see the stars in a country night sky clearly meant so much because the smog in Tokyo meant she did not see them at home.