CAROLYN Haley was born in Melbourne and moved to Bobinawarrah in North East Victoria in her late primary school years. She attended Bobinawarrah Primary School with nine students and rode her pony Danny Boy to school. Her first job through late secondary school, was at Brown Brothers Winery. After living in Melbourne, Phillip Island and Yarrawonga, Carolyn and her husband bought a beautiful property in Wooragee two years ago.
What do you do workwise?
I started at Billson’s Brewery a few months ago as the senior finance manager. Being part of such a vibrant, growing company is very exciting. I love that Billson’s is so focussed on community and is undertaking stunning restorations of some old Beechworth buildings.
What brought you to your role/career?
I decided to try accounting in year 11 as I enjoyed maths, and my dad was an accountant. This led to me undertaking a traineeship at Coopers and Lybrand Chartered Accountants after secondary school, whilst studying part-time to complete my university degree and further studies. I moved on after a year as I didn’t take to audit (boring), even though it taught me some valuable lessons for my future career.
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What do you love about your work?
The financial information and results of a company tell a story of the company journey, challenges faced, successes, decisions and opportunities. I love seeing a team evolve with its knowledge and skills, systems and processes to become a high functioning team for an organisation.
What do you do in the community?
After meeting our neighbours, who were also new to Wooragee and discussing the challenge of meeting people locally, I started a Facebook group called Wooragee Community Group, just for those who reside in Wooragee. This was modelled off the success of the Yackandandah and Beechworth groups. We then hosted the first neighbours catch up and there has been one every month since hosted by different members of our community. It’s grown a life of its own.
Is there an important local community issue that you think needs addressing?
That Australia, ‘The Lucky Country,’ has so many people homeless and such a lack of affordable housing and rental properties is a disgrace. Our local community shares these same issues. Every person should be able to have a roof over their head as a basic right.
What do you see as another important issue that concerns you?
Something close to my heart is the culling and aerial shooting of Australia’s brumbies. Particularly in Kosciuszko National Park where the Heritage Horse Act allows for 3000 of them. Locals who live and work with the brumbies advise there are already significantly less than that, the government paid counts are flawed and not possible. Lack of cruelty claims are false with horses shot and foals orphaned left to die. Brumbies are being unfairly targeted compared to damaging feral animals such as pigs and deer. Relocating and rehoming should be the funded model if numbers must be reduced. My brumby from Kosciuszko National Park is my heart horse.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo Shire (past or present), or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?
My Mum is my heroine and idol, grew up in the country with horses and loves this part of the world. These days her visits are few and mobility limited, living with Parkinsons and scoliosis. I wish she could share more of our beautiful environment. I’d give anything to take her riding like we did so much together when I was a youngster and take her to Mount Pilot National Park.
