TIARNAN Halliday was born at Northeast Health Wangaratta and has lived in Beechworth most of his life. He grew up in the town with his parents and two siblings. When in his early 20s, Tiarnan moved to Melbourne, where he met his wife Georgia. The couple travelled and lived overseas before returning to Beechworth eight years ago.
What do you do workwise?
I'm a building designer and I own Halliday Design which is based in Beechworth. We design residential and commercial buildings as well as civic projects.
What brought you to your role/career?
I've always been creative and from a young age loved drawing and building things. I also grew up next door to Brenton Surrey (co–owner of CJ & BJ Surrey Builders) who always wanted to be a builder. We decided as children that I'd draw the buildings and he'd build them, and I guess as they say the rest is history!
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What do you love about your work?
I like working with people and helping to turn their ideas into reality. It's really satisfying to see one of our projects come to life and be loved by the people who live or work in it. I also like the problem–solving aspect – having a brief and trying to exceed it for our clients. Being in a heritage town, I am also really driven to make sure our local projects respect and compliment the local amenity. I feel a huge sense of honour and responsibility to have our designs contribute positively to Beechworth's beautiful streetscapes. Creating sustainable buildings that will be enjoyed for generations is also very rewarding.
What do you do in the community?
I've been lending my support behind the scenes to End MND North East Vic & Albury. It's a new group made up of local people who have been touched by Motor Neurone Disease (MND). The group is fundraising to support people living with MND and to help find a cure. It's a cause close to our hearts as I lost my dad (Beechworth solicitor Brendan Halliday) to MND in 2015.
What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?
Climate change and protecting the natural world. Now that I have a nine–month–old son, this matter feels even more pressing to me.
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?
I'd love to meet Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs. If he came to Beechworth, I'd like to show him Mayday Hills, the old Benevolent Hospital Precinct and the old Gaol – it's so exciting to see these beautiful old buildings be re–activated and repurposed, so that the community can continue to engage with them in new ways.
What book are you reading?
'Stolen Focus' by Johann Hari. It's about our collective addiction to smartphones and online media. Hari is a controversial writer, but his book has made me reflect on how I engage with technology in a new light.
