DAVID Saxton was born in the northern Victorian town of Nathalia.
He spent most of his life farming in the Upper Murray and moved to Beechworth with his partner four years ago from a farm in Leneva.
What do you do workwise?
I work as a tour guide around the Beechworth historic precinct and as a museum assistant at the Burke Museum.
What brought you to your role/career?
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I was working in environmental restoration and looking for a role more to do with history and teaching.
I have a love of history and sharing it with people.
l have also worked on archaeology digs around the world.
What do you love about your work?
I love imparting knowledge and meeting a wide range of people.
Working with school groups is especially rewarding and seeing their wonder at how hard life could be on the gold fields while we are gold panning.
The fact is in many ways life is much better now than it has been in the past.
I enjoy showing people the historic buildings, explaining their history and the fact that they are still here because so many people in Beechworth had and still have a passion for history.
I work in a committed team passionate about preserving our Beechworth history and enhancing visitor experiences.
I enjoy helping with the “Kelly Trials” audio visual presentation at the Beechworth Courthouse - it is such an eye opener for many people as is the Burke Museum
What do you do in the community?
All my life I have volunteered in community organisations - SES, CFA, Lions Club, Hall committees, school committees, Landcare, Voices for Indigo, and recently Drag’d Out Beechworth.
At present with family commitments some of these have taken a back seat and l am doing more on a one-to-one basis with family and friends, such as sharing skills and tools for house renovations and furniture restoration.
My family and l enjoy many community activities around Indigo Shire, such as Spring Ditch and the Mayday Hills Art Society.
I volunteer to help the community and environment and feel being part of it.
Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?
Timely access to health services.
What would you do to solve change or improve that situation?
Have incentives to encourage health professionals to Beechworth.
For example - access to housing access to childcare, and a welcoming committee to support them and their families on an ongoing basis.
What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?
The increasing divide between wealth and poverty.
If the person you would most like to meet or knew came to Indigo Shire or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why?
I would like to meet Dick Smith and show him the entrepreneurial community-based organisations in and around the Indigo Shire.
And why - he is a people person and I feel he would acknowledge communities pulling together to bring change and improve our lives.
There are many good examples of this in and around Beechworth.
What book are you reading?
“The Aboriginal Story of Burke and Wills - Forgotten Narratives.” A study of Aboriginal cross-cultural exchanges with the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860-61.
