50 years in the field ...
In 50 years, Keith Holswich never thought about changing jobs.
As a 16-year-old, and straight out of high school, Holswich became a land surveyor and it has been a job that has taken him around the world.
‘‘I wanted out of school when I was a young fulla,’’ the 66-yearold explained.
After meeting with a guidance counsellor at school, Holswich’s father applied for a land surveying job on his behalf.
He got it and never looked back. Tuesday marked 50 years of working in the profession.
‘‘All my life I’ve worked behind the scenes.’’
Driving past some of the sites he helped survey, which included The Valley retail complex, gave him a real sense of satisfaction.
‘‘You look at it and say ‘I was involved in that’,’’ he said.
Getting outside and using his maths and drafting skills was something he enjoyed about the work, which offered him opportunities to venture overseas too. One stint involved a sixmonth contract in Singapore in 1973, which turned into a much longer stay than expected.
‘‘I came back 10 years later with a Singaporean wife and three children.’’
The New Plymouth man has also worked offshore in other countries, including India, Australia and China, and in the Middle East. However, there was little time for sightseeing. Holswich said during the months he spent working in China, he never had time to see the Great Wall or a panda bear.
Being a tourist is something he hoped to rectify once he fully retired, which is pegged for the end of June.
While proud of his professional achievements, the fatherof-three said the work he had done to help his iwi of Te Atiawa and his Nga¯ti Ra¯hiri hapu¯ was just as rewarding.
While helping with the 2014 treaty settlement deal for the iwi, Holswich represented the interests of his hapu¯ in various forums, including in the Environment Court.
Last year, Holswich was an iwi-appointed representative on Taranaki Regional Council’s consents and regulatory committee and has put his name forward for the role this year.
Holswich plans to dedicate some of his retirement time to further hapu¯ research.