Bill Hollingworth

Bill has spent most of his career living and working in the Mount Barker/Albany region of southern Western Australia. He started in a forestry career with the WA Forests Dept in Manjimup and Dwellingup then returned to agriculture on his farm south of Mount Barker. A production nursery was soon developed and grew rapidly to supply containerised seedlings to the plantation industry as well as Landcare species for rehabilitation of farmland. This nursery supplied seedlings across southern Australia for blue gum, revegetation and oil mallee plantations. Wetland species, vegetable seedlings and a retail section for the public were set up as the nursery diversified. The nursery outgrew its water supply and another production nursery was developed at Green Valley just north of the Albany Airport.

Over the years Bill contributed to several community boards and committees including Chair of Timber 2020, Chair of South Coast NRM and NRMWA boards, a councillor for the Shire of Plantagenet and then the City of Albany, plus a member of both Wilson Inlet and Oyster Harbour Catchment Committees.

The nursery business was sold in 2019 but the consulting side was retained and Bill continued to advise the forestry, agriculture and horticulture industries as well as work as an auditor for Forestry Stewardship Council Certification.

The role as an Extension officer with Greenlife Industry Australia coincided with a family move to the Perth region in late 2024. Bill is looking forward to working with production nurseries and allied industries to build skills for best management practises through the NIASA, EcoHort and BioSecure HACCP programs.

Bill works with nurseries across WA and NT through the levy-funded extension program, helping them embed sustainable production and biosecurity practices. His advice spans water management, crop monitoring and integrated pest strategies – giving growers the tools to cut costs, manage risks and improve productivity.