SUZANNE Irvine grew up in Melbourne. Over the years she has lived in Sydney, New York and Singapore before a return to Melbourne for her children to finish their senior schooling. Post-COVID, Suzanne moved back into the family home in Beechworth. Her husband’s family has lived in the Beechworth and Wooragee areas since the 1860s.

What do you do workwise?

I began my working life as a registered nurse in the children’s wards at Monash Medical Centre, before expanding into occupational health and safety at a medical manufacturing company. Returning from overseas after being away for a decade, my nursing and occupational safety registrations were no longer recognised so l had to think about what l wanted to do. I fell into soapmaking, as at that time my eldest son was experiencing severe acne and the products he was using on the skin didn’t seem to help. Using my nursing background, l did some research on remedies involving natural products and ended up making him a charcoal and teatree soap to help control his oily skin. With his skin improvement, friends started asking what l did, requested some and the soapmaking began. Six years later I now sell online and to retailers all over Australia and the United States.

What brought you to your role/career?

Motherhood is an extremely important role and, in some instances, a very undervalued one in society. I always felt that it was important when raising my family that there was a focus on all things natural, especially for cooking or eating. I think this approach helped me rethink what was available at the time in helping my son, and so moving into soapmaking is something that l believe in and still enjoy.

What do you love about your work?

Being my own boss and working as hard as I want to, but more importantly I am feeling fulfilled and valued.

What do you do in the community?

Volunteering in the area is something on my to do list. My focus has been on establishing the business in Beechworth but would love to start turning my attention to helping were l can. Whilst my three children are all in their 20s now, there were many days spent volunteering with my kids' sporting and schooling roles. I have been a chairperson in a body corporate position and have helped build homes for the poor in Cambodia which was extremely rewarding.

Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing?

I love Beechworth’s history, its historical buildings and that the people of Beechworth have managed to keep its original streetscape and resist modernisation. This is Beechworth’s biggest asset, income stream and the reason why so many people love to live here. I believe Mayday Hills, the old gaol and the park areas surrounding the town are equally as important to the town and its history.

I would love to see the old granite bridges, the many walking tracks, historical buildings and the gardens undergo more regular maintenance and upkeep to ensure the history is always there for our future generations.

What do you see as one of the most important current world issues?

Green energy.

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 husband’s forebears from the 1860’s. What a wonderful conversation we could have comparing life in the 1800s to 2023. How we live today, the food we eat, people’s work, women's rights and what is for the better and for the worse.