Many strings to his bow

TONY Hollamby is more than just the boss of Berwick’s bestloved and fastestgrowing private hospital.
The multitalented Mr Hollamby is also a brilliant guitar player who has worked with some of the country’s top jazz musicians, including Paul Grabowski.
He has also studied metallurgy at university level and has been a hospital orderly, intensive care nurse and a teacher.
Mr Hollamby, 50, has just celebrated his first anniversary as chief executive and director of nursing at St John of God Hospital, Berwick.
His family background may explain his ability to accept change.
His father was involved in special metallurgy work for the British Aircraft Corporation, which meant many shifts.
“At one stage we lived in 11 houses in three years,” Mr Hollamby recalls.
Born at Sutton, Surrey, England in 1954, he began his schooling at the Marist Sisters Convent in Surrey.
He came to Australia with his family in 1965 and completed his schooling at St Kevin’s College in Toorak, Victoria.
He studied metallurgy at university but took part time work as an orderly at a cerebral palsy facility.
“I found this work particularly rewarding,” he said.
Despite his willingness and dedication to study and work, Tony’s real passion was for music.
During his early 20s he played jazz with cover bands around Melbourne.
“Initially I was turned on to music by Jimi Hendrix and Cream, but in Melbourne there was a new generation of jazz musicians with people like Paul Grabowski and a whole range of people who were also young and finding their way.
During this period, Mr Hollamby also taught three nights a week at Ron Lee’s Music Factory and still worked with cerebral palsy patients.
“It’s difficult to survive financially as a musician.
“Music has many great spinoffs, but one day I just woke up and decided I wanted to do something different.
“I had enjoyed being an orderly and I thought if I became a nurse I could maintain my music and do agency work.”
He met Kate Mackay when they both nursed at the former Prince Henry’s Hospital and they married in 1984.
Kate plays piano and Irish fiddle and their children James, 20, Eamonn, 16, and Angus, 13, are all musicians.
Mr Hollamby studied nursing seriously and obtained several degrees.
During his time as a casual nurse he was put in charge of wards and worked in specialist areas to give him a strong grounding in his profession.
At Prince Henry’s, he became associate manager of the renal unit, and was then put in charge of the vascular unit.
It was regarded as the unhappiest ward in the hospital, but after a year he had it completely turned around.
“I meet people now and they still say that was the best experience they’ve ever had. It’s all about the team.” Mr Hollamby managed the relocation of the nursing division from Prince Henry’s to the Clayton campus at Monash, put on 115 short contract nurses while others were relocated, and opened services while people were still working at Prince Henry.
Then the hospital closed and he became unit manager at Western Hospital Footscray.
He also worked for Mayne Health and the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Mr Hollamby was offered a contract at Berwick, which had just been acquired by St John of God Healthcare and now drives 100 kilometres a day to and from Alphington.
“When you think about the organisation and where it’s positioned and what we’re going to do, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “It’s been a remarkably tough experience in some ways, but I am very proud of the team and the excellent care our patients receive. I think that is one of the barometers of our success.”