It was while growing up in Deniliquin that Squadron Leader Retired Dean Robertson developed a love of all things aviation.
His father Hugh piloted a crop duster, and some of his earliest memories are of sitting in the cockpit with him.
It seemed only natural he would also get his pilot licence, and by the time he was old enough Dean said he was probably spending more time learning to fly than in the classrooms at Deniliquin High School.
He remembers being told by some of his educators in those formative years that his passion would not lead to a successful career ... but they were wrong.
After graduating from Deni High in the late 1980s and having trouble finding a local job because of the drought, Dean joined the Australian Defence Force.
Playing right into his interests, he was placed with the Australian Army Aviation Corps for basic training.
This was the start of a career in aviation that would span many decades, even after leaving the ADF.
Dean will share his military aviation experiences in particular with the local community when he returns next week as the Anzac Day guest speaker.
“When the Deniliquin RSL Sub-branch asked me to come back to Deni as the speaker, I jumped at the chance,” Dean said.
“It is humbling to know that after coming from a small town like Deniliquin I have been fortunate to have the career I have had.”
Dean started his ADF career with the Australian Army, serving for just over 12 years.
He then transferred to the Australian Air Force, and retired from the military in 2010 after a combined service of 22 years and six months.
He then accepted a role with the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority where he managed international operations - overseeing more than 60 airlines from more than 30 countries.
He was also part of the CASA team to develop the first set of regulations for drones and remote pilot aviation.
This task was offered to him after they learned he helped to set up remote piloted vehicles (drones) in Afghanistan for the ADF, in conjunction with the Canadians.
In the Army, Dean worked his way from store man to aircraft handler, and was then a Sergeant with helicopter crew on low level reconnaissance.
“I served in Papua New Guinea a few times, East Timor in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and many parts of the Middle East,” Dean said.
“My flying roles involved going out in troops of two to three Kiowa helicopters and undertaking reconnaissance or surveillance.
“In East Timor, for example, we would go out and see if there were any threats to our side moving forward.
“Surveillance would be about going out and looking for any changes, like heavy concentrations of people.
“We would also path find for the Black Hawks, and if there was an activity that required engagement we would stick around to provide any support.”
When he moved to the Air Force, Dean was made Wing Commander, where he was on the ground managing and coordinating all aircraft.
He was with the Caribou Squadron, with his service including a stint in the Solomon Islands.
He then became the senior administrative staff officer for the F-111, before transitioning to the Super Hornet.
“I started flying in a two seater Cessna in Deniliquin, so to go on to flying helicopters and then being part of headquarters for the F-111 squadron was quite humbling,” he said of his early career.
While he still flies recreationally and still has a passion for aviation, these days Dean spends more time on the ground running a cattle farm in the Lockyer Valley of Queensland.
But he said the family tradition of aviation lived on through his son, who is a commercial pilot.
Dean will share more details about his aviation and military history as guest speaker at the Wanganella and Deniliquin Anzac Day services on Thursday.