Ian Holland will host his final breakfast show on 2ST Nowra today Friday 20 December. You can catch his final career day and the 2ST Southern Highlands Breakfast Show from 5.30 am via the iHeart radio app.

From 8.30am Ian will also do his own recollection and message of gratitude to the many people who made his radio career. One big question … will his final song be ‘Some Enchanted Evening’? (See interview below)

The Radio Rubber Room Facebook page reports that his show will feature a variety of guests who have been an important part of Ian’s career and life. They include Dave D Whitcomb, Geoff Prenter, Roger Summerill and Lawrence Mooney to mention just a few.

His former stations are: – 2VM, 2DU, 7LA, 3UZ, 2UE, 2CH, 2GB, 2WS, 4KQ, 4GR, 4AK, 2SM. Some of these he worked at twice, some even three times!

Photos courtesy of Southern Highland News.

Jocks’ Journal interviewed Ian in 2024. See questions and answers below.

Your childhood dreams

• I had two one to fly aeroplanes and the other to work on radio.

First paying job

• Executive trainee at the Medical Benefits Fund.

Radio training

• One week at Max Rowleys and then I got my first job.

How did that come about?

• A mate of mine decided to go to pop into Max Rowley’s radio school. We all had to do an audition tape and I wanted to apply for this job – so Max sent it off to 2VM Moree and I got the job. I was about 19 at the time.

Ex-stations

So you’ve been a pilot of the airwaves – when did you become an official pilot?

• About 1986.

How long have you been running your aviation business?

• I started the business when I was doing traffic flying for the Australian Traffic Network in about 1998.

How many times in a week do you take to the skies?

• Very rarely.

You are now on brekky at 2ST… what are your weekday waking hours?

• I get up at half past three. I go to bed about 9.30, 10 o’clock. I’m in there about 4am and do a couple of hours prep.

What is your normal breakfast?

• That varies as to whether I’m on a health kick or not. Always start with a coffee. Then I’ll have some scrambled eggs on toast which I make at work. I might have a banana and always have fruit juice when I ‘m doing a shift.

What station that you’ve worked at – would you consider to be the most fun time?

• First station I worked at was 2VM and I had an absolute ball. That would rate highly. I had fun at 2SM doing the country music format. Of course having fun and job satisfaction are two entirely different things.

A favourite concert that you’ve attended?

• Glen Campbell, the last time he was in Australia and performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. At the end of the show the entire orchestra stood up and applauded him. I met with him that day before the show and he was really struggling with dementia. I asked him if he could do a few bars of True Grit but he couldn’t remember the words.

A memorable celebrity interview

• Once again I think it would be Glen Campbell. I went and saw him at a casino in Las Vegas and I sat right down the front. I remember as he had a broken wrist and yet was still managing to play the 12 string guitar. I had an interview with him in his dressing room afterwards. When I got to the dressing room his mother and father were there as well as his current girlfriend Tanya Tucker. He actually said – “do you mind if we watch this ball game and then we can do the inyerview.” So I watched the ball game.

A favourite movie

• Recently it would be Sully. It starred Tom Hanks and was directed by Clint Eastwood. I have actually met Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger.

Sports passion or sporting idol

• Not really. I used to follow Manly-Waringah. I have just started a radio segment with a guy called Geoff Prenter called The Prenter Report. He used to be the editor of Rugby League Week. We first worked together at 2UE back in 1973.

A book that you’d recommend

• Well at the moment I’m reading the biography of Bernie Taupin. And I strongly recommend that. There’s also a book called the Wichita Lineman by Dylan Jones. And once again we’ve come back to Glen Campbell.

What was your first record?

• It was Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson.

What’s a song you wish you could play on radio?

• Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific

A bucket list holiday destination

• Antarctica.

Are you a collector of anything?

• Dye cast model aeroplanes.

A prized possession

• My real aeroplane. It’s a Piper Cherokee.

Best radio mate

• It’s a bloke I haven’t seen for 4 years. I worked with him at 2VM Moree. At that stage his name was Wayne Kernic. He’s changed his name a few times and worked at various stations such as 4BK and 3AK. He hasn’t been in radio for years. He’s probably the bloke I’m closest to.

Last shift … the final song

• Some Enchanted Evening from the original movie soundtrack of South Pacific