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Holland was born in Mosman, NSW in 1927. During the depression his family faced a struggle and dislocation. After his father died in 1936 they moved to Katoomba where he completed his schooling in 1944. War was on, but he was rejected for military service on health grounds. He became articled to a surveyor in Gosford and became a registered land and engineering surveyor in 1951.
Mean while, he studied composition with Franz Holford (1950/51), then enrolled in the course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying violin and theory. His teachers included Raymond Hanson, Cyril Monk, Dr Nixon and Livingstone C. Mote. While working concurrently as a surveyor for the Water Board he had his ear completely severed and sewn back on (1953). This occurred a month or so before the examinations for the A MUS A and for Grade one at the conservatorium. It was a long time before he could play the violin again and subsequent survey work left little time for music.
In the following years he worked as a surveyor for the Sydney Water Board, the New Zealand Ministry of Works and the British Columbia Power Commission in Canada. In 1957 he returned to the Sydney Water Board and transferred to the NSW Department of Main Roads in 1959.
He began evening studies for a BA at Sydney University (1963), was awarded a Commonwealth Post Graduate Scholarship (1969) and studied full-time for a Ph. D in geomorphology which was awarded in 1975. In 1978 he obtained a Diploma in Environmental Studies at Macquarie University. His work at this time was in the DMR as a Senior Investigations Officer and at times acting as Principal Planning Officer. He retired in 1986. In 1985, 1991 and 1996 underwent heart by-pass operations. In May, 1996, he became an Emeritus Surveyor in New South Wales.
From 1990 until 2000 he studied composition with Dulcie Holland (not a relative). A recent teacher has been Emlyn Lewis Jones. In 1997 he accepted represented status at the Australian Music Centre and has lodged 48 pieces there. In addition he has written some 24 musical works of varied nature since 1952.
In 2002 he received a Licentiate in Composition (with honours) from the Australian Society of Musicology and Composition.
In February, 2010, he received a Certificate of Recognition for attending the Sydney Conservatorium of music and was recognised as an alumnus of the University of Sydney.
He is still writing music.
Biography provided by the composer — current to March 2013
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