DEAN Nixon has achieved a lot at twenty-eight years of age, and he’s just getting started!
He has bounced between Hervey Bay and Brisbane over the past decade, but the bay keeps calling him back.
It’s where he first landed after leaving home, drawn by the beach and a strong sense of belonging.
Originally from Childers, with roots in Bundaberg, Dean and his wife Tay loved Brisbane’s buzz, but being far from family was tough.
“I’m a cane farmer’s son,” he says. “Long days, early starts, it was tough, but I wouldn’t have traded it.
That experience shaped my work ethic and who I am today.”
His parents ran a kennels and cattery from home, so animals were always around.
Life in Childers was simple and close-knit.
“It was so small, you knew everyone, so bartering was still a thing. Dad let the butcher use our cold room, and we got a meat tray every week. How good was that!”
Dean started working at thirteen, stacking shelves at the local grocer. At fourteen, he was DJing footy games and local pubs, paid gigs that fed his growing passion for music.
At sixteen, he started selling TVS and furniture at an electronics store, where he discovered a love for sales and talking to people.
He had also saved $10,000 to buy his first car, a second-hand Ford XR6.
After finishing school, he took his DJing to the next level, spinning at Hervey Bay’s Viper Nightclub.
“It was a wild ride from footy crowds to the club scene, but I loved it.”
When Viper was sold, Dean moved to Brisbane chasing new music opportunities.
He worked at RT Edwards during the week and for an entertainment company on the weekends, doing weddings and parties.
“It was a big couple of years. Watching the crowd come alive, that’s the best part.”
After Brisbane, Dean returned to Hervey Bay to manage Ampol and Caltex service stations.
But when a community development role opened at headspace, he jumped at the chance to use his business degree for something with real impact.
“I didn’t get the job at first, but two weeks later they called me back. That role changed everything,” he says.
For three years, he led events, built awareness, and helped break the stigma around mental health. While at headspace, he completed a master’s in business.
Now, Dean works for Country to Coast Qld. “This role fits perfectly with my passion for improving mental health on the Fraser Coast.”
He still DJS around the region and is passionate about bringing more young professionals to the area.
“We focus so much on tourism and retirement, but we need young people, especially in health and essential services.”
Dean believes better education pathways, jobs, entertainment options, and housing are key.
“We need more than whales to grow. I’d love to see a 10,000-seat stadium, improved rec spaces, and affordable housing. That’s what will bring youth here.”
Dean met his wife, Tay, at twenty years old.
They moved to Brisbane in 2018, where he upgraded his car to a Subaru that he still drives today.
Later, the couple built their home in Hervey Bay, moving in just two weeks before their wedding.
“I proposed in the half-finished house; it was chaotic but perfect.”
The wedding, held indoors at the Beach House Hotel after rain washed out their park plans, was the best day of his life.
“It all worked out perfectly.”
Career-focused and community-driven, Dean and Tay are in no rush for the next chapter.
“We’re building something solid first. Everyone’s on their own life journey, and this is ours.”
By Kim Parnell
From What’s On Fraser Coast Magazine
