Local lifesaver’s next mission is nursing

Volunteering on NSW beaches since the age of six, Zach Byron has spent his life in service to others. Nursing wasn’t one defining moment for him, but a natural next step shaped by family, surf lifesaving, and a practical instinct to help. 

“My uncle’s a nurse, and my grandma’s a nurse too. I’ve been involved in surf lifesaving my whole life, so I’ve always been around that first response side of things. Nursing just kind of fell on me, and it just made sense,” Zach said. 

He had originally wanted to become a paramedic during high school, but nursing offered the right mix of opportunity and hands-on work. 

“Caring for people has always been the core of who I am,” Zach said. “For several years I worked as a council lifeguard and disability support worker. These experiences deeply reinforced my passion for helping others in critical moments. When I finished high school and received an offer for the nursing degree at UOW, it all fell into place. Once I saw all the opportunities nursing can provide, I knew that's this was exactly the right path for me.” 

A proud moment as Zach celebrates graduation with his family

Finding home on the coast 

Born in England and raised across Europe, Zach lived in Germany and the UK before arriving in Australia in 2009, eventually settling on the NSW South Coast. 

“We moved around a lot due to Dad’s work with the British military. My brother was born on a military base in Germany. We explored the world through Dad’s work, and after so much movement in my early years, moving to Australia felt like the last big change,” Zach said. 

His father later transferred to the Australian Defence Force and the family settled in Sydney’s south before moving to Kiama, where the coast soon became home. Zach’s connection to the water and local community deepened through surf lifesaving and lifeguarding.  

"In that time, Dad was working all across various military bases with his unit and kept commuting to work with many times of separation from the family even after we moved down the coast,” Zach said 

When it came time to choose a university pathway, UOW offered the balance he needed to stay close to home while building his career. 

UOW Early Admission gave Zach the confidence to commit to nursing, while staying close to the coast meant he could work as a Kiama Council lifeguard and Disability Support worker during uni and remain in the community he knows best. 

“Getting unconditional early entry to UOW meant I didn’t have to stress as much with my HSC exams. I thought it was a good sign to give nursing a go,” he said. 

Scholarship support 

The Illawarra Centenary ANZAC Scholarship provided crucial support while Zach studied, worked and completed placements – reflecting his family’s service tradition. He received the scholarship in 2023 for Illawarra students with ADF connections. 

“My great-granddad was in the Navy during World War II, but mainly it was my father,” Zach said. “When I was looking for scholarship opportunities, I remember thinking I’d overqualify for this one. It definitely helped take the pressure off.” 

Hands-on learning 

Zach approached university with the same discipline he brings to work, clustering classes into fewer days and sticking to a strict routine to balance study, work, placements and volunteering with Surf Life Saving Australia.   

“I tried to get everything in on one day, if not two days. Routine helps. I’m quite a systematic person, so I try to line things up and minimise anything outside of work,” Zach said. 

Placements became one of the most valuable parts of his degree, giving him a stronger sense of where he wanted to end up, especially once he discovered an interest in mental health alongside his long-standing ambition to work in emergency nursing. 

“I’ve never really been a theory kind of person. I’ll just dive in headfirst and figure it out as I go,” he said. 

“After my first geriatric placement, I did general surgical day surgery, ICU, cardiac ICU, a children's oncology ward in Sydney, and then mental health at a prison in Malabar. It was interesting, and it sparked interest in supporting mental health.”  

After completing his degree, Zach secured a new graduate nursing position with NSW Health and began the year in community mental health in Nowra, where he is learning on the job and building experience for the next step in his career. 

“I’m enjoying it, soaking it all up as it comes. I’m hoping next year to be able to get into emergency nursing, ideally close to home,” Zach said. 

Graduation with family 

Graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing on Tuesday 21 April feels especially meaningful for Zach, with his family by his side and ANZAC Day just days away.  

“My family's always been my biggest support. Family always comes first, we’re a really close family,” he said.  

“I am ready to keep learning, keep working and give 100 per cent to whatever comes next.”