Profile

Lynden James Smith is a qualified Accountant who has practiced commercial management accounting, local government administration & accounting, and computer accounting in regional Victoria since 1979.

Born in Horsham, Lynden spent much of his formative years in Hamilton where he received his secondary education followed by three years at Warrnambool where he studied accounting at what is now Deakin University.

Lynden worked in Local Government for the next 18 years at the Shires of Dundas, Wannon and Huntly and at the City of Ararat.  During this time he furthered his studies at RMIT in Melbourne.

At the age of 28, Lynden became Ararat's youngest Town Clerk & Treasurer and one of the youngest ever in Victoria. He held this position for 8 years from September 1986 until September 1994 when the Victorian State Government began massive restructure of local government and abolished the City of Ararat.

Lynden was successful in obtaining the position of Director of Corporate Services with the newly formed Council based in Ararat & successfully led his team in restructuring the financial, administrative, computer and records systems of the new municipality.

During his time in Ararat, Lynden was a keen participant in community activities and served as:

• Member of the Rotary Club of Ararat.

• Honorary Secretary of the Ararat Cemetery Trust.

• Member of the State Government's Cemetery Act Review Group.

• Honorary Director on the board of the National SkillShare Association.

• Honorary Secretary of the Provincial Cities, Towns & Boroughs Association of Vic.

• Honorary Secretary of the Victorian Municipal Aerodrome Operators Association.

• Board member of the Victorian Association of Performing Art Centres.  

• Secretary and Treasurer of the Ararat Water and Sewerage Authorities

• Honorary Treasurer of Ararat SkillShare.

• Honorary Secretary & Treasurer of the McDonald Community Centre

• Hon. Treasurer of the Ararat Heated Pool Fundraising Committee.

• President of the Ararat Wine & Food Society (also terms as Food Master & Treasurer).

• Board member of the Ararat Gallery Committee of Management.

• Honorary Treasurer of the Uniting Church Parish.

• Honorary Auditor of more than 15 other community organisations.

In March 1997 Lynden left local government to establish his own management & computer accounting consultancy "Computer Accounting Professionals" based on 18 years of management and accounting experience along with 25 years of computer experience he had accumulated to that time. This decision involved moving his family to Geelong where his business is now located.

In the first 15 years of business, Lynden has worked with more than 460 small & medium sized businesses providing business development services, providing monthly management accounting services and establishing and maintaining computer based accounting systems. His business continues to grow!

Lynden has been married to Christine for 32 years and they have three adult daughters, 2 and a half son-in-laws and 4 grandchildren.  He continues his community involvement and has served as:

• Board member of the Victorian Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Materials Inc.

• President of the Rotary Club of Grovedale (2002/03) (also terms as Hon. Treasurer & outgoing student counsellor)

• Board member and Treasurer of United Way Geelong (Geelong's Community Fund) 

• Chairman of the Geelong Cemeteries Trust 

In 2001 Lynden was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow by the Grovedale Rotary Club in recognition of his contribution to Rotary.