Lieutenant Colonel Christopher J. Holcroft OAM, RFD (Ret'd), BA Comm, MA Comm, JP, was born in Cooma, New South Wales during Australia's largest ever building project, the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. He was born to Allan and Shirley Holcroft along with his brothers Mark and Peter and his sisters Liane and Nerida.

Holcroft started school at St Joseph's Primary Schoool, Riverwood, from classes Kindergarten to Year Three. He then moved to De La Salle College, Kingsgrove for Years Four to Seven. De La Salle closed its doors as a boys school in 1999 and later re-opened as the girls only school St Ursula's College. Holcroft transferred to Peakhurst High School in Sydney's south in 1965 in Year Seven and graduated from Year 12 in 1970. The school is now part of the Georges River College. He started work two weeks later at Sydney's The Sun newspaper as a copyboy. Within a year he began his formal cadetship as a Journalist and completed his training in 1974 when he became graded. Christopher worked for and contributed to a series of newspaper mastheads for more than 20 years including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph, The Australian and a string of suburban papers, lastly, editing The District Reporter in Camden, New South Wales.

He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, majoring in Journalism and Communication Technology at the University of Technology, Sydney, later completing his Master's degree in Organisational Communications at Charles Sturt University. Holcroft followed his grandfather, New Zealand author M. H. Holcroft, into a career in journalism and writing. He also followed his uncle, New Zealand author Anthony Holcroft, in writing children's and adult books.

He is also a Justice of the Peace.

Military

In 1974 Holcroft joined the Australian Army as a part-time soldier in the Army Reserve as an Infantryman, rising to the rank of Temporary Sergeant. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1982 into the Australian Army's PR Corps, the Australian Army Public Relations Service, and rose through the ranks to become the Corps's first Reserve Lieutenant Colonel in 1999. He also became his Corps' only Reserve Head Of Corps. Holcroft graduated from the Australian Army's Reserve Command and Staff College as a Captain in 1987 and a Major in 1992. He saw active service in East Timor in 2000 as part of the United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor (UNTAET) and was posted in Iraq in 2006 as part of the Australian Army's Operation Catalyst based in Baghdad.

Scouts

Since 1968 Holcroft has been a member of Scouts Australia as a "Senior Scout", Assistant Venturer Leader and Venturer Leader in charge of youths aged 14 to 18.

During his time as a Senior Scout and Venturer, he gained his Queen's Scout Award and the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award.

When he became a youth leader, he gained his Wood Badge and was awarded the Silver Wattle Award for meritorious service in 2008 and the Silver Koala Award for distinguished service in 2016.

In 1983 Christopher was responsible for helping to bring one of Audstralia's largest annual four day camps for Venturer Scouts called Dragon Skin, to life. Dragon Skin comprises around 1100 Venturers, Senior Girl Guides, Army Cadets, and school students competing in the fiorests in NSW over the Easter long weekend in  April.

Honours and Awards

Military

  Australian Active Service Medal with East Timor and Iraq clasps - 2001, 2006

  Iraq Medal (Australia) 2006

  Reserve Forces Decoration with three rosettes - 1997

  Australian Defence Medal - 2006

Additional awards

   Australian Chief of Defence Force Unit Commendation (1st Joint Public Affairs Unit) - 2005

Scouts Australia

Youth awards:

  Queens Scout award - 1971

  Duke of Edinburgh award  - 1971

Adult awards:

Wood Badge  - 1983

Silver Wattle award for outstanding service - 2008

Silver Koala award for distinguished service  - 2016

South Metropolitan Region Commissioner Bryan Davison presenting Christopher Holcroft with his Silver Koala Award.

Medal To The Order of Australia (OAM) - 2023 Australia Day Honours and Awards

His Excellency, General the Honourable David John Hurley AC, DSC (Ret'd) announced in the 2023 Australia Day Honours and Awards, the awarding of the Medal to the Order of Australia to Lieutenant Colonel Christopher John Holcroft OAM, RFD, (Ret'd) JP .

Click here for details.  P82.

NSW Governor Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC, KC presents Lieutenant Colonel Christopher J. Holcroft with his Medal to the Order of Australia (OAM) at NSW Government House on 2nd May, 2023.

Cadets

In 2019 Christopher Holcroft became a Defence Approved Helper with the Australian Army Cadets with the then Camden-based 218 Army Cadet Unit. He later transferred to the 22/29 Army Cadet Unit at Holsworthy in NSW. In March 2021 Holcroft was promoted Captain (AAC) and posted to the Headquarters NSW Australian Army Cadets Brigade as its Public Affairs Officer. 

In October 2021, Christopher Holcroft left the Australian Army Cadets and joined the Australian Navy Cadets as a Commander with the national position of Director of Communications and Media. 

                                                                        Commander Christopher Holcroft OAM, RFD, JP, ANC, explains how to deal with the Media to a Navy Cadet.    

Books

In 2008 Australia celebrated its Centenary of Scouting, and Holcroft wrote the first two novels in the Scott Morrow adventure trilogy to mark the occasion: Only The Brave Dare and Canyon. In 2010 Holcroft completed the trilogy with A Rite of Passage All three books followed the adventures of a group of Venturers and a teenager who never wanted to be a hero but whom his country needed.

In 2011 he published the first book in his Afterlife series, Finding Thomas. He explores what happens after someone dies in novel form using a teenage central character called Kit Green, in a focus on near death experiences.

The second book in Holcroft's Afterlife series is One Last Concert. It was published in April 2013 and Holcroft explores how to move on the spirits of people who have died suddenly and are trapped on Earth. One Last Concert is published by Infinity Publishing.

In 2018 Holcroft published his third book in his Afterlife series called Time Voyager.  The book explores past life regression and how sometimes people must re-visit a former life to solve issues today.

The books are sold in the USA, UK, India, New Zealand, Japan and Australia by major bookstores including Amazon, Angus and Robertson, Dymocks, Fishpond and Booktopia.

Influences

Personal life

Holcroft lives in Banksia, New South Wales, Australia where he wrote his first five books. He is married with three sons.

Conclusion

He is currently writing a fourth book in his Scott Morrow adventure series and this is due out for Christmas 2023.