Who We Are → Our Committee → National Council 2026-2027
Meet our National Council Members. All Councillors are volunteers and receive no remuneration apart from reimbursement of expenses incurred in carrying out their duties.
ANARE Club President
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casey | 2018 | Winter | Station Leader |
| Mawson | 2021 | Winter | Station Leader |
| Macquarie Island | 2024 | Winter | Station Leader |
Rebecca feels honoured to continue serving the ANARE Club Council as its president, guided by a respect for the Club’s incredible polar heritage and a commitment to ensuring its continued relevance. She sees the ANARE Club as more than a historical society—it is a living thread that connects generations of expeditioners through shared experiences, values, and stories that define the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP).
As a three-time station leader, Rebecca has seen first-hand how important the ANARE legacy is. “The culture we build on station—of resilience, teamwork, and shared purpose—owes much to those who came before. Preserving that history, and sharing it with new expeditioners, strengthens not just the Club but the AAP as a whole.” The Club plays a critical role in bridging past and present: honouring the achievements of earlier generations, while evolving to engage and support today’s expeditioners. Rebecca sees that as her part to play on the Council—improving connection with the AAD, engaging and supporting recent returnees, and ensuring the incredible shared history remains an important part of the AAP’s evolving culture.
Rebecca brings leadership experience, recent time on station, current connection with Head Office, and a deep appreciation for the people who make the program what it is. She believes in the Club’s enduring value—and its role in inspiring those who continue to write Australia’s Antarctic story. She hopes she can continue that support in some small way as a member of the ANARE Club Council.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Charles Mountains | 1991-92 | Summer | Plant Biologist |
| Casey | 2001-02 | Round Trip | ANARE Club representative |
| Mawson/Davis | 2017 | Round Trip | ANARE Club representative |
Lucinda joined the Club en route back from a 1991-92 summer of fieldwork (collecting lichens) in the Prince Charles Mountains – “thanks to Pat Selkirk for her recommendation of me to the AAD plant biologist, and to Max Corry for signing me up to the Club.” Lucinda joined the NSW Branch Council at the following Midwinter Dinner and has been an active member ever since, serving mainly in the capacity of secretary (also as president, vice-president, social secretary). She was involved in the early days of planning the Zoo Picnic, Slide Night, Zoo sponsorship as well as Midwinter events and was an advocate for opening up Midwinter events to partners / guests and encouraging new membership.
Lucinda was Club representative in 2001-02 (Casey, then Icebird extraction) and March 2017 (Mawson, Davis) and thoroughly enjoyed representing the Club, signing up new members and recording oral histories. She is happy to serve the Club as secretary for a second year, and looks forward to working with a diverse and passionate 2026-27 team to further the aims and reach of the Club. She is also keen on gardening, bush regeneration and Permaculture.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie Is | 1985 | Winter | Observer BOM |
| Mawson | 1986 | Winter | Observer BOM |
| Davis | 1988 | Winter | Senior Observer BOM |
| Casey | 1992 | Winter | Observer Gr 3 BOM & Deputy Station Leader |
| Mawson | 2005 | Winter | Meteorology OIC |
| Davis | 2007 | Winter | Senior Meteorological Observer BOM |
Denise joined the ANARE Club after her first winter at Macquarie island in 1985 and has held continuous membership since, participating in state (NSW, NT, VIC) and National Council activities. She holds Life Membership with the Club.
She completed nine Antarctic trips, becoming the first female to winter at all four current Australian wintering stations (Macquarie Island 1985, Mawson 1986 & 2005, Davis 1988 & 2007, Casey 1992) as a Bureau of Meteorology staff member (Observer, Met OIC and Forecaster) and Deputy Station Leader and round-trip marine science and club berth voyages. She was involved in recovery of passengers from the Akademik Shikalsky.
In 1989 Denise was awarded the Australian Antarctic Medal for her efforts as a pioneering Antarctic woman involved in Antarctic research and, jointly with Lynne Williams, became the first woman to receive this award.
She has enjoyed a long career with the Bureau of Meteorology with postings to all states except SA and WA and now lives a life of retirement and travel.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis | 1978 | Winter | OIC |
| Casey | 1980 | Winter | OIC |
| Macquarie Island | 1985 | Winter | OIC |
| Mawson | 1988 | Winter | Station Leader |
| Macquarie Island | 1991 | Winter | Station Leader |
| Macquarie Island | 1997 | Winter | Station Leader |
Born in the Netherlands East Indies prior to Indonesian independence, Phil migrated to Australia with his parents in 1947. His primary career was with the Australian Customs serving in Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Wyndham, WA and Canberra. He has wintered six times as OIC/Station Leader—Davis 1978, Casey 1980, Mawson 1988 and Macquarie Island 1985, 1991 and 1997. In 1992 he established ‘Antarctic Education Services’ and for three years delivered an illustrated information program to 13,000 students on the east coast of Australia. During this period he also served as an aid worker with CARE International in Northern Iraq after the first Gulf war and Angola during the protracted civil war there. In 2002 he obtained an English teaching qualification at RMIT university in Ho Chi Minh City where he spent three years teaching English in HCMC. In 2006 he discovered ‘KOTO’ (Know One Teach One) a hospitality training school for disadvantaged youth in Hanoi and spent the next 12 years teaching English at KOTO as a part-time volunteer— an experience that greatly enriched his life. He also volunteered at Blue Dragon—a Vietnamese charity that rescues street kids from sexual and labour slavery and looks after their welfare. Phil enjoys riding motorbikes overseas and in Australia.
With a background in environmental science, Dale has worked at Griffith University (Qld) and under contract as writer/researcher for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. In a previous life, she was a self-employed luthier for 17 years.
Her twin obsessions of Antarctica and Australian grassroots history have seen the publication of six books, including Antarctic Engineer: memoir of John Russell – a collaboration with the Queensland Branch of the ANARE Club. Dale is currently heading the team researching a book for the ANARE Club’s forthcoming 75th anniversary in 2026. She begins her third year as Editor of Aurora journal.
Dale has travelled to Antarctica three times, twice inspecting the Ross Sea historic huts and wandering Taylor Dry Valley.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis | 2005-06 | Summer | Met Forecaster |
| Casey | 2007-08 | Summer | Met Forecaster |
| Macquarie Island | 2013 | Winter | B.O.M. Meteorologist / OIC |
| Davis | 2017 | Winter | Senior Meteorological Observer |
| Casey | 2021 | Winter | B.O.M. Meteorologist / OIC |
Dutch-born Barry migrated to Perth (via Rhodesia) in 1964. He Joined the Bureau of Meteorology in 1982 as a weather observer. In 1994, after five years of external study, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Atmospheric Physics) from Murdoch University. In 1995 he graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in Meteorology, after which he became a Forecaster (meteorologist) working in Darwin until 2001 then in Hobart, retiring from the Bureau in 2015.
His first stint in the Antarctic was the summer of 2005/06 at Davis as a forecaster. Second posting was also as a summer forecaster at Casey in 2007/08. Since then, he has had three winters – Macquarie Island 2013/14, Davis 2016/17 and most recently Casey 2021/22, as the OIC of the weather program. Barry is looking forward to continuing his work with the National Council in the role of Membership Officer.
| Voyage | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Australis V2 | 2006-07 | Summer | Chief Steward |
| Aurora Australis V1 | 2010-11 | Summer | Deck Cadet |
| Aurora Australis and Nuyina | 2011, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 | Summer |
Katrina is a proud Australian merchant mariner with deep connection to the sea and in particular Antarctica.
She has been sailing in the Antarctic region since 2005 having begun her career as a steward before undertaking her deck cadetship to become a qualified Deck Officer and Advanced Ice Navigator.
She has built her career around navigating and supporting Australia’s scientific and logistical work in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic region and currently sails as 2nd Officer onboard RSV Nuyina.
Her time at sea has taken her to some of Australia’s most remote Antarctic and sub-Antarctic locations, including Heard and Macquarie Island as well as several French sub-Antarctic islands.
She brings a modern seafarer’s perspective, enthusiasm for Antarctica and a genuine passion for the people who make the Australian Antarctic community so special. She also enjoys sharing her glimpses from the portholes for others to enjoy ‘this beautifully cool part of our world’.
As a new councillor of the ANARE Club, Katrina is looking forward to supporting and contributing to the Club.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casey | 1976 | Winter | Radio Officer |
| Macquarie Island | 1978 | Winter | Radio Officer |
Ralph wintered as a radio operator at Casey in 1976 and Macquarie Island in 1978. He has been a member of Council (on and off) since the mid 80s. In 1980, post when AAD Head Office moved to Hobart and there was a two-year gap in editions of Aurora, he stepped up and to edit the journal. He was vice president of the Club in 1993 and president in 2009. As social secretary, he ran the Melbourne Midwinter dinners 2009-2014 and again this year (2026). Ralph hosts an informal gathering in Melbourne every quarter, known as the ‘Spirit of ANARE’ lunch, and he hosts an informal Midwinter dinner in Melbourne known as ‘Noddy’s Midwinter Ding’.
Ralph (along with Brian Harvey), was the driving force behind raising money for the Nella Dan bronze plaques (through ceramic port wine sales). He also jointly created and sourced the Phillip Law Medal with Ray McMahon.
In his private life, Ralph is secretary of the Bacchus Marsh Lions Club, and Life Member of the Merbein and District Historical Society. Cooking, wine, music, singing and friendships are what keeps him happy. He looks forward to helping the members and the club into the future.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casey | 1990 | Winter | Met Observer |
| Mawson | 1993 | Winter | Senior Met Observer |
| Macquarie Island | 1995 | Winter | Senior Met Observer |
| Davis | 1997 | Winter | Senior Met Observer |
Rags joined the Bureau of Meteorology in 1987 after eight years in the Royal Australian Navy and a year spent mucking around on boats.
He became a member of the ANARE Club in 1989, shortly before departing for his first winter at Casey Station in 1990 as a Meteorological Observer. Over the next decade, he completed three further winters: Meteorological OIC at Mawson in 1993, Macquarie Island in 1995 (also serving as Deputy Station Leader), and Davis in 1997.
Rags maintained a strong connection with the Antarctic throughout his career, including roles with Customs and Border Force monitoring the Southern Ocean, until his retirement in 2022.
He now volunteers at Mawson’s Replica Huts in Hobart, telling tales tall and true and hopefully inspiring the next generation of Antarctic expeditioners.
As a member of the National Council, Rags is committed to helping the ANARE Club grow and remain relevant into the future.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie Island | 2016 | Winter | Station Leader |
| Mawson | 2018 | Winter | Station Leader |
| Davis | 2021 | Winter | Station Leader |
Jenna worked at Scott Base (NZ) 2000/01 as the Canteen Manager and has been around the ANARE Club off and on for many years, first joining before she went South. She attended meetings at Polly Woodside, and was always made welcome at midwinter events, assisting in the organisation. She has held various positions on State and National Council over the years. (She knew Phil Law and many others who have since passed away.)
In her other life, she is employed as a Paramedic, and is a Volunteer Fire Fighter with the CFA. Jenna holds a degree in Emergency Management and an Undergraduate Certificate in Mental Health. Hobbies include all things equestrian, Scuba diving and writing Antarctic-based novels (Wild Winds 2011 and Winter Sun 2014).
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macquarie Is | 1964 | Summer | Biologist |
| Macquarie Is | 1965 | Summer | Biologist |
| Macquarie Is | 1966 | Summer and Winter | Biologist |
| Macquarie Is | 1967 | Summer | Biologist |
Duncan joined the ANARE Club in 1964 when he worked on Macquarie Island as a biologist, working principally on an ecological study of the royal penguin, and his own project on fur seals and some work on elephant seals.
In mid-1967 he returned to Australia to help set up and manage the biological division of the Mawson Institute for Antarctic Research at the University of Adelaide.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mawson, Davis, Casey, Macquarie Is | 1982-83 | Summer | Mawson, Davis, Casey, Macquarie Is — 1982-82 — Summer – Larcie |
Ian has performed the role of club oral history coordinator for a number of years and is currently responsible for the ongoing collection, collation, transcription and repository of well over 100 expeditioner interviews.
Ian served in Antarctica in the summer of 1982-83 as an Army Reserve ‘LARCie’ with the Army Detachment to ANARE. Ian joined the ANARE Club in the late ’80s and has served on the Council on many occasions, including in the capacity of Vice President. He also took a large quantity of photographs and approached Phil Law to open an exhibition at a Port Melbourne Art Gallery in 1984. A friendship developed and over a 20-year period Ian recorded Phil’s life story and subsequently co-published his oral history with the Royal Society of NSW, titled Dr Phillip Garth Law his extraordinary life and times.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mawson | 1976 | Winter | Geophysicist BMR |
Phil graduated from Newcastle University in 1974 and the following year accepted a position with the Bureau of Mineral Resources to ‘Man the Mawson Base in Antarctica’ as the geophysicist for 1976. The job was mainly to provide continuous seismic and geomagnetic records. He also created a number of Antarctic oil paintings during and since that time.
He spent the summer of 1977 in Enderby Land doing magnetic and gravity survey work –15 fantastic months in total.
After two years doing similar work in PNG he married and switched career to the field of oil and gas exploration.
Retired in 2016, Philip spends his time with videography, including making YouTube videos of his and other’s experiences in the Antarctic. He also spends time providing music for a theatre company and writing and illustrating children’s books based on the Antarctic.
| Station | Year | Season | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mawson | 1980 | Winter | Met Tech |
| Macquarie Island | 1985 | Winter | Met Tech |
| Casey | 1990 | Winter | Met Tech |
Kevin’s first winter was as Met Tech with ANARE at Mawson in 1980, Macquarie Island in 1985, then at Casey in 1990. Always enjoying the opportunity to extend his skills, working hands-on with other ANARE expeditioners, Kevin even defected and joined the ACS construction crew for an extended summer in 1990-91. During the 90s he returned south twice more on round trips for the Met Bureau, and again in 1995 for a summer at Casey.
His 1979 ANARE training at Falls Creek snowballed into a lifelong passion for skiing. He is an IT Manager (Linux and Web Systems) with the Bureau of Meteorology. In earlier roles, he was the Bureau’s Computing Manager in Hobart. Prior to that Kevin was an electronics field technician and radar lab software developer. Home base has alternated between Hobart and Melbourne where he has now settled.
Having helped troubleshoot the ANARE Club website previously, in late 2023, Kevin stepped into the Webmaster role to continue the excellent work of his predecessors. Kevin is proud to belong to the ANARE Club and is committed to supporting the Club and its members, consolidating the solid foundations of past Club achievements, while helping shape the future of the ANARE Club in the spirit of its founders.
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