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ANARE Club National Council 2025-2026

Who We Are → Our Committee → National Council 2025-2026

Meet our National Council Members. All Councillors are volunteers and receive no remuneration apart from reimbursement of expenses incurred in carrying out their duties.

Rebecca Jeffcoat

ANARE Club President

StationYearSeasonJob
Casey2018WinterStation Leader
Mawson2021WinterStation Leader
Macquarie Island2024WinterStation Leader

Rebecca Jeffcoat served in the Royal Australian Navy for 30 years, beginning as a meteorologist and oceanographer and eventually as Commanding Officer at HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney.

Rebecca’s motivation is 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 AAD 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. She 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 AAD’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.

Lucinda Coates

Lucinda Coates

ANARE Club Secretary
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Prince Charles Mountains1991-92SummerPlant Biologist
Casey2001-02Round TripANARE Club representative
Mawson/Davis2017Round TripANARE Club representative

Lucinda Coates is, with great trepidation but also with the ANARE spirit of adventure and daring, stepping into the role of Secretary. It’s Mel’s fault in two instances, because Mel 1) vacated the role and 2) wrangled Lucinda into it! Lucinda might be known to some as the long-serving secretary to the NSW Branch of the ANARE Club – a role she has held for longer than she cares to remember.

Lucinda’s introduction to Antarctica occurred through the offices of Dr Patricia Selkirk (thank you!) whilst completing her Masters degree at Macquarie University. Lucinda’s mission (which she chose to accept) was to boldly collect lichens from where no lichenologist had gone before (1991-92 summer, Prince Charles Mountains (+ Heard Island resupply)). The newly commissioned Aurora Australis bravely carried her (and many more) to Mawson Station.

She joined the Club en route back (via the Icebird), thanks to the offices of Max Corry on his stint as Club representative, and the NSW Branch Council at the following Midwinter dinner. She has been an active member ever since, serving mainly in the capacity of secretary (also as president, vice-president and 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 lucky enough to be the Club representative in 2001-02 (Casey, then an exciting adventure towards Mawson, as the Aurora Australis extracted the Icebird) and March 2017 (Mawson, Davis) and thoroughly enjoyed representing the Club, signing up new members and recording oral histories. She is keen to be part of the strong national team, working together to better the Club and making better use of her spare time now she is no longer working (apart from getting less money, the main disadvantage is that she can no longer append the title of catastrophe risk scientist to her name).

Denise Allen

Denise Allen

ANARE Council - Treasurer
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Macquarie Is1985WinterObserver BOM
Mawson1986WinterObserver BOM
Davis1988WinterSenior Observer BOM
Casey1992WinterObserver Gr 3 BOM & Deputy Station Leader
Mawson2005WinterMeteorology OIC
Davis2007WinterSenior 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.

Kevin Shepherd

Kevin Shepherd

ANARE Club Vice President
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Mawson1980WinterMet Tech
Macquarie Island1985WinterMet Tech
Casey1990WinterMet Tech
Casey1995-96SummerMet 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 95/96 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. He looks forward to his role as Vice President.

Dale Jacobsen

Dale Jacobsen

Co-opted Council Member and Editor "Aurora Journal"
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions

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.

Barend Becker

Barend Becker

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Davis2005-06SummerMet Forecaster
Casey2007-08SummerMet Forecaster
Macquarie Island2013WinterB.O.M. Meteorologist / OIC
Davis2017WinterSenior Meteorological Observer
Casey2021WinterB.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.

David Ellyard

David Ellyard

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Mawson1966WinterCosmic Ray Physicist
Davis2003Round TripANARE Club representative
Commonwealth Bay2011Round TripInvited [by AAD] Representative

David wintered as the cosmic ray physicist at Mawson in 1966. In 2003 he was the ANARE Club representative on Voyage 2 of Aurora Australis spending a week at Davis. In 2011 he travelled to Mawson’s Huts at the invitation of the Antarctic Division to participate in the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Sir Douglas Mawson landing at Commonwealth Bay. He has been active in the ANARE Club for 40 years and has served in just about every position on the NSW Committee, as well as President (two years), Treasurer (two years) and a General Committee Member on the National Council. He was editor of Aurora from 2013 till 2022. David is a science communicator, writer and public speaker with a particular interest in the issue of climate change. He currently teaches the history of science at the University of NSW and is active in Rotary and the Australian Science Communicators.

Tim Feetham

Tim Feetham

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Macquarie Island1980WinterSenior Electrical Fitter and Mechanic

Tim is an electrician who wintered on Macquarie Island in1980. He still works as an electrical contractor in his own business: “it’s just me as I would like to slow down a bit”. These days he tends to knock back jobs that mean crawling through roofs as his knees aren’t up to it anymore.

A long time ago, after returning from Macca, Tim met and married Anne. They have three children – Amy, Amanda and Stuart (who followed Tim into the trade) and four grandchildren. Tim and Anne live on the outskirts of Bacchus Marsh, Victoria on five acres of bush heaven, often visited by kangaroos and the occasional koala and echidna. Tim eagerly looks forward to the arrival of the Aurora journal which enables him to follow many a friend on other trips south.

A couple of years ago Tim took part in an Antarctic flight – the magic of the scenery had him in tears. For relaxation, Tim and Anne have a cabin at Moama where they watch the river run through the quiet and parklike landscape.

Tim is also partway through a long-term build of a 1947 Chev sedan – a slow process of one step forward one step back.

He loves Holdens, Chevs, and Harley Davidsons.

Ron Hann

Ron Hann

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Wilkes1967WinterElectrician SEFM
Macquarie Island1970WinterElectrician SEFM

Ron joined the ANARE Club after wintering as senior electrician at Wilkes in 1967 and then Macquarie Island in 1970.

He has been a member of the ANARE Club since that time and has been a committee member of the South Australia branch on and off over the past 25 years, including serving as its president for five years.

He has enjoyed playing a small part in the many excellent successful (self-funded) commemorative projects undertaken by the Club.

Jenna Kelley

Jenna Kelley

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Scott Base (NZ)2000/01Canteen Manager

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).

Duncan MacKenzie OAM, F.R.M.A.A. F.M.A.A. F.A.I.I.M. F.A.I.C.D

Duncan MacKenzie OAM, F.R.M.A.A. F.M.A.A. F.A.I.I.M. F.A.I.C.D

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Macquarie Is1964SummerBiologist
Macquarie Is1965SummerBiologist
Macquarie Is1966Summer and WinterBiologist
Macquarie Is1967SummerBiologist

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.

Ian Toohill

Ian Toohill

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Mawson, Davis, Casey, Macquarie Is1982-83SummerMawson, Davis, Casey, Macquarie Is — 1982-82 — Summer – Larcie

Ian served in Antarctica in the summer of 1982/83 as an Army Reserve “Larcie” with the Army Detachment to ANARE. He was involved in resupply voyages to all three Australian Bases and Macquarie Island. Leave for military service had been granted by the Victorian Education Department with a request that he make an educational documentary on life down south for Victorian secondary schools. As a teacher he was a film and TV producer for the Education Department at the time. The Army agreed and he summered over at Mawson where he completed the film; “Mawson Base Face to Face”. His other role there was to clean up the base by dumping a large quantity of refuse in Kista strait. (unacceptable today!)

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 twenty 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“.

Ian joined the ANARE Club in the late 80’s and has been on Council for many years serving as VP twice. For 15 years he has been responsible for Club Oral histories and is currently the Club Historian. Ian is passionate about the need to ensure the History of Club members work in Antarctica post WW2 is retained for future generations.

Philip Wolter

Philip Wolter

General Council Member
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Mawson1976WinterGeophysicist 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.

David Dodd

David Dodd

ANARE Club Immediate Past President
ANARE Club | Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
StationYearSeasonJob
Macquarie Island1961WinterMet Observer
Davis1963WinterMet Observer in Charge

As a Club member since 1974, and after wintering at Macquarie Island and Davis with BOM in the 1960s, David went on to work with the Bureau on their weather reporting computerisation, then administration at Victorian Universities, Registrar HSC body, Specialist Medical College, School Business Manager and Royal Society of Victoria. He has been elected to all Council Office Bearer positions over the recent 11-year period and has been actively involved in Station anniversaries, Club commemorative activities, Aurora packing, Philatelic sales and Antarctic historical and heritage research.

As a team player, David has continued to work tirelessly to reenergise the Club and ‘reach out’ to our wider Antarctic family, a policy which has seen a reversal of the Club’s declining membership. He holds BCom and MBus degrees and possesses the business skills and ANARE experience to further the Club’s partnership relationships with the Australian Antarctic Division, as well as the Club’s involvement as the custodian of the proud history and heritage of the service of the Club’s membership in Australian Antarctic Territory since 1947.

David served two terms as ANARE Club President, in addition to previous roles as Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President.

How do I Nominate for National Council

To nominate for ANARE Club National Council, you first need to be a Club Member. If you are already a Club Member, Login and you will see more detail on applying for Nation Council under “Member Content”.

If you are not currently a ANARE Club Member, we would welcome your membership and the contribution you can make to the Club. Please apply for Membership at the top of this page – Become a Member.

See our past National Council Members See our previous Office Bearers See Previous Council Member Profiles (2024-25)

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