Board Members

Jason Fair

Director, Engagement

Western Australian Museum (WA Maritime Museum), WA

AMMC Board Member: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Jason has worked at the Western Australian Museum at an executive level since 2007. In his current position as Director Engagement, Jason is responsible for the Museum’s public engagement areas, comprising exhibitions and programming development, learning and education, marketing, media, and commercial activities, including venue hire. He also leads the WA Museum Boola Bardip and the Fremantle Museums, including the WA Maritime Museum and the WA Shipwrecks Museum.

Jason has extensive experience working within customer service and commercial environments in both the private and government sectors. He has held management roles since 1993, with 27 of those years in senior or executive management roles.

His experience crosses multi-disciplinary areas, including retail, product development, project management, hospitality services, financial management, marketing, digital and online development, store planning, venue management, facilities management, exhibition and public programming.

Jason joined the Museum in 2006 as Commercial Manager, before taking on a number of roles in the Museum’s executive team, including Director Commercial, Director Finance and Business Development, and Director Fremantle Museums and Business Development. He regularly represents and acts in the role of Chief Executive Officer. His current role, Director Engagement commenced with the opening of the WA Museum Boola Bardip. In 2022, Jason was bestowed and Knighted the Order of the Star of Italy (OSI) for ongoing and consecutive development with Italian community.

Jason is a Board member of the Australian Maritime Museums Council, and a member of the Museum’s Executive Management Team.

Camille Reynes

Curator

Maritime Museum Tasmania, TAS

AMMC Board Member: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Camille Reynes is a heritage professional with experience in archaeology, museums, and cultural interpretation across Australia, Europe, and the Middle East. She holds postgraduate qualifications in History and Archaeology, Heritage Management and Cultural Interpretation, and Tourism and Environmental Heritage.

Trained in France and Australia, Camille has worked on archaeological missions and cultural projects in France, Syria, Iraq, and Tasmania.

Since 2022, she has been Curator at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, working across collection management, volunteer coordination, exhibitions, and community engagement. She is particularly interested in social history and exploring the stories and experiences that objects and material culture can reveal about past lives.

Kevin Myers

Chair

Chamber of Inland Rivers, SA

AMMC Board Member: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Kevin has been passionate about river vessels and paddle steamers since childhood, and has continued this enthusiasm throughout his career with a particular focus on the Murray-Darling river systems during the era of steam.

He has worked with the Port of Morgan Museum for over 20 years, has served as an elected member of the Mid Murray Council for 17 years, and is Chair of the Maritime and Heritage Board.

Kevin is also Chair of the Chamber of Inland Rivers Association, a group which encourages preservation and restoration of heritage vessels, and other maritime objects and collections. The Association also advocates for maritime heritage by developing and maintaining partnerships with media, government, and external agencies.

Adam Paterson:

Manager, Curatorial

History Trust of South Australia (South Australian Maritime Museum), SA

AMMC Board Member: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Suzan Dalziel

Museum Curation and Volunteer Coordinator

Campaspe Port Enterprise (Port of Echuca), VIC

Board Member: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Sally May

Volunteer Curator

Queensland Maritime Museum, QLD

AMMC Board Member: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Sally May graduated from the University of Queensland in 1982 and commenced work with the Queensland Museum's Maritime Archaeology Section, working on the HMS Pandora excavations. She joined the WA Maritime Museum in 1985, and in 1995 became head of the Maritime History Department. Sally coordinated exhibitions for the new WA Maritime Museum (Victoria Quay) which opened 2002.

She retired in 2017, and is now Volunteer Curator at the Queensland Maritime Museum undertaking an audit of the museum's collections. Since joining the QMM Sally has coordinated the U.S. Seventh Fleet 80th anniversary exhibition (2023) and Making Waves (2025).

Richard Wesley

Assistant Director, Fleet and Collections

Australian National Maritime Museum, National

AMMC Vice-President: Appointed Institutional Delegate

Richard Wesley has occupied a variety of senior museum posts, both in Australia and overseas since commencing his career in the 1980’s. Prior to being appointed to his current position at the Australian National Maritime Museum he spent ten years developing and expanding the Hong Kong Maritime Museum between 2010 and 2020. Other relevant experience includes Director of the Norfolk Island Maritime Museum and Site Manager, Port Arthur Historic Site. For over a decade Richard has been an Executive Member of the International Congress of Maritime Museums, a highlight of which was hosting the 2016 Congress in Hong Kong and convening the Academic Committee for the 2022 Halifax Congress.

In his current position he is responsible for guiding the Conservation, Registration and Fleet sections of the Australian National Maritime Museum. Richard holds a Master of Arts degree, a Diploma of Museum Studies and has spoken extensively on maritime museum related subjects over his career.

Jen Bane

Chief Executive Officer

Albany's Historic Whaling Station, WA

AMMC Board member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Jen, CEO of Albany's Historic Whaling Station, brings over 25 years of tourism industry experience, both internationally and locally. She leads a passionate team of staff and volunteers dedicated to preserving Western Australia's maritime heritage, with a strong focus on exceptional and educational tourism experiences. Originally a local, her deep connection to the region adds to her passion for highlighting its beauty and important history. Albany's Historic Whaling Station, operating as a museum and a not-for-profit organisation, plays a vital role in showcasing the maritime history of Western Australia, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the region's seafaring past. The site includes the heritage-listed Cheynes IV vessel, adding to its historical significance.

Sharon Babbage

Information Manager, Governance

Australian National Maritime Museum, National

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Rosie Cooper

Museum and Collections Coordinator

Bass Strait Maritime Museum, TAS

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Rosie Cooper holds a Bachelor in Archaeological Practice (Honours) from the Australian National University, and a Masters in Cultural Heritage from Deakin University. She held positions at Burnie Regional Museum and the National Museum of Australia, and since 2024 has worked at Bass Strait Maritime Museum (BSMM). Formerly Curator of Collections and Engagement, and now Museum and Collections Coordinator, Rosie’s responsibilites at BSMM include collections management, exhibitions curation, and museum administration.

Dr Ian MacLeod

Fellow

Western Australian Museum, WA

Principal Consultant

Heritage Conservation Solutions

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Dr Ian MacLeod AM is a Fellow of the Western Australian Museum and of five other academies and institutions. Ian maintains his passion for decay in all its forms and how the layers of altered metals and glass can tell environmental stories going back for centuries. He is actively working with shipwreck colleagues in Croatia and Bulgaria  and training emerging conservators. He is an active member of the Metals Working Group of ICOM-Committee for Conservation and has now published more than 300 research papers. He is a director of the Australasian Corrosion Association Foundation and is an active bellringer at St George's cathedral and at the Bell Tower in Perth, where he serves as a Board member.

Diana Lorentz

Director

Jervis Bay Maritime Museum, NSW

AMMC President: Elected Institutional Delegate

Diana has a passion for museums and having worked in the sector for over 20 years. She is currently the Director of the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum & Gallery, a not-for-profit organisation featuring the iconic Lady Denman ferry [1911], the last surviving wooden Sydney Harbour ferry.   Diana’s main interests within the sector are exhibition communication and visitor engagement and making museums accessible to diverse audiences.

Dr Robert de Jong

Managing Curator

Maritime Museum of Townsville, QLD

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional delegate

Born in Haarlem, The Netherlands, Robert immigrated with his parents to South Africa in 1962. He studied at the University of Pretoria and was conferred a PhD in Cultural History in 1990. He also completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies in 1979.

From 1983 till 2005, Robert was employed as a museum professional by provincial and national museum organisations in South Africa, ending his museum career in this country as Manager of the Tswaing Meteorite Crater, a 2,000-hectare conservation area north of Pretoria featuring a 200,000-year old meteorite impact crater of international geological and environmental significance.

In 2005 he became a full-time heritage consultant running his own business, specialising in heritage impact studies, heritage management planning and heritage training with numerous projects in South Africa.

After immigrating to Townsville in 2011, Robert was employed at the Museum of Tropical Queensland as Project Officer and thereafter at the then Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection as Heritage Officer. After working full-time as heritage consultant in 2015, he became Curator of the Maritime Museum of Townsville in February 2016. In May 2018, he became Managing Museum Curator.

Robert has extensive experience in all aspects of museum management, such as collections management, conservation, exhibitions, education programs, community engagement, security, human resources management, training, strategic planning and research.

Jared Archibald OAM

Curator of Territory History

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, NT

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Jared Archibald has worked in the museum sector for over 30 years. He spent 16 years as the taxidermist at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), and has been employed there as the Curator of Territory History for the past ten years. He also oversees the Maritime Collections and has a passion for wooden vessels. He has a keen interest in Northern Territory history, with special emphasis on its rich military history. He was part of the team that developed the Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point and was the lead curator for the Unruly Days: Life in the Territory 1911-1921 exhibition at MAGNT. Researching and telling the stories of the people, places, events, and objects that have shaped the Northern Territory into what it is today is his primary research focus.

Hon. Martin Dixon

Board Member

Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network, VIC

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Martin is a Board member of the MMHN appointed to lead a Special Advisory Group on Tourism. Martin was a teacher, principal and educational administrator for 19 years before being elected to the Victorian Parliament as the Member for Dromana and then Nepean for over 22 years before retiring in 2018. During his parliamentary career Martin served as Opposition Whip, Shadow Minister for Education, Skills, Tourism and Employment as well as other portfolios. He was Minister for Education from 2010 - 2014. Since his retirement Martin has pursued his interests in travel, boating and aviation. He has also mentored new Members of Parliament in the Pacific region as part of the UN Development Plan. Martin is also a member of Off Shore Ships Australia (OSSA).

Elise van Gorp

Manager, Community Relations

City of Albany, WA

AMMC Board Member: Elected Institutional Delegate

Peter Rout

(Retired) Assistant Director

Australian National Maritime Museum, National

AMMC Board Member: Ex-Officio

Peter was appointed Assistant Director, Operations at the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) in August 2005.  In this role he was responsible for HR, IT, facilities, capital works, security and the museum’s historic fleet.  Peter retired from the ANMM in December 2019 but continues to represent the ANMM on the AMMC Board.  

Before joining the Australian National Maritime Museum he managed a privately owned facilities management company with a range of NSW government contracts.

Before this appointment, he worked for 22 years in the ship repair and refit industry, (at Garden Island, NSW), performing a range of roles, including the management of the of Captain Cook Graving Dock; management of the ship production group comprising 450 trades and technical staff; and the project management of the last main refit of an Oberon Class submarine completed in Australia, ($150 m/1.6 m man hours).

He is a professionally qualified Naval Architect, BE (Naval Architecture) UNSW and has completed a Masters of Engineering Science (Construction Management) UNSW.

Alan Edenborough

(Retired) Project Director and Specialist Consultant

Sydney Heritage Fleet, NSW

AMMC Board Member: Ex-Officio

Alan has more than 50-years involvement with Sydney Heritage Fleet and maritime heritage, including terms on the SHF Board. He led the discovery and salvage from southern Tasmania of the Fleet’s now restored 1874 barque James Craig.

Alan began his career as a television news journalist and documentary maker with Sydney’s Channel 7. From there he moved to a political PR firm handling major corporate accounts. Then followed an invitation to join TIME Magazine and more than a decade as marketing director in three TIME areas of the world; South Pacific, Canada and finally Europe, Middle East & Africa based in London.

Throughout these years Alan maintained regular contact with the SHF while being closely involved with historic ship preservation and operation in the international arena.

On his return to Australia he resumed full-time involvement with Sydney Heritage Fleet, until retiring in 2024. He continues as an occasional volunteer and is an Honorary Life Member.

Alan is the immediate Past-President of the AMMC; a member of the Council and Steering Committee of the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV); he is a retired member of the Executive Council, and was a former Secretary General, of the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM); and founder of ICMM’s standing Ships Committee of which he remains a member. 

Alan as immediate AMMC past-president is an Ex-Officio member of the AMMC Board.

Daina Fletcher

Senior Curator

Australian National Maritime Museum, National

AMMC Board Member: Ex-Officio

Daina is a long-serving senior curator at the Australian National Maritime Museum, currently responsible for developing the Indo-Pacific curatorial pillar. She has past oversight of collections, exhibitions and programs relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities, immigrant and culturally diverse communities, environment, industry, shipping and trade, and sport and leisure.

Daina studied art history and museology at Sydney University and is past president of the Australian Maritime Museums Council. Her interest is in collaboration and curatorship, and in communicating how regional and national histories intersect in a global context. To this end she worked with fellow museum, heritage and community organisations in developing programs such as the Australian Register of Historic Vessels and the first Nawi conference exploring Australia’s Indigenous Watercraft. Daina has also worked in broader roles involving strategy, fundraising, education, and programming.

Daina has contributed significantly to the AMMC since its inception, serving as its first President, and editing the Guide to Maritime Museums in Australia and Register of Members (2000).

Liam McGeagh

Outreach Program Coordinator

Australian National Maritime Museum, National

AMMC Company Secretary

Liam McGeagh is Outreach Program Coordinator at the Australian National Maritime Museum where he coordinates the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme federal grants program, the Australian Register of Historic Vessels, and provides secretarial support to the Australian Maritime Museums Council.

Previously Liam was Curatorial Assistant, Academic Engagement at the Chau Chak Wing Museum where he delivered hands-on collections education experiences for tertiary audiences as part of the object-based learning team. Liam has qualifications in Education, Archaeology, and History, and professional experience with collections management, museum education, and public outreach.