Rebecca Ryan

President

Rebecca is passionate about her local community and has demonstrated this through a 15-year plus involvement in community cultural development.

Rebecca’s passion has always been community arts and she was a key volunteer member of the Two Rivers Arts Council in Gunnedah during the late 1990s and early 2000s producing and directing community theatre and working on Gunnedah’s annual Two Rivers Arts Festival.

In her role as Director of the Gunnedah Conservatorium, Rebecca oversees the Conservatorium’s successful application for triennial funding and has steered the organisation through a period of huge growth with the organisation’s level of activity more than doubling though increased individual tuitiona as well as school and community programs and an annual concert series.

Pip Murray

Vice-President / Public Officer

Pip Murray has been a long-serving member of the Dorothea Mackellar Memorial Society and served as President of the Society in previous years. With a background in journalism and a former magazine editor, Pip has a wealth of knowledge and appreciation of the arts.

She’s an advocate for Dorothea’s legacy and has described the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards as a “way of fostering and encouraging poetry and creative writing among school children as well as a love of country.”

We’re very lucky to have such an experienced woman as spokesperson for our cause, and of course for Dorothea and her immortal poetry.

Suzanne Houston

Secretary

Suzanne is a English teacher at G S Kidd Memorial School, Gunnedah. G Kidd caters for students in the moderate to severe range of intellectual disability.

Between 2018 – 2020, Suzanne lived and worked in Turkiye, teaching English. During this time she travelled extensively throughout the country and visiting many amazing historical sites.

On returning to Australia, she started her boutique tours & turkish towels business “Turkish Treasures Tours and Towels”. The tours encompass many aspects of Turkish history, culture and lifestyle.

Peter Wills

Treasurer

Vanessa Tiernan

Executive Officer

Vanessa has over 20 years of experience in community engagement, event coordination, and project management. Throughout her career, Vanessa has consistently demonstrated her ability to envisage and execute projects that create lasting impacts.

She has been involved with community organisations including being the Secretary and Treasurer of her local business change and running “Avalon Market Day” – the largest market day in Sydney.