Staff, Management & Council

Questacon's staff are members of the Australian Public Service and include educators, science communicators, actors, exhibit designers, electronics technicians, wood and metal workers... over 200 of us! We're also lucky to have 150 or so volunteer Explainers - some, retired scientists and engineers; others, students and interested members of the community, all here to help you get the most out of your visit.

Our staff teams report to Management who report to the Executive. Executive receives support from our Advisory Council and reports to our Department.

Together, we work to bring you interactive science exhibitions, science shows, outreach programs and more!

Management and Executive | Advisory Council

Management and Executive

Professor Graham Durant, Director (Executive)
Graham is Questacon's third Director, having joined us in early March 2003. Prior to Questacon, he spent ten years as Senior Curator and Deputy Director of the Hunterian Museum, Scotland, and was closely involved in the opening of the Glasgow Science Centre in 2001. He has a PhD in geology and a background in science communication. Did you know Graham was once a UK universities canoe slalom champion?

Lorraine Neish, General Manager, Operations (Executive)
- Natalie Watson, Manager, Corporate Services
- Bernard Finucane, Manager, Capital Works and Facilities
- Craig Whelan, Manager, Education and Visitor Experience
- Mia de Tarczynski, Governance and Executive Management
Graham Smith, A/g General Manager, Development (Executive)
- Dr Stuart Kohlhagen, Manager, Questacon Research and Development
- Sally D'Addio, Manager, Exhibition Services Operations
- Allen Rooney, A/g Manager, Exhibition Production Review
- Bettina Payne, A/g Manager, Outreach Programs
- Brenton Honeyman, Manager, Science Awareness & Strategic Partnerships

Advisory Council

Questacon's Advisory Council brings together business experience, scientific knowledge, and other resources to help us deliver the best in interactive science. Council members are appointed by our Minister.

	Leon Kempler Leon has been the Chairman of our Council since 2004. He is also the Chairman of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
	Tracey Bunda Tracey is from Flinders University's Yunggorendi Centre that helps support Indigenous students at the university. Tracey is a Goori woman from Ngugi (Moreton Island) and Wakka Wakka (Sunshine Coast) in Queensland. Her research looks into how Indigenous students engage in higher education.
	Antony Cohen Antony is a partner in KPMG, and has been on our council since 2004. Antony advises power utilities on how to run their businesses better, including how to deal with climate change and carbon and emissions trading.
	Catherine Foley Cathy is a physicist and head of a research unit in CSIRO that is investigating superconductors. She was inspired to study science by a high school teacher. Cathy is also the President of the Institute of Physics and on the board of FASTS, the association that represents Australia's 60 000 scientists.
	Denis Goodrum Denis is the former Dean of Education at Canberra University. He teaches science education to student teachers his research is about the learning of science in schools. Back in the 1990's Denis was the Project Director for the Science Academy's 'Primary Investigations' science teaching program.
	Lynda O'Grady Lynda joined the board in 2004. She was then a senior product marketing executive in Telstra. Lynda is now head of a management consulting firm and is Chairman of Q-gen, a biotech company in Brisbane that commercialises new products like vaccines.
	Lynley Marshall Lynley is the Director of ABC Commercial - the division responsible for the management of a range of commercial media businesses, which deliver products and services to the global marketplace. The division generates profits to support the growth of the ABC through licensing, marketing, sales and retailing of consumer products content, and services. Lynley's prior portfolio at the ABC was that of Director New Media & Digital Services where she was responsible for ABC online, the launch of ABC's first broadband services and digital channel ABC2 in 2005.
	John Simpson John is the Corporate affairs Manager at NAB. We worked with John for many years when he was the Director of External Affairs at Shell Australia.
	Mary-Anne Waldren Mary-Anne founded the world's second biggest science festival - the Australian Science Festival - and she helped to establish National Science Week with the ABC. Mary-Anne also set-up MAW Action, an event management company in Canberra.