Patrick is an experienced trial and appellate advocate practicing principally in public law, criminal law, competition and consumer law, regulatory matters, major torts and class actions. In 2019 Patrick was associate to the Hon Justice Nettle in the High Court of Australia. From 2013-2014 he was senior associate to the Hon Justice T Forrest in the Supreme Court of Victoria. From 2015 until 2018, and again in 2020, Patrick was a senior lawyer and manager of the Appeals Practice at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency. In his capacity as manager, Patrick oversaw appellate litigation for the largest provider of legal services in the jurisdiction. Patrick appeared regularly as counsel in trials and appeals in all Territory Courts, including the Full Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal. He has acted in special leave applications and as junior counsel in the Full Court of the High Court of Australia. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor (with first-class honours) from the University of Melbourne.

Naomi Velaphi is currently Executive Producer Asia Topa, and was previously Senior Producer at NextWave, and the former Program Producer for APAM (Australia Performing Arts Market). She is an arts producer, curator and programmer interested in interdisciplinary arts practice with a commitment to working with diverse artists. She has held producing roles both independently and for a number of arts organisations including Arts Centre Melbourne, Arts House, Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Abbotsford Convent and the Koorie Heritage Trust. Her current interests focus on working with artists from the African diaspora.

Photo: Leah Jing

Tamsen Hopkinson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Pāhauwera) has extensive experience within the contemporary arts sector as an artist, curator, producer and teacher. Her practice is an expression of Indigenous Sovereignty and considers ideas around materiality, language and access. Over the last ten years Tamsen has worked across key organisations including West Space, Monash University of Art Design and Architecture (MADA), TCB Art Inc., UN Projects and SIGNAL.

She has held roles as Senior Producer at Footscray Community Arts, Curator of Programs at West Space and as Teaching Associate in the BFA honours program at MADA. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours) and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Painting, Art History and Philosophy from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, Aotearoa.

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Bruce is Chairman of investment banking group, Lion Capital, Trustee of Helen McPherson Smith Trust, a former long serving board member of the Australian Ballet and chair of the audit and risk committee, and member of the investment committee, board member of University of Melbourne Centre for Positive Psychology Strategic Advisory Board. Previously, Bruce was Managing Director of McIntosh Securities, Senior Vice President of Merrill Lynch, Director of Australian Stock Exchange Ltd, President of the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, Board Member and Chairman of the National Gallery of Victoria Foundation, member of the Felton Bequest Committee, Director of a number of listed public companies, a member of Council of Melbourne Grammar School, and Chairman of Melbourne Grammar Foundation.

Maudie was Founding Director of Heide Museum of Modern Art and Founding Director of TarraWarra Museum of Art and was inaugural curator of Herring Island Environmental Sculpture Park in partnership with Parks Victoria and Melbourne International Festival. She possesses extensive expertise in both curatorial and directorial capacities, as well as delivering large building projects and consulting upon public artworks and museum design.

Maudie believes in the power of art to open intellectual space around difficult social and environmental concerns. It was during her time as the Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow, in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Monash University, that Maudie initiated The Birrarung Project, a wide ranging, cross-disciplinary and community-oriented research project about the Birrarung (Yarra River). This project encompassed Indigenous heritage and knowledge, post settlement history, art, architecture, environment and sustainability, and harnessed Maudie’s lifelong personal interest in the Birrarung. This project germinated a diverse range of subsequent projects, including writing and directing the short film Birrarung, following the river from its source to the sea, a proposal to provide respite from global warming Birrarung: Art, Water, Refuge and initiating the Birrarung Cultural Precinct vision, collaboratively developed with Senior Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO, and Eugene Howard.

Recent consultancies include strategic and curatorial management at two public galleries during periods of transition, McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, and Hamilton Gallery (with Eugene Howard, 2019-2020). And in association with SMA Tourism the Business Case for the new Shepparton Art Gallery (SAM) in 2017 and the Feasibility Study for Warrnambool Art Gallery (WAG) in 2021.

Photo: Bronwyn Kidd

Peter Elliott is a Melbourne architect and recipient of the 2017 Gold Medal from the Australian Institute of Architects. He is currently an adjunct professor of architecture practice at the Faculty of Art Design and Architecture at Monash University. In 2015 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Architecture by the University of Melbourne. He has a special interest in the design of the public realm and has lectured and written extensively on contemporary architecture and urban design. In 2015 he authored the book titled “Episodic Urbanism – RMIT Urban Spaces Project 1996 – 2015′ published by URO Publications. The work of the practice has won more than seventy national and state architectural and industry awards. This includes an Order of Australia in 1987 for services to architecture (public housing), the RAIA Victorian Architecture Medal 1991 for the Carlton Baths and Community Centre.

Warwick Leeson OAM is a member of the Birrarung Council, a statutory body created by the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017 (Yarra Protection Act) to provide independent advice to the Victorian Government on, and advocates for, protecting and improving the Yarra River. Warwick is the appointed Chair and President of the Yarra Riverkeeper Association Board. A resident of Kangaroo Ground for 25 years, he is a former councillor and mayor of Nillumbik Shire and has been a powerful advocate for the Victorian waters and open spaces in the riverine corridor, he is passionate about nature, especially that which has been protected by Green Wedges legislation.

Warwick has an extensive and balanced understanding of the environmental issues affecting residents of the Yarra catchment area, which he has utilised to make significant contributions to the formulation of various associations’ policies and strategies.

His 2013 Order of Australia Medal citation recognised his work in community rebuilding and recovery. And in encouraging fire awareness and planning in the aftermath of the 2009 bushfires.

Samantha is a registered architect and a member of Australia ICOMOS with over 20 years’ experience working in heritage. She has been engaged in all aspects of professional heritage architecture services and has worked in State and Local Government as well as private practice. Samantha currently runs her own Heritage Architecture Consultancy, established in 2010, and is also the Conservation Architect for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Samantha is an experienced heritage advisor for local government and understands the importance of looking after our heritage at a local level and ensuring that the process for caring for our heritage places is accessible and enjoyable. Samantha’s work as the Conservation Architect for the National Trust has greatly broadened her knowledge and understanding of the requirements and processes of care and management of heritage places, from a property owner/manager perspective. Samantha advocates for understanding the shared values of our heritage places and is passionate about nurturing heritage trades, providing leadership and education in conservation processes and activating heritage properties in innovative ways.

Photo: supplied

Photo: Jacqueline Mitelman

Eugene is Founding Director of InPlace and established the new Garambi Baanj Cultural Precinct. In 2018 Eugene developed a partnership between InPlace and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation for priority use of the Garambi Baanj Cultural Precinct. Eugene has overseen the restoration of three significant state-owned heritage buildings comprising this new cultural nerve centre. Eugene secured founding investment through Creative Victoria and went on to raise significant funds from every level of government, as well as from the philanthropic sector, supporting capital works, creative commissions and artist residencies. Eugene studied visual arts at the University of Melbourne and RMIT University.

Photo: Jacqueline Mitelman