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Harbour Trust Ranger helping visitors at Georges Heights in Headland Park, Mosman.

Our organisation

The Harbour Trust is governed by the Members of the Trust while the agency’s day-to-day operations are managed by the Executive Team.

The Members of the Trust are non-executive members appointed by the Minister for the Environment and Water. In accordance with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001, this body consists of eight members including the Chair as well as two members recommended by the NSW Government, one representing the interests of First Nations People, and another who provides a local government perspective and experience. 

The Executive Team is comprised of 6 directors under the leadership of an Executive Director. The Executive Director is appointed by the Minister on the recommendation of the Members of the Trust and manages the affairs of the agency subject to the directions and policies of the Trust.

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Trust members

The Members of the Trust meet regularly to guide the process of planning and implementing projects on Harbour Trust lands.

Professor Tim Entwisle (Chair)

Professor Tim Entwisle is an author, botanist and former botanic gardens director. Until 2023, Tim was Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria for ten years, following two years in a senior role at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London, and eight as head of Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney. Tim recently published a memoir about his life in botanic gardens and continues to write on a range of botanical subjects. Over the last few decades, he has contributed to a wide range of open space and environmental committees, and has contributed regularly to Australian radio, print and social media. Tim is currently an Honorary Professorial Fellow at The University of Melbourne and Chair of the Public Open Space Advisory Panel for the Suburban Rail Loop project in Melbourne.

Tim brings to the Harbour Trust expertise in environmental and heritage conservation, interpretation, land planning and management, business, financial and asset management, tourism and marketing, as well as extensive experience as a manager of public open space. As a further connection, he had a rare seaweed, Entwisleia bella, named after him in recognition of his extensive research career with algae.

Appointed November 2023.

Alison Page (Deputy Chair)

Alison Page is a Dharawal and Yuin artist and designer whose award-winning work over 25 years promotes the creative expression of Aboriginal identity in public art, design and film. In 2015, Alison was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia’s Hall of Fame. She appeared for eight years as a regular panelist on the ABC TV show, The New Inventors and was the winner of the 2022 Interior Design Excellence Awards Gold Medal.

She was one of the original members of Merrima Architecture, Australia’s first Indigenous architecture group, which was part of the NSW Government Architects Office, who she continues to work with to integrate ‘Country’ into large scale developments in NSW, such as Barangaroo where she is the First Nations Working Group Chair.

Alison is the founder of Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance; the National Aboriginal Design Agency; and co-founder of creative agency, Zakpage. In 2021 she co-authored Design, Building on Country with Paul Memmott, published by Thames and Hudson Australia as part of their First Knowledges Series. She is an Associate Dean at the University of Technology, Sydney; a Councillor for the Australian National Maritime Museum; Director of Aboriginal Hostels Limited; Director with the National Australia Day Council; and Director with the National Trust (NSW).

Appointed April 2022.

Terry Bailey

Terry Bailey has 35 years’ experience working in the environment and heritage fields. Terry has gained a thorough understanding of planning legislation and policies through executive leadership roles in the New South Wales and Australian governments – his most recent public sector appointment being Chief Executive of the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage.

Terry is the Executive Dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering at the University of Tasmania and a former Executive Director of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. Terry is a reporter under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 to the Federal Minister for the Environment, a Commissioner on the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission and Chair of the Tasmanian National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council.

Terry has worked extensively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. His interest and passion, including in joint management of protected areas, was developed in Kakadu where he worked in various roles, including as Park Manager. Between 2004 and 2010, Terry prepared world heritage nominations for the Australian Government, including the Ningaloo Coast, the Australian Convict Sites and the Sydney Opera House. Terry is an expert advisor in world heritage to the Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland governments.

Appointed November 2023.

Daniel Gilbert AM

Danny is the co-founder and Chairman of Gilbert + Tobin, one of Australia's leading corporate law firms. With expertise in law, business and Indigenous culture, Danny currently serves as Director of Business Council of Australia and Impact Investing Australia Limited, Chair of Cape York Partnership Group Limited, Advisory Committee Member for the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law at the University of New South Wales and a trustee of a private charitable trust.

Throughout his career, Danny has held several non-executive positions across culture, business and education. These roles have included Non-Executive Director of National Australia Bank Limited (2004 to 2016), Chairman National Museum of Australia (2009 to 2015), Chairman of Western Sydney University Foundation (2012 to 2019), Chairman Australian Film Television and Radio School, Chairman Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, Co-Chair and Director of Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Ltd and Chairman of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Danny has received numerous awards, including the 2023 and 2020 Australasian Law Award for Law Firm Leader of the Year, the 2018 Lawyers Weekly Managing Partner of the Year and the 2017 Financial Times Special Achievement Award. In 2005, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia and has honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from UNSW and Western Sydney University.

Appointed in November 2024.

Professor Helen Lochhead AO

Professor Helen Lochhead AO is a highly awarded architect and urbanist with more than 30 years leadership experience in government, industry and universities and has been named among AFR’s 100 most influential Australian women (2019). Her expertise spans strategic planning and design, public works and infrastructure, housing, heritage and sustainability with an interest and professional focus on the urban regeneration of precincts and places around Sydney Harbour.

Her career has concentrated on planning, design and delivery of large complex projects ranging from public space improvement programs to major urban renewal projects. Notably, she has been instrumental in shaping many precincts around Sydney Harbour including the transformation of Sydney Olympic Park into a mixed-use community hub and parkland, Harold Park and Walsh Bay Arts Precinct master plans and numerous projects around Sydney Cove.

She is an Emeritus Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at UNSW Sydney and has previously served as Dean, Faculty of Built Environment (2015 to 2020) and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Precincts (2020 to 2022). She has also held influential positions with the NSW Government and the City of Sydney. These include a 5-year tenure as Deputy Government Architect and executive director roles with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. Professor Lochhead currently serves on various boards, planning and design panels, including the Australian Heritage Council (2021 to 2024), the Australian Institute of Architects Foundation, the Sydney Opera House Design Advisory Panel and the National Capital Authority.

Appointed September 2024.

Brad Manera

Brad Manera has worked with museums for nearly 40 years, commencing with the Western Australian Museum. A few years into his career, he was recruited to the National Museum of Australia as one of its founding curators.

From there, Brad served as a historian with the Australian War Memorial, where he developed the post-1945 conflicts gallery. Later, he was appointed Head Curator of the Hyde Park Barracks Museum – in this role, he helped secure the site’s UNESCO World Heritage status. For the past 14 years, he has been the Senior Historian and Curator at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park.

A keen historian, Brad has featured in many documentaries and leads tours to historic sites. His latest book, In That Rich Earth (2020), interprets 100 international battlefields on which men and women from NSW have served.

Brad is a returning Member of the Trust, having previously served the Harbour Trust in this non-executive capacity between July 2021 and June 2023.

Appointed September 2024.

Alexandra O’Mara

Alex O’Mara has over 20 years of experience leading strategy development, execution, and delivery of results in different spheres of the public and private sectors, providing strategic advice as the Director and Founder of Sustainable Solutions Advisory which focuses on sustainability, impact, policy and strategy, places and precincts, engagement and leadership. Alex is a Board Member of Place Management NSW, a member of the Placemaking NSW Advisory Committee and Chair of the White Bay Power Station Adaptive Reuse Committee. Alex is also a Non-Executive Director of St George Community Housing, a not for profit social and affordable housing provider, and of Tracey Brunstrom and Hammond Australia, an independent project management consultancy and has held a range of other board roles in the past. Alex is a Member of the Science Advisory Council of UNSW and is an independent strategic advisor to the Urban Transformation Research Centre of Western Sydney University. Alex is a planning and environmental lawyer with a masters in public law and policy. Alex has worked across planning, environment, sustainability, natural resource management, safety, infrastructure and culture in legal, policy and senior executive roles in the NSW Government. Alex was a Deputy Secretary in the NSW Government for over 5 years, as Deputy Secretary, Create NSW and Group Deputy Secretary, Place Design and Public Space.

Appointed November 2023.

Ann Sherry AO

Ann Sherry AO is one of Australia's leading business executives with a career that spans government, banking and cruise tourism. She has a passion for improving opportunities and removing barriers for women in STEM and sport and supporting opportunities for Indigenous Australians.

Ann is an Adviser, the former Chairman and was Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Australia for a decade. Carnival Australia is the largest cruise ship operator in the Australia/Pacific region. She has also held several other executive and non-executive positions at significant corporations and public sector bodies.

Appointed November 2023.

Executive team

Janet Carding (Executive Director)

Janet has enjoyed a distinguished career in the galleries and museums sector, having served cultural organisations across three continents. Hailing from England, she commenced her career as a curator in Medical History at London’s Science Museum. She went on to oversee planning and major projects as a member of the senior management team.

In 2004, she migrated to Australia and joined the Australian Museum, Sydney as Assistant Director, Public Programs & Operations. In addition to overseeing the Museum’s exhibitions and public programs, Janet played a key role in the Museum’s Revitalisation Project and, during her tenure, was granted Australian Citizenship.

In 2010, Janet became the first woman to be appointed the Director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum, one of Canada’s leading cultural bodies. Under her leadership, innovative formats and digital initiatives were employed to broaden the Museum’s audience and raise the profile of its vital, behind-the-scenes research.

In 2015, Janet returned to Australia to become Director of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart – the State Government’s leading natural, cultural and heritage organisation. She implemented a successful five-year strategic plan that saw the Museum re-establish itself as a cultural hub for Tasmanians and a key tourist destination.

Janet helped strengthen the Museum’s relationship with Tasmania’s Aboriginal people. This included making a formal apology for past Museum’s practices, and initiating the repatriation of significant rock carvings to country. During this period, she also served the Australian cultural sector in a number of high-profile volunteer roles.

Janet joined the Harbour Trust as its Executive Director in September 2021.

Libby Bennett (Director, Heritage and Design)

Libby is a senior heritage architect with 30+ years’ experience in the field of heritage conservation including major projects, adaptive reuse, advice on heritage issues, and design and heritage asset management. Her career has encompassed working across both private and government organisations. Prior to joining the Harbour Trust, Libby served the Department of Defence as the heritage architect for their Sydney sites. She brought this expertise and knowledge to the Harbour Trust when she joined at the agency’s inception two decades ago. Throughout her career with the Harbour Trust, Libby has been passionately and extensively involved in the rehabilitation, conservation and adaptive reuse of the Trust’s sites and heritage assets.

Maree Doherty (Head of Property and Leasing Management)

Maree is an accomplished property professional with more than 20 years of expertise in specialised property fields including strata management and portfolio management as well as property and leasing management. Maree demonstrates a client-centric approach and is committed to establishing – and nurturing – long-term professional relationships founded on mutual respect and the achievement of shared objectives. She thrives on interacting with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, embracing each unique perspective, and is committed to solving problems, ensuring success and getting the job done efficiently and effectively.

Graham Izod (Director, Assets and Parklands)

Graham has more than 25 years’ experience in Construction/Building Services and the Facilities Management industry. His knowledge spans the whole building lifecycle from concept and design through to construction and operations. Graham has managed facilities across numerous industries including government, finance and entertainment. He began his career with a mechanical services company installing ductwork, and later managed installation projects, before moving to Tier 1 Construction organisations where he managed building services for large construction sites.

Throughout his extensive career, Graham has accrued extensive senior management experience in construction and facilities management, overseeing teams on a local through to national level on both the client side and as the representative as the outsourced provider. Graham’s strengths include operational leadership, asset management, PMO, governance, stakeholder engagement, vendor/contract management and change management – all with WHS leadership at the forefront. He is a passionate advocate for best practice and safe work environments and is committed to creating environments that not only resonate with people but have high tenant retention.

Bernadette Or (Chief Operating and Financial Officer)

Bernadette is an experienced CFO and non-executive director with more than 25 years of executive experience leading a range of enabling services (people, finance, technology, commercial and risks) at various NGOs and NFPs.

Prior to joining the Harbour Trust in March 2023, Bernadette worked at the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW, Western Sydney University, Northern Suburbs Rugby Football Club, CoAct plus other for-profit and for-purpose businesses.

Bernadette was the Chair of Crohns and Colitis Australia until 2014 and is currently the Chair and President of Family Planning Australia.

Kathryn Roberts (Director, Marketing, Communications and Visitor Experience)

Kathryn has more than 25 years’ experience working in placemaking, entertainment, events and technology in Australia and across APAC. She is a seasoned executive lead in marketing, communications, events and stakeholder engagement with a passion for developing innovative approaches that engage visitors and the community in heritage landscapes. With her team she brings stories and histories to life by creating cherished community spaces across Sydney Harbour.

Her specialty areas include visitor-centric strategies, managing complex stakeholders and building brands, products and places. She manages a team of dedicated staff responsible for events, tours and programming, volunteers, stakeholder engagement, marketing and communications.

Daniel Sealey (Director, Planning)

Daniel joined the Harbour Trust as a town planner from the NSW Department of Planning in 2003, at a time when Harbour Trust lands were awaiting restoration. Daniel contributes to the careful fostering of the sites’ ongoing revival in ways that protect their environmental and heritage values, and which engage positively with stakeholders. His experience includes preparing plans and policies, assessing environmental impacts, managing site operational issues, and community consultation.

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Helpful links

Interested in learning more about the Harbour Trust and our protected places on Sydney Harbour? Check out the below links.