Nova Peris OAM OLY, Co-Chair

Nova Peris OAM OLY is an Olympic Gold Medalist, a Commonwealth Champion and the first Aboriginal woman elected to Federal Parliament. With an astonishing sporting career representing Australia across the globe in two different sports, Peris was a key component of both the Australian Women's field hockey team and the Australian Track & Field team. In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Peris became the first Aboriginal person and first Northern Territorian to win an Olympic Gold Medal playing for the Hockeyroos that defeated South Korea 3-1.

Transitioning her hockey career to sprinting, Peris competed in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur winning two more gold medals in the 200m & 4x100 relay, making her the only person to win Olympic and Commonwealth Gold in different sports! Nova went on to make the Track and Field Team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was the first of 10,000 Olympic flame torchbearers at the iconic Uluru, where she ran barefoot with the flame. Nova competed in the individual 400m making the semi finals and the 4x400m relay that finished fourth in the final. Nova is the only person on the planet to make back-to-back Summer Olympic Games finals, consecutive Olympics in different sports!

Following a successful athletic career, Nova then became the first Aboriginal women to sit in the Federal Parliament as Senator for the Northern Territory. Nova has now started her own charity, the Nova Peris Foundation, and recently had her bronze statue unveiled in Federation Square, Melbourne.

Craig Foster AM, Co-Chair

Craig is a former professional athlete having represented the Australian National male football team, the Socceroos, 29 times including as Captain. Member of the Australian Multicultural Council, law graduate and award-winning broadcaster over many decades, Craig is a prominent human rights advocate and anti-racism campaigner who was a campaign advocate as a Socceroo back in 1999 during the referendum, having spoken in support at Town Hall, Sydney, along with other respected sportspeople.

23 years later, and following a number of high profile human rights endeavours and campaigns such as #SaveHakeem to free a young Bahraini from a Thai prison, Craig is applying his energy to the future of Australian nationhood and sees a reconciled and independent Australia as a prerequisite to the full expression of the extraordinary potential of a proud multicultural nation.

Dr Meredith Doig OAM FAICD, Vice-Chair

Dr Meredith Doig OAM FAICD spent most of her career in the corporate world (Ford, Rio Tinto, ANZ), and then 15 years as a professional company director (Port of Melbourne, V/Line, Bakers Delight, University of Melbourne, Federation University and Federation TAFE). For five years she taught the Company Directors course at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and for 15 years she was a Moderator with the Cranlana Program for Ethics and the Good Society.

In 2016 she stood as a candidate for the Senate for the Australian Sex Party on a ‘triple bottom line’ platform of evidence-based social reform, economic prudence and environmental rationality. She is currently president of the Rationalist Society of Australia, secretary of Dying With Dignity Victoria, and a director of the Jewellers Association.

Her Australian honour was for contributions to higher education, business and the community. Oh, and she’s been a motorcyclist for 50 years.

Nathan Hansford, Treasurer & Secretary, ACT Convenor

Nathan is a management consultant with experience advising governments and corporates across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, the Pacific and Europe.

The experience of having faciliated republic movement supporter groups in Asia prompted Nathan to reconnect with the Australian Republic Movement at a state and national level when he relocated back to Australia.

“We are a multi-cultural country, with tens of thousands of years of Indigenous heritage and custodianship, where equality and independence are core to our sense of us, yet we are still represented by a foreign monarch from a foreign land. I want nothing more than for my Korean-Australian daughters to be able to aspire to the highest representative position in Australia, our Head of State.”

“If you want to be involved in the ACT please find me on the Australian Republic Supporters Facebook Group and connect so we can work together to make an Australian Head of State a reality!”

Wendy Le Cornu, General Executive Member, Tasmanian Convenor

Wendy Le Cornu was outraged by Whitlam’s dismissal in 1975 and disappointed by the failed referendum in 1999. She’s a proud Australian and would love to see Australia become a republic.

The legacy of our colonial past is both pride and shame, and Wendy hopes our nation can make peace with that and move forward as a united people. Being shackled to the monarchy impedes that process. Australians have been loyal servants, but it’s time for emancipation: time to do things ‘the Aussie way.’

Wendy has worked as a Japanese/English teacher, counsellor, office manager, sales assistant and waitress. She’s retired and lives with her husband in Tasmania. They have three grown up children and five grandchildren.

Marina Go, General Executive Member

Marina Go is an experienced Chair and Non-Executive Director on ASX listed companies, private companies and not-for-profit organisations, across a range of sectors including energy, infrastructure, technology, retail and sport. She is a member of UNSW’s Business Advisory Council and ANU’s Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership (CAAL) Advisory Board, and author of the business book, ‘Break Through: 20 Success Strategies for Female Leaders’. Marina has 30 years of leadership experience in the media industry and is a former Chair of The Walkley Foundation. Marina is a co-founder of Women’s Agenda and has been actively progressing equitable outcomes for women and culturally diverse Australians for more than three decades.

Michael Cooney, General Executive Member, National Youth Convenor

Michael has been a member of the Australian Republic Movement since he was 15 years old, as someone born after the referendum, he will bring a passionate young voice to engage the critical demographic of young people who missed the last debate for a republic.

Graham Cooke, NSW Convenor

Graham Cooke is a Sydney-based consumer finance analyst and data journalist who regularly shares his expertise across Australian media. Known for his insightful contributions on ABC Radio, 7, 9, and 10 News, Sunrise, and Today, he helps demystify financial trends for the public. His written work has featured in various publications including Money Magazine, Yahoo Finance and Nasdaq.

Originally from Ireland, Graham has seen first-hand how well an elected Head of State can work and is a passionate advocate for Australia's transition to becoming a republic.

Bodhi Hardinge, Western Australian Convenor

Bodhi is a climate and energy consultant turn Policy Advisor who advises the WA Government. He is passionate about the equality and sustainability of Australia. He completed an MPhil as a Frank Downing QC scholar at the University of Cambridge, and has been an active committee member in Western Australia for several years now. While Australia is a great country, Bodhi believes we should always strive to improve our democratic institutions. Bodhi looks to create an engaged and inclusive movement in Western Australia and contribute to the development to an even better Australia, an Australian republic.

Isaac Jeffrey, CEO and National Director

Isaac Jeffrey has a background in government, small business, and public and government relations.

He spent a decade in government holding roles which included Chief of Staff and Principal Private Secretary to various Federal Ministers, including the Deputy Prime Minister, and as a public servant with the Department of Defence.

Isaac has a Master of Politics and Policy and a Bachelor of Business (Honours). He is a country boy at heart, having grown up in regional NSW. He is a lifelong supporter of an Australian republic, and a passionate advocate for democracy and human rights.

Hon Clare Martin AO, NT Convenor

Clare Martin was the first Labor Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and its first female Chief Minister. She led the Labor Party to victory in 2001 and then a second time in 2005.

Clare was Chief Minister for more than six years from 2001-07 and during that time held of number of ministerial portfolios including Treasury, Major Projects, Tourism and Arts and Indigenous Policy. The Martin government reinvigorated the NT economy, with strong jobs growth, increased private expenditure, an expansion of education and training, significant recognition of Aboriginal land rights and investment in arts across the Northern Territory.

Before politics, Clare spent almost two decades as an ABC journalist and broadcaster, working in radio and TV in Sydney, Canberra and Darwin.

Following politics, Clare was the CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (2008-10) and Professorial Fellow at Charles Darwin University (2010-12) during which time she co-authored a book about Territory politics called Speak for yourself.

Over the last decade, Clare has been either chair or director of a wide variety of not-for-profit businesses and currently is Chair of the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT and the Darwin Entertainment Centre.

Isaac McSwan, Queensland Convenor

Isaac McSwan is a partner of one of Brisbane's fastest growing accounting firms, and director of a large accounting offshoring entity based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Isaac brings a vast range of financial experience from his dealing within the overseas offshoring industry as well as within the work he does advising businesses within Australia.

Isaac has always been passionate about an Australian republic, believing Australia is already well overdue to step forward and lead with its own Head of State.

Reggie Michelson, Victorian Convenor

After spending his career as a staffer in Victorian politics, Reggie Michelson is now a finance/communications professional. He has run campaigns from the local to the federal level and is a lawyer by training. 

He is a firm believer in a fairer, more egalitarian Australia and looks forward to contributing to Australia becoming a republic.

Stephanie Miller, SA Convenor

Stephanie Miller is a CEO and non-executive Director with 35 years’ experience leading arts, housing and health organisations in Australia and the UK.

Originally from country South Australia, Stephanie has an Economics degree from the University of Adelaide, an MSc in Management Development and Social Responsibility from Bristol University (UK), and a Graduate Certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement from Fielding Graduate University (USA).

Stephanie enjoyed her 14 years in the UK, but it left her with no doubt about the importance of an Australian republic for our identity and independence.

Stephanie joined the SA Branch Council in 2023 and is passionate about Australia having an Australian Head of State.

Tarang Chawla

Tarang Chawla is a recovering lawyer, storyteller, campaigner and activist.

Tarang is the co-founder of Not One More Niki, a movement to end violence against women and children, named in honour of his younger sister Nikita who was murdered in 2015. Tarang is a Victorian Multicultural Commissioner, sessional academic at Monash University and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Program’s at Future Women, where he leads Australia’s only gender equality training program for men endorsed by Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner.

Tarang hosted ‘There's No Place Like Home’, an award-winning podcast about domestic abuse. He has been named a Young Australian of the Year Finalist, the Young Community Achiever of the Year Award Winner, twice listed as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People Working for Social Change and in Australia’s Top 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians. Tarang’s work has appeared across all Australian media outlets on TV, print, online and internationally on the BCC, Times of India and Hindustan Times.

Byron Fay

Byron Fay is the Executive Director of Climate 200, a political strategist, and former Paris Agreement negotiator and adviser to the Independent Senator Tim Storer. Byron worked for a Biden-aligned Political Action Committee during the 2020 US presidential election, holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Oxford, and is a proud descendant of the Dharug nation. At the 2022 federal election, Climate 200 levelled the playing field for pro-climate, pro-integrity and pro-gender equity community independents, helping to elect eleven independents to the Australian Parliament, including seven for the first time.

Tony Hockey

Tony has over 20 years of experience serving CEOs and executive teams in Australia, Asia and the UK on strategy, business performance and growth in the global asset & wealth management industry.

A passionate supporter of the ARM cause since the mid-1990s, Tony established the ARM North Shore forum in 1995 and, while living in the UK, the ARM London forum in 2015.

Benjamin T. Jones

Dr Benjamin T. Jones is an award winning historian at Central Queensland University with expertise in republican history and Australian national identity. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Studies Institute, and has served as National Secretary of the Australian Historical Association. Jones is a life member of the Australian Republic Movement and in 2018, along with Professor Paul Pickering, he designed the Jones-Pickering republican model. He has published widely in the mainstream and academic press on Australian politics and has authored or edited six books. His most recent book are Australia on the World Stage (Routledge, 2022), History in a Post-Truth World, (Routledge, 2020) and This Time: Australia’s Republican Past and Future (Redback, 2018).

Anthony Lay

Adam Spencer

Breakfast radio host, science communicator, television comedian, Australia’s best known mathematician, Adam has worn many hats.

But at his heart, he believes in the power of thought and conversation. As such he strongly believes that if we really think about it, and talk about it, Australia will want to take the step of appointing its own, home grown, Head of State.