I am a fifth-generation Hobartian and have lived and worked in the city throughout my life. ​My family connection with Hobart stretches back to the early colonial period. My great-great-grandfather arrived in Van Diemen’s Land as a convict, beginning a family connection with this city that has now continued for generations.

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I have worked in Hobart for around 50 years and have been self-employed for approximately 40 of those years. Much of my working life has been connected with Hobart’s built heritage, hospitality, entertainment and small-business community. 

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My career has been closely connected with restoring and reusing some of Hobart’s best-known heritage buildings, including the Soundy Building, State Cinema, Crescent Hotel and Hope and Anchor Hotel. I have a hands-on passion for our heritage. I’ve taken the risk and put in the hard yards to bring important buildings back to life. These buildings are more than bricks and mortar. They are places where people meet, work, perform and celebrate. They create jobs, support artists, musicians and writers, attract visitors and strengthen Hobart’s social fabric.

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My commitment to Hobart extends well beyond business. I served for 12 years in the Army Reserve, have contributed to school and community boards and committees, and have maintained a lifelong involvement in sport. I am a life member of St Virgil’s Old Scholars Football Club and have been involved in athletics and school coaching.

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I have dedicated myself to community projects, including through the Heritage Trams Restoration and Museum Society and ​I was instrumental in bringing to life the impressive Footsteps Towards Freedom (female convict bronze statues on Hobart's waterfront) artworks. I have also been recognised as a Hobart Citizen of the Year and, more recently, that lifetime of community involvement has included serving as an elected member of the Hobart City Council.

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My interest in the natural environment is equally practical. Around Knocklofty and Hobart’s foothills, I have been involved in bushland restoration, weed and invasive-species management, tree planting and improving habitat for native wildlife. 

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My approach has been shaped by those experiences: respect the past, think practically about the future, understand that money has to be earned before it can be spent, and focus on achieving tangible outcomes for the community.​

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