Royal Society of Tasmania Foundation

Neil MacKinnon was born into a farming family in Northern Tasmania, schooled in Launceston, is an Economics graduate of the University of Tasmania, and a Chartered Accountant. After working in Hobart, Neil took employment in the United Kingdom before embarking on a career in financial and general management as an employee and/or principal that took him to Iran, Seychelles, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Switzerland, Bahamas and mainland Australia. On return to Tasmania, Neil took up a series of short-term senior management positions in firms engaged in vegetable export, tourism and heritage conservation, rail transport, precision manufacturing, civil engineering and employer representation. Neil maintains active involvement with family farming activities.

Neil is now retired and active on community boards and committees. Neil’s maternal family were members of the Royal Society of Tasmania from its early days.

Tony Culberg OAM is a Tasmanian accountant, educator, and conservationist. He received the Order of Australia Medal in 2013 for community service. A long-time advocate for tax education and public accounting, he also played a major role in cave conservation, founding Exit Cave Adventure Tours and contributing to national speleological efforts. He served as Secretary of the Royal Society of Tasmania (2009–2015) and now sits on its Foundation Committee, supporting the Society’s financial sustainability.

Dr John Thorne AM JP is a Tasmanian educator and humanitarian known for his leadership in Rotary International, where he co-founded Food Plant Solutions to combat global malnutrition. A past Director of Rotary International and Chair of the Tasmanian Order of Australia Association, he also serves on the Royal Society of Tasmania’s Foundation and Membership Committees.

Sonia is an accountant (FCPA) with a PhD in governance in not-for-profits. Although starting her university life in science, lifestyle choices led to an academic career in accounting.

She retired after 21 years in academia lecturing in accounting and corporate governance while also being Course Coordinator for Masters in Professional Accounting and Research Higher Degree Coordinator.

For the past 18 years Sonia has been Treasurer for a diverse range of not-for-profit boards from dancing groups, community legal centres, festival groups, wooden boats and the peak body for volunteering.

Dr Don Garden, OAM FFAHS FRHSV, is a former President of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies and of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, former Co-Chair of GLAM Peak Australia and a former member of the Australian Heritage Council. He is Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society of Tasmania, Honorary Secretary of the Amy Sherwin Fund, an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University, a life member of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and of the Albany Historical Society, and a member of a number of other community history and heritage groups.

For many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne. He has for many years he taught History and Environmental History at the University of Melbourne. He has written seventeen books, a mixture of local and regional histories, biography, company history, an environmental history of Australia and the Pacific and a history of El Nino events in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.