James Murray
President
President 2014 - Present
Committee 2011 - Present
James is a founding member of MBO. He launched the outreach and (along with Onyx Murray) young observer programs. James has a PhD in astronomy and was a professional astronomer, and then banker. He now works in funding astronomy infrastructure.
Heike Reich
Vice President
Vice President 2020 - Present
Outreach Coordinator 2014-17
Committee 2014-19
Heike is member number 11 of MBO and a long time stalwart on the committee who has acted as schools liaison and outreach coordinator. Heike is a registered teacher and former president of Emerald Secondary School Council.
Anthony Ferriere
Secretary
Secretary - 2015 - Present
Anthony is MBO secretary and special projects coordinator. When not administering us or being handy around the place Anthony works as an IT professional in the tertiary education sector.
Lucinda Lodge
Treasurer
Tresurer 2020 - Present
Lucinda is a CPA and works in a financial role. She is bringing her experience to bear on improving our financial stability and fundraising.
Alan Handley
Membership Secretary & Shop Manager
Shop Manager 2020 - Present
Members Secretary 2021 - Present
Alan and his family joined the observatory during lockdown and is now one of our hardest working volunteers.
Petra Klein
Committee Member
Committee Member 2020 - Present
Petra is a registered teacher and is now putting her pedagogical skills towards redeveloping MBO’s teaching and learning content.
Saskia Hunter
Committee Member
Committee Member 2017 - Present
Saskia is a hard working committee member, you will see her online for our members night, she is always willing to answer questions and help out the members.
Jacquie Milner
Committee Member
Committee Member 2016 - Present
Jacquie has been an amateur astronomer for 30 years, and has been active in outreach activities for 25 years of that. She spent six years under the dome at the Scitech Planetarium in Perth, and 17 years as a volunteer night-tour guide at Perth Observatory. After moving to Melbourne in 2014, she became a regular with the outreach team for Mount Burnett Observatory and also teaches the juniors in the Young Observers section. At home, she slips a video camera into the back of her 8” SCT to record lunar and asteroid occultations for the RASNZ Occultation Section, which she has been regularly observing and reporting for since 2012.
Andrew Spalding
Committee Member
Young Observers Coordinator 2022 - Present
Committee Member 2021 - Present
Andrew is a retired teacher and now a key member of our outreach team.
Deborah Barber
Committee Member
Outreach Coordinator 2020 - Present
Deborah is a former nurse now studying her postgraduate qualification in astronomy.
Jo Blannin
Committee Member
Schools and Scouts Program Leader 2020 - Present
Jo lectures in STEM education and is also a qualified teacher.
Kim Steere
Committee Member
Events Coordinator
Committee Member 2021 - Present
Code Club Coordinator which is she enjoys teaching them great new space design activities. She also helps out at some outreach events as well.
Library at the observatory is run, looked after with a little help from other committee members, but been a Librarian she has a great knowledge of all the books.
Meagan Handley
Committee Member
Membership Secretary
Committee Member 2022 - Present
Naomi Cooper
Committee Member
Committee Member 2022 - Present
Previous Committees
The MBO committee would like to recognise the previous dedication from past committee members and acknowledge them here:
2021-2022
James Murray – President
Heike Reich – Vice President
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Lucinda Lodge – Treasurer
Jacquie Milner – Director of Astronomy
Kim Steere – Events Coordinator
Saskia Hunter – Diversity Officer
Neil Creek – Astrophotography Coordinator
Alan Handley – Shop Manager
Megan Handley – Membership Secretary
Jo Blannin – Schools and Scouts Coordinator
Petra Klein – Online Coordinator
Natasha Alexandrou – Young Observers Coordinator
Andrew Spalding – Young Observers Coordinator
2020-2021
James Murray – President
Heike Reich – Vice President
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Lucinda Lodge – Treasurer
Jacquie Milner – Director of Astronomy
Kim Steere – Events Coordinator
Emma Grondman
Tony Semmens
Jill Semmens – Merchandise Manager
Saskia Hunter – Diversity Officer
Neil Creek – Astrophotography Coordinator
Jaymee Grondman
Alan Handley – Shop Manager
Jo Blannin
Petra Klein – Online Coordinator
Natasha Alexandrou – Young Observers Coordinator
2019-2020
James Murray – President
Jacquie Milner – Vice President, Director of Astronomy, Outreach Coordinator
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Emma Grondman – Membership Secretary
Tony Semmens – Deep Sky Viewing Officer
Jill Semmens – Merchandise Manager
Saskia Hunter – Telescope Sub Committee Coordinator, Diversity Officer
Kim Steere – Events Coordinator
Stephanie Rowlands – Science Officer
Neil Creek – Astrophotography Coordinator
Stuart Lyall
Jaymee Grondman – Outreach Coordinator
Ray Schmidt
2018-2019
James Murray – President
Sue McArthur – Vice President
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Emma Grondman – Membership Secretary
Barry Cleland – Librarian
Jacquie Milner – Director of Astronomy, Outreach Coordinator, Young Observers Coordinator
Tony Semmens – Deep Sky Viewing Officer
Saskia Hunter – Telescope Sub Committee Coordinator, Diversity Officer
Duane Hamacher – Cultural Astronomy Coordinator
Stephanie Rowlands – Science Officer
Heike Reich – Outreach Coordinator / Schools Liaison Officer
Neil Creek – Astrophotography Coordinator
Alex Obrads – Friday Night Coordinator
Jaymee Grondman
Mel Miles
Ray Schmidt
Jill Semmens
2017-2018
James Murray – President
Sue McArthur – Vice President
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
Barry Cleland – Librarian
Braeden Borg – Deep Sky Coordinator
Neil Creek – Astrophotography Coordinator
Jacquie Milner -Young Observers Coordinator
Emma Grondman
Duane Hamacher
Saskia Hunter
Heike Reich
Stephanie Rowlands
Ray Schmidt
2016-2017
James Murray – President
Sue McArthur – Vice President
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Onyx Murray – Membership Secretary
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
Barry Cleland – Librarian
Braeden Borg – Deep Sky Coordinator
Jacquie Milner -Young Observers Coordinator
Emma Grondman
Heike Reich
Stephanie Rowlands
Ray Schmidt
Lindsay Stodden
Perry Vlahos
Lachlan Wiltshire
2015-2016
James Murray – President
Ray Schmidt – Vice President
Anthony Ferriere – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Onyx Murray – Membership Secretary
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
Barry Cleland – Librarian
Braeden Borg – Deep Sky Coordinator
Marilyn Comerford
Roslyn Gupta
Heike Reich
Lindsay Stodden
Perry Vlahos
Lachlan Wiltshire
2014-2015
James Murray – President
Ray Schmidt – Vice President
Lindsay Stodden – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Dianne Luc – Membership Secretary
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
Barry Cleland – Librarian
Braeden Borg – Deep Sky Coordinator
Marilyn Comerford
Roslyn Gupta
Onyx Murray
Heike Reich
Perry Vlahos
2013-2014
Perry Vlahos – President
Ray Schmidt – Vice President
David Paxton – Secretary
Bob Andrews – Treasurer
Dianne Luc – Membership Secretary
Barry Cleland – Librarian
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
James Murray – Outreach Officer
Marilyn Comerford
Gordon Livingstone
Heike Reich
2012-2013
Perry Vlahos – President
Barry Cleland – Vice President
Ray Schmidt – Secretary
Ed Chatwin – Treasurer
Dianne Luc – (ex-officio) Membership Secretary
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
James Murray – Outreach Officer
Bob Andrews
Craig Bankowski
2011-2012
Perry Vlahos – President
Barry Cleland – Vice President
Ray Schmidt – Secretary
James Murray – Treasurer
Dianne Luc – (ex-officio) Membership Secretary
Ken Beard – Observatory Curator
Alfred Klink