National Trusts of Australia board

MEET OUR BOARD:

Lachlan Molesworth, Chair

National Trust of Australia (VIC)

Qualifications: MBA (Distinction) (Oxon), LLB (Melb), BEng (Melb), Grad Dip Leg Prac.

Experience: Lachlan is an Australian lawyer and barrister in corporations and regulatory law, with experience in heritage law. Lachlan Molesworth was previously a solicitor and in the Commonwealth Treasury portfolio.

Lachlan currently holds positions as Deputy Chair of the National Trust of Victoria, Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and is a Director of the Law Council of Australia.

He has extensive experience on boards of not-for-profit organisations and has taught extensively at the University of Melbourne law school, where he is currently a Senior Fellow. 

Georgina Anthony-Palmer

National Trust of Australia (QLD)

Qualifications: BSc, Grad Dip Ed, Grad Dip Humanities, MURP, Grad Cert Bus, MBA, GAICD

Experience: Gina has more than 25 years experience in corporate governance, education, senior management, small business consulting and community engagement across various sectors and has developed and implemented numerous business innovation initiatives, and natural and built environment projects, including the design and implementation of a wildlife corridor on the Darling Downs, South East Queensland. She is also the president/chair of NTAQ, as well as the Co-Founder and Director of Minds Tomorrow Pty Ltd.

Gina is a qualified company director, was Chair of NTAQ Nominations and Governance Committee and previously an appointed, Chair of a Strategy Committee, and Deputy Chair and Chair of the Australian Business Deans’ Council General Managers group involving more than 40 Australian Universities, and has held the office of Company Secretary.

Gina is a Member of NTAQ Nominations and Governance Committee, Member of NTAQ Audit and Risk Committee. Gina was elected to the National Trust of Queensland Board in November 2016.

Gary Kent

National Trust of Australia (ACT)

Qualifications: B Com, LLB, Grad Dip Pub Law, Grad AICD

Experience: Gary has been a member of the National Trust (ACT) since 2013. Since 2018 he has been a member of the National Trust’s Council and was elected President in the same year.

Gary has served for nine years on the Committee of the Friends of the National Library, including five years as Chair.  He was a co-founder in 2010 of the Inner South Canberra Community Council, of which he served as Chair for seven years. He was President of the Liberal Party of Australia (ACT Division) from 2000-07 and has been the Convener of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACT & Region) since 2011.

Gary has had a long career in the Australian public service, including chief of staff roles to several Federal Ministers and Company Secretary of the Defence Housing Authority. Now semi-retired, he currently consults on ethics and privacy matters.

He is a keen genealogist and book collector, specialising in books, manuscripts and ephemera published in colonial Victoria. He is currently co-authoring a biography of Dr Arthur Andrews, the Albury historian, and a bibliography of Australian private libraries.

Graham Goerke

National Trust of Australia (WA)

Qualifications: B.JURIS, LLB, GAICD

Experience: Graham practised as a property lawyer at Jackson McDonald for over 30 years until the end of 2015. He was chair of the partnership board for ten years from 2001 and head of the commercial/property practice team from 1995.

Graham was a member of the Division Council of the Property Council in WA for over 12 years; an adjunct professor for six years with the law school of Murdoch University; and has been a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 1991.

Graham was a Council and Board member of Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) from 2006 to 2022 and Board Chair from 2013 to 2019. EREA currently governs over 50 Catholic schools and flexible learning centres around Australia. Graham was a member of the Board of the WA Sports Centre Trust (VenuesWest) from 2007 to 2022 and Board Chair from 2018 to 2022. VenuesWest is currently responsible for 13 sports and entertainment venues on behalf of the WA Government.

Graham became a member of the Council and Executive Committee of the National Trust in Western Australia in 2016 and is currently serving as Deputy Chair. He was appointed a Director of the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT) in August 2016 and served as Chair of the ACNT from November 2019 to October 2022.

David Pratt

National Trust of Australia (NSW)

Qualifications: FCA, MEc(Macq), BEc(Syd)

Experience: David Pratt was born in Sydney with a family line that goes back to the very early days of colonial settlement. This and his keen interest in Australian history, architecture and horticulture are what aligns him to the National Trust (NSW).

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants with a Masters of Economics degree from Macquarie University. His extensive career as a partner at PwC in management consultancy, specialising in restructuring, risk and financial management optimisation, are the skills and knowledge he brings to the leadership team of the National Trust.

David Pratt has been a member of the National Trust (NSW) FARM Committee since 2018, has been a Director and Treasurer of the Australasian Pioneers’ Club since 2015 and was previously a Director and Treasurer of the Arthritis Foundation of NSW for over 10 years.

Douglas Wright

Experience: Douglas leads specialist public relations and corporate advisory firm, Wrights. Previously, he headed Ogilvy Public Relations in Australia. He is an expert in marketing and communication.

Douglas has extensive experience in the governance of organisations. He was chair of the Asia Pacific region of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, vice-chair of St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, a board director of Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre and chair of the Victorian Government Small Business Advisory Council.

He has a continuing commitment to small business development, a strong passion for supporting medical research and an active interest in heritage. Douglas has served on the Australian Bankers’ Association Small Business Forum and was a founding director of the St Vincent’s Institute Foundation. He was formerly on the advisory boards of the Mansion at Werribee Park and the Australian Racing Museum.

Douglas’ contribution to commerce has been recognised by his peers and he is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Public Relations Institute of Australia, the Australian Marketing Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (UK) and the Counsellor’s Academy of the Public Relations Society of America.

Edward Webber

National Trust of Australia (NT)

Experience:  Eddie has been a National Trust member since 1989 and was elected to the Gulf Branch Chair position of the National Trust in the Northern Territory in 1996-97. He has been actively involved in the branch in various roles since that time. He was also awarded life membership of the Gulf Branch in 2011.