Committee of Management
Stephen Oxley: President
Stephen Oxley “retired” to Guildford in 2021 after spending 30 years in Canberra where he worked in senior executive roles, including half of that time in the Federal Environment Department. He’s been a leader in marine conservation, world and national heritage, sustainable natural resources management and threatened species protection (among other things). He has a long-time interest in securing a better future for Indigenous Australians. He has also worked as a journalist and editor. Stephen joined Connecting Country because he was impressed by the work of this grassroots organisation and felt his experience might be useful. Really, he just likes to get his hands dirty!
Brendan Sydes: Vice President
Brendan is an environmental lawyer and was a founding member of Environmental Justice Australia, a not-for-profit community legal centre specialising in environmental law. He has advised a range of Landcare, community groups and conservation organisations on environmental legal issues. He now lectures in environmental law and water law at Latrobe University and the University of Melbourne. Brendan lives in Walmer and has a strong interest in biodiversity conservation, particularly the role of the community in ecological protection and restoration at the landscape scale.
Cate Sinclair: Secretary
Cate and her partner first brought land in the Glenluce area over 25 years ago and have lived there permanently for the past 5 years. Their land adjoins the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Caring for our native animals and their environment is something Cate has always been passionate about. Her ‘go to’ organisation to learn about the local environment has been Connecting Country, using on-line resources and attending many workshops, before joining the Committee in 2024 and taking up the Secretary role in 2025. As an Occupational Therapist Cate knows the connection between healthy environments and healthy communities. and is keen to ensure Connecting Country remains a community asset so it can continue to encourage young people to learn more about the environment and gain skills and capacity in caring for it.
Max Kay: Treasurer
Max is a fifth-generation resident of Yapeen, and his family have farmed in the Yapeen and Guildford area since the 1840s. After completing undergraduate studies in accounting and economics and post graduate studies in agricultural economics, Max pursued a career in banking, working in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. Max and his family permanently relocated to Yapeen in 1987 where, until his retirement in 2001, he worked in agribusiness and commercial lending in Bendigo and Ballarat. He then ran a beef cattle farm until 2020 and now leases his property to a neighbour. Max is a member and former Committee member of Guildford and Upper Loddon Landcare Group. He is involved in many local community projects and is Secretary of the Guildford Cemetery Trust.
General Committee Members
Christine Brooke
Christine and her husband, John, have a beef fattening property at Faraday. They previously ran an irrigated beef, cropping and walnut property at Pyramid Hill. Christine was a founder member of the Loddonvale Landcare Group, a forerunner to the Loddon Plains Landcare Network. Christine is a former board member and Deputy Chair of North Central CMA and has served as a Councillor and Mayor at Loddon Shire, as well as Board member and Chair of the Goldfields Library Corporation. Christine is currently the secretary of the Sutton Grange Landcare Group and member and Treasurer of the Landcare Victoria Incorporated Committee of Management. She is also a committee member of the Faraday Community Association.
Deirdre Slattery
Deirdre came to Castlemaine in 1996 to teach environmental history at La Trobe University, and was a foundation member of both FOBIF and Connecting Country. She co-wrote Connecting Country’s original Blueprint in 2008, and set up its Education program. She has been a member of the Council of the Victorian National Parks Association, the Ministerial National Parks Advisory Council and the Reference Areas Advisory Committee. She was a member of the Parks Victoria Advisory Group that developed the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park Management Plan (2007). She has written two books, Australian Alps National Parks and Kosciuszko: A Great National Park, and Community Participation in Land Restoration (Proc. Royal Society, 2010) and co-written Vagabond, the story of Charles Sanger, which explores cultural and environmental themes relevant to local forests.
Ben Welsh
After a long career on the creative side of advertising Ben moved to the Shire for a new chapter in life. Having been part of the problem, he’s now attempting to be part of the solution, both at a local level with Connecting Country and, more broadly, as a board member of Market Forces. He’s keen to use his experience in brand communications to help this unique organisation realise its full potential.
Darren Tinker
Darren is now a Campbells Creek local of five years, somewhat of a homecoming after growing up on the Campaspe River and beginning his career in bush regeneration, working across Central Victoria in the 00’s. Darren has worked in a broad range of environmental and community development roles locally and abroad. He has experience working across land management and conservation projects and leading community-based climate and disaster resilience initiatives. He has passion for raising environmental awareness and supporting programs that build ecological literacy, bringing an extensive background in the NFP sector where he has developed and delivered environmental education programs. He now works as an Urban Forester and has a strong interest in the unique biodiversity of Central Victoria. Darren has a love for the local landscape and he joined Connecting Country to contribute to the amazing role the organisation plays in supporting the landholders to care for the local biodiversity, restore landscapes and empower community.