About

The Working Heritage Incorporated Committee of Management (Working Heritage) conserves and manages heritage properties on Crown land on behalf of the State of Victoria. Since its inception in 1998, Working Heritage (known as The Mint Inc from 1998 to 2015) has been appointed to manage 16 sites across Victoria, undertaking expert conservation and adaptation works so the community can benefit from these revitalised historic buildings and sites.  

The Former Royal Mint Site. Photographs by Hin Lim

Our Organisation

Working Heritage is an incorporated Committee of Management appointed by the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978. The Committee is supported by an Executive Officer and a small team of staff who manage Working Heritage’s projects and operations.

Our Approach

We are non-profit and self-funded. Funding for our work is generated by the places we manage. Our buildings and land are leased to a mix of tenants including restaurants, art organisations, community groups and commercial businesses. Working with tenants we conserve cultural significance, develop compatible uses and adapt buildings to suit contemporary needs. These places have special qualities that draw people to them, and by creating new purpose they can continue to be physical touchstones of community identity.

Committee Members

Kerry Anderson (OAM)

Appointed 2018

Chair, Committee of Management

As a small business owner and founder of the Operation Next Gen Program, Kerry Anderson works with rural Australian towns encouraging them to take control of their own future by looking at existing landscapes with fresh eyes. Committed to sharing positive stories of rural businesses and communities, she is the author of two books; Entrepreneurship: It’s Everybody’s Business (2016) and Australian Rural Entrepreneurs (2020) and frequently speaks at national and international conferences and events. As part of her work, she facilitates important community conversations with a rural emphasis.

In 2018 Kerry was named as one of Australia’s Top 50 Regional Agents-of-Change and awarded the Regional Innovation Ecosystem Leadership Award.

A graduate of the Australian Company Directors Course, Kerry serves on the Board of Castlemaine Health and is a volunteer tour guide at Buda Historic Home & Garden in Castlemaine.

Kerry was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) General Division, as part of the Australia Day honours on 26 January 2022.

Phillip Davies

Appointed 2014

Audit and Risk Management Subcommittee

Phillip has held and continues to hold a range of senior executive management roles in both the private, legal and public sectors in Australia.

He is currently Chief Executive and National Ombudsman of a not-for-profit company, Tolling Customer Ombudsman Ltd. He has a number of key directorships including Box Hill Institute of TAFE, Kew East Financial Services Ltd and CBLA. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.

Phillip is a member of a number of Commonwealth and State dispute, disciplinary and professional standards tribunals.

Joan Ko

Appointed 2018

Metropolitan Properties Subcommittee

Joan has spent her career providing sustainability advice as a consultant to government and industry, with a focus on decarbonisation, resilience and circular economy for cities. She is Arup's Climate and Sustainability Leader in Australasia. Examples of Joan’s work include advising policymakers on the role of infrastructure in resilient communities, helping organisations transition towards a circular economy, and identifying barriers and drivers for net-zero emissions precincts. She is also a member of the Sustainability Fund Committee for Victorian Government.

At Working Heritage, Joan chairs the Metropolitan Properties Subcommittee.

Trudy Rickard

Appointed 2021

Regional Properties Subcommittee

Trudy extablished the small firm of Trudy Rickard Architect around 2005. Based in South West Victoria, the firm undertakes a variety of commercial and residential architectural work, with an emphasis on heritage conservation projects. Trudy has been the Heritage advisor at Southern Grampians Shire Council since 2010 and was the heritage conservation architect for the City of Greater Bendigo in both the Statutory Planning and Property departments from 2015 to 2021.

The firm has carried out heritage work for numerous individuals and organisations including the National Trust Australia (Victoria), the councils of Moyne, Glenelg, and Warrnambool as well as for Parks Victoria and Worn Gundidj enterprises at Tower Hill. We seek to promote good conservation practice while incorporating sympathetic, modern architectural design that supports contemporary, sustainable use.

Megan McDougall

Appointed 2021

Megan has a background in architecture, and currently works as a heritage consultant in Melbourne. She has broad experience in heritage conservation in Victoria over about 35 years, mainly in the public sector, at both state and local government levels.

After some time in private practice, Megan worked for Heritage Victoria (HV) for over 20 years, assessing places for the Victorian Heritage Register, assessing permit and development applications, and managing a number of teams including the grants program team. She also worked for 6 years for the City of Greater Bendigo, working to ensure the City’s many heritage assets were in good condition and well used.

Megan has been a member of ICOMOS since 1992 and is currently Co-convenor of the National Scientific Committee on Industrial Heritage. She is passionate about ensuring Victoria’s heritage places are actively used and valued and is deeply interested in the practical side of conserving buildings.

Adam Magennis

Appointed 2018

Adam Magennis career includes 17 years working within the Victorian Heritage, Environmental and Communities sector within local and state government.

Prior to a career in the public service, Adam's first career was in the Victorian building sector as a qualified bricklayer and stone mason. He has also worked as a mason in Ontario Canada, Michigan U.S.A., New South Wales and South Australia.

Adam is a qualified archaeologist, Archaeology (Honours) 2014 La Trobe University and is undertaking a current PhD candidature in archaeology.

He enjoys coastal fossicking, investigating cultural archaeological landscapes, plays super rules footy with Peninsula Raiders and has a keen interest in historical brickwork, brick architecture and brick making. Adam has also been a professional artist for over 25 years and is director of Kaptify.

Borz Shahsavand

Appointed 2018

Borz is the Chief Executive Officer of Sustain Group, a leading sustainability focused asset management company building and managing commercial properties. Having held senior executive positions within leading design, construction and facility management companies across Australia, he has made it his mission to leave a legacy of sustainable change in the property sector.

Borz’s passion is to constantly improve on the total cost of ownership and facilitate a broader view of facility management practices that cover utilities and risk of operations.

Borz holds a Masters of Corporate Sustainability Management, undergraduate Aerospace and Mechanical engineering degrees from Monash University as well as postgraduate qualifications in contract law and project management.

Jeffrey Robinson

Appointed 2021

Jeff is a Chartered Engineer and Principal Sustainability Consultant working in Aurecon’s Melbourne office. He has 38 years’ of experience working as a consulting engineer in the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

He is a passionate advocate for sustainable buildings, heritage, and good design. He is a recent past member of the Heritage Council of Victoria, a technical expert on the Victorian Design Review Panel and the City of Casey’s Design Excellence Panel. He is a member of the Property Council of Australia’s Victorian Sustainable Development Committee and a Board Member of the Australian Passive House Association

Jeff works with many government, commercial and educational clients helping them meet their Environmental, Social and Governance goals and transform their organisations for a net zero carbon, resilient and healthy future

At working Heritage Jeff is a member of the Audit and Risk Management Subcommittee.

Core Staff

Ross Turnbull

Executive Officer

Ross has been part of Working Heritage since late-2013.

Ross has degrees in architecture and heritage conservation as well as being a trade-certified carpenter and joiner.

Before joining Working Heritage, Ross worked on nationally and internationally significant heritage places with Root Projects Australia and at the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

He has a particular interest in cities and urbanism with a focus on how cities can conserve and adapt their historic fabric to enable the social outcomes and economic development critical to urban life.

Samantha Pertzel

Business Partnerships Manager

Working Heritage's longest-serving staff member, Samantha, has been with the organisation since 2011, when it was known as Mint Inc.

Samantha has a degree in Media Arts from RMIT University. In a previous life she lived and worked overseas.

Samantha has a natural affinity for organising and management. She is interested in the unique opportunities that heritage places offer artists, artisans, makers and community groups.

Outside of work she spends her time reading and making, and most recently catalogued her vinyl collection according to mood.

Kieran Davis

Culture and Heritage Advisor

Kieran has been part of the Working Heritage team since 2019.

With a master's degree in cultural heritage, he has held various roles within the industry since 2013.

Kieran enjoys making histories accessible through storytelling and enjoys working with communities to facilitate the conservation of Working Heritage's assets.

He is fascinated by the burgeoning intersection of heritage conservation, interpretation and new technologies.

Outside of Working Heritage, Kieran runs a business specialising in digital storytelling for heritage sites and organisations.

Rachel Neely

Office Coordinator

Rachel joined Working Heritage in August 2022, bringing with her a wealth of experience in office support & administration. Growing up in rural England, surrounded & fascinated by heritage buildings, Rachel connects deeply with Working Heritage's vision and ambitions.

Away from work Rachel enjoys spending time with her family & friends, travelling, and puzzling.

Neergaard

Senior Project Manager

Neergard brings a wealth of project management and community engagement experience. He has experience in the commercial, health, education and government sectors. Neergard has a degree in architecture and engineering as well as a Masters in strategy, economics and organisational psychology. Outside Working Heritage, he enjoys spending time with his family.

Graham O Callaghan

Property Manager

Having joined the Working Heritage team in 2021 in the role of Property Manager, Graham brings with him over 15 years of experience in various property related fields.

Honesty and integrity, along with determination and dedication are philosophies Graham strives for in all aspects of life, with particular focus on his clients and achieving the right results. As a fully licenced Estate Agent Graham, brings a wealth of knowledge in property management, sales, contract law as well as overall business management.

Graham has a keen interest in Heritage, Architecture, and Sustainability along with working on large building projects.

Sanditi Rao

Marketing & Communications Officer

Sandi joined Working Heritage in 2022. She has a master's degree in Marketing Communications. As a social media enthusiast, she also has a keen interest in content marketing and storytelling. She is fascinated by the process of adaptive reuse and breathing life into old structures.

Outside of work, she spends her time dancing, traveling and blogging.

Nancy Xu

Payroll Officer

Nancy joined the Working Heritage team in 2022 as a finance and payroll officer.

She has a degree in accounting and is a certified practicing accountant. Before joining Working Heritage, Nancy took various accounting roles in accounting firms and not-for-profit organisations.

Outside of work, Nancy has an interest in history, collecting wood crafts, and a passion for the Japanese garden.

Our Publications

Strategic Plan

The South Melbourne Temperance Hall. Photographs by Peter Glenane