Our Board

Julie Wells

Julie Wells May Gibbs Board ChairJulie Wells was appointed Chair of the Trust in May 2018. She began her career as a secondary school teacher, before becoming a children's librarian in public libraries.

She did this for about 12 years, followed by 6 years in which she returned to schools as a teacher librarian.

Julie has been highly active within the CBCA SA. She is Company Secretary of the CBCA where she was the National President between 2010 and 2012. She has also been a board member of the SA Writers Centre.

Julie joined the board of the Trust in May 2016. She also serves as chair of the Trust's selection committee.

Nicholas Linke

Nicholas Linke May Gibbs Children's Literature Trust

Nicholas has been a Board Member since May 2018. He is a Senior Partner at Fisher Jeffries, commercial lawyers, where he practises in employment and insurance law and commercial litigation.

Nicholas was formerly a Committee Member of Raising Literacy Australia Inc. for over 10 years (formerly The Big Book Club Inc.) and currently serves as the Chair of Restless Dance Theatre Inc. and SALA Inc., and sits on the Boards of Adelaide Central School of Art Inc, the Adelaide Fringe Inc and the Centre for Creative Health.

He has an LLB (Hons) and BEc from the University of Adelaide.

Anthony Laube

Anthony Laube was appointed to the Board in May 2022.  He trained as a teacher librarian, completing his BA in Library and Information Management in 1986. In 1987 he began a 14 year stint in the State Library’s beautiful Mortlock Library with oversight of the extensive and heavily used South Australian newspapers and periodicals collection. Following time spent in the State Library’s curatorial and research teams, he became team leader in charge of the State Library’s purchasing of books, periodicals and eResources in 2019, which includes administration of the legal deposit provisions of the Libraries Act. His responsibilities also include the State Library’s nationally significant Children’s Literature Research Collection.

Outside of work Anthony has a passion for local history and has published five books about the history and people of the south coast of South Australia, where he grew up. He has been an avid reader since the age of five, remembering the excitement of parcels of award-winning children’s books selected by State Library staff arriving on the Victor Harbour train in the early seventies. He has two cats and three chickens.

Justin Chadwick

Justin Chadwick has been associated with the publishing industry for 20 years  working as a bookshop owner and for publishers. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Adelaide and is the author of Sword and Baton: Senior Australian Army Officers from Federation to 2001 (three volumes) and numerous articles. Justin is the editor of Sabretache, the journal of the Military Historical Society of Australia of which he is as a federal council member and treasurer. 

Rebecca Parry

Rebecca was appointed to the Board in November 2021.  Rebecca has an LLB and BA (French and literature) from the University of Adelaide.  Rebecca has recently retired from legal practice having worked as a solicitor and in leadership positions for the Crown Solicitor’s Office since 1989.  In this role Rebecca had the privilege of advising many of the State’s cultural and educational institutions in relation to governance and legal issues.  Rebecca has contributed to other areas of the Attorney General’s Department including policy, legislative services, risk and audit.  Rebecca has a keen interest in the arts, literature and the environment and likes nothing better than to observe the flora and fauna (even a gumnut baby sighting) at her favourite place at Aldinga Beach and the Scrub.

Catherine Sarah

Cath was appointed to the Board in May 2023. She has over 20 years experience in the not for profit sector and currently as  a senior leader at Zahra Foundation Australia. She enjoys delivering on organisational strategy and business plans, building a collaborative team culture and facilitating change.  She has a passion for language and literacy development and supporting the careers of emerging talent.

Cath also has her own consultancy and has been an Associate Consultant with HRM Matters, delivering whole of organisational leadership programs. On a personal note, Cath loves being in the great outdoors, marine conservation and singing. Cath says “Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust."