Wellspring Community Council

Lisa is a Quaker who grew up in the Uniting Church. She has taken part in the Uniting Church NSW Synod and national youth programs and Assembly committees on Covenanting (Reconciliation). She has also  represented the Uniting Church on the Gender Commission, a committee of the National Council of Churches.

Lisa  is a trained educator currently working in environmental education with extensive experience in community development and event organisation and campaigns. She has organised state and national campaigns to reduce litter and plastic pollution, facilitated the establishment of a local community eco-garden and the planting of a forest in memory of her father. 

Lisa’s  first campaigning work was for Fair Wear, to end exploitation in the clothing industry and then for the Total Environment Centre, campaigning for the Cash for Containers - Deposit-Refund system. She has been involved in Reconciliation groups in the Hawkesbury and Central Coast, where she has organised workshops, church services and movie screenings. Lisa is a friend of the Myall Creek Massacre committee.

Joy is an educator and a social justice activist committed to building resilient communities. Joy has taught in disadvantaged schools and  in TAFE NSW where she was a Union representative . She has worked with marginalized communities including caravan park residents, social housing residents  and Aboriginal groups enabling them to organise and have a voice.  

 Joy has been part of the advocacy and development of just policies as Chairperson NSW Baptist Social Issues (10 years), Co-ordinator (caravan) Park and Village Service, Senior Policy Officer with Shelter NSW, Project Officer developing low- income housing partnerships between  church government with Churches Community Housing and  support person to Aboriginal leaders establishing the Aboriginal and Islander Baptist Council. She has provided leadership on boards and committees in the secular and church world at local, state and national level. These have included the NSW  Tenant’s Union, Baptist World Aid Australia, Sydney Alliance National Task force on vulnerable migrants during COVID, Thrive Blue Mountains and Chairperson Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group (BMRSG). Her Qualifications included graduate education qualifications,  MMgt (UTS) and MPhilArch (Syd).(for research on low -income housing)

She currently co-ordinates visiting, connection and support for refugees in closed and community detention for BMRSG, and attends her local Uniting Church.

SECRETARY - Robbie Tulip

Robbie is currently manager of the chaplaincy at the Australian National University and Secretary of the Australian Student Christian Movement. He is an active member of several climate policy groups and volunteers at governance level for voluntary organisations including Christians for an Ethical society and the Canberra Jung society. Robbie worked  for the Australian Agency for International Development for 3 decades, initially on the Papua New Guinea aid program then on sector policy analysis across key areas. He is active in his local church in music and preaching and has a Master of Arts Honours degree from Macquarie University in philosophy.  

TREASURER - David Eckersley

David has  worked as a chartered accountant and gained international experience in a variety of roles over a number of years. His roles have included  partner in an UK accountancy business, audit manager for a Sydney firm, financial analyst then Senior financial investigator for the Criminal Justice Commission NSW and  finance person for the Central Asian Development Agency based in In Tajikistan.  

PUBLIC OFFICER - DOUG HEWITT AM

Doug Hewitt  AM Professor Emerita, is committed to interfaith dialogue, justice  and combating climate change. He currently serves on justice and climate change committees at national and state level for the UCA (Uniting Church of Australia), on Newcastle Christians for Peace and is an active member of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC). He was Professor and Director of academic staff development at Australian Catholic University (ACU) and lectured to post-grad students in global and peace education, his primary research areas. 

He has worked in a governance capacity as Hon General Secretary for the NSW Ecumenical Council and as Chair of the World Council of Churches (WCC)Christmas Bowl appeal where he  engaged churches in overseas aid by bringing speakers from overseas and taking groups of supporters to visit projects in the countries where partnerships had been developed. He himself has spent time living in Gaza and the Palestine territories part of a WCC  endeavour to increase understanding of the situation there.

WELLSPRING AREAS OF CONCERN CONTACT PEOPLE

• NAOMI WOLFE - Nations Justice AND Reconciliation

• DOUG HEWITT AM - ECUMENICAL AND Interfaith (& PUBLIC OFFICER)

• Laurel Barr - HEALING and Hospitality

• Mark Hurst & JULIE BRACKENREG OAM - PEACE AND JUSTICE

• Helen Weavers - SPIRITUALITY and Worship

• LISA WRILEY - SUSTAINABILITY (& CO LEADER)

ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS

• CLABON ALLEN (& RETURNING OFFICER)

• FIONA GREEN (& Communications OFFICER)

• Peggy Goldsmith

STATE CONTACTS

• QLD - JOHN MARTIN

• NSW - DIANE SPEED OAM

• SA - LYNONA HAWKINS & MICHAEL HILLIER

• WA - ALEX SCUTT

• ACT - MARJORIE HOUSTON