Sharyn Ghidella
Sharyn Ghidella is an Australian journalist and news presenter. She currently presents 10 News First Queensland. Originally from far north Queensland, Sharyn has reported and presented for Seven Network, Nine Network and Ten Network over a career spanning more than 25 years. Sharyn is a mother of two young boys, Austin and Darcy, and has a long friendship and association with KTF. Sharyn’s partner, Paul Croll, is a former director of KTF and has walked the Track more than 20 times. Sharyn is passionate about giving back to the people of PNG, who gave so much during the Kokoda campaign. “I particularly congratulate KTF on the amazing work it does providing desperately needed health services and education for people in large parts of PNG and for helping to foster the leaders of the future.”
Michael Usher
Widely regarded as one of the country’s foremost investigative journalists, Michael Usher is an award-winning reporter, foreign correspondent and newsreader with a career spanning almost three decades. Michael presents Sydney’s Seven News on Fridays and Saturdays, and is called on as live anchor for the network’s rolling coverage of major news events. Michael also hosted Seven’s new, top-rating true crime investigations series Murder Uncovered. Michael joined the Seven News team in October last year after a distinguished 25 years with the Nine Network. Michael is passionate about the work of the Kokoda Track Foundation, particularly around education and keeping the spirit of Kokoda alive. He undertook his first trip to PNG with the Foundation in April this year, where he visited the village of Kokoda and spent time at KTF’s Kokoda College. Michael lives in Sydney with his three young children.
Dr Andrew Moutu
Dr Andrew Moutu is the Director of the National Museum and Art Gallery, KTF Ambassador and former Director (2016-2021). Originally from Wewak in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea, Andrew was trained in philosophy and anthropology at the University of PNG before undertaking a masters and doctorate in social anthropology at the University of Cambridge. He then worked in Cambridge as a postdoctoral fellow for three years between 2004 and 2007 before completing a second postdoctoral fellowship at the National University of Ireland in Dublin in 2009. Following his research fellowships, he was appointed a lecturer in anthropology at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. In 2010, he returned home to help the Government of PNG rebuild the National Museum and Art Gallery and take up the position of Director.
Tania Nugent
Tania Nugent is a prominent television host, presenter, journalist and lobbyist for domestic violence and has worked extensively in media and communications across both PNG and Australia. Tania’s extensive career spans more than 30 years with over 15 years at ABC Television, and more recently producing and hosting Point of View with EMTV in Papua New Guinea. Tania is an advocate for social justice, equality and the empowerment of women in PNG and her Point of View shows regularly feature women’s health, wellbeing and equality issues bringing to the forefront the treatment of women in PNG. Tania has been a long-time supporter of KTF.
Patrick Lindsay AM
Author, broadcaster and documentary maker, Patrick has been a passionate advocate of the story of Kokoda since he first visited in 1983 and first walked the Track in 1992. He wrote the best-selling book The Spirit of Kokoda in 2002. He has since written 20 best sellers including The Spirit of The Digger; Back From The Dead; The Essence of Kokoda; The Spirit of Gallipoli; Cosgrove, Portrait of a Leader; Fromelles; Our Darkest Day; Kokoda Spirit; The Coast Watchers; True Blue; and his It’s Never Too Late series of motivational books. He created the format for the top-rating TV reality series, In Their Footsteps, and, most recently, created the Kokoda App to bring the story to the digital generation. He is currently working on a feature documentary, Kokoda … the spirit lives, due for completion in 2017 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign. In 2015 Patrick was named a Member of the Order of Australia for ‘significant service to the media as a television presenter and journalist, to international relations, and to literature as an author’. Patrick was the Chair of KTF between 2006 – 2017.