Our Team
Director
From bush tracks to bus routes: Meet Gillian Baker, Wollangarra’s Director.
Gillian Baker - Our Director
Gillian is our new Director — an amazing (and delightfully cheeky) adventurer at heart. Originally from Melbourne, she has worn many hats over the years (and wears them so well!). With a degree in nature-tourism and several years in outdoor education under her belt, Gillian ventured into the world of buses and coaches, a move that has gifted the team with her truly impressive ability to identify the make, model and engine type of almost any bus that passes by (a great game to play on long road trips!). Having been part of the Wollangarra community for years, Gillian understands deeply the importance of places like this for young people. She brings a kind of wise golden retriever energy — bright-eyed, warm-smiled, and full of enthusiasm. She has a gift for making people feel at ease (often with a well timed burp), and she’s quick to offer a heartfelt blessing of your cotton socks when the moment calls for it. This year, Gillian is looking forward to many swims in the Macalister River (armed with no fewer than six pairs of goggles), banjo tunes drifting across the verandah, and continuing to hold and nurture a space where young people can learn, grow and connect. She’s also quietly thrilled about Clancy’s cooking. A gentle warning: if you’re sharing a cup of tea with Gillian, under no circumstances should you squish the tea ball. It is a line that must not be crossed. We love Gillian and feel incredibly excited (and lucky) to be led by her this year.
Outdoor Leaders
Each year Wollangarra has a dedicated bunch of legendary humans who live, work and play here for an action packed 12 months. In 2026 we’ve got this amazing mob!
Clancy
Clancy was born under a tree in the beautiful Thora Valley NSW and has done their best to maintain close proximity to trees ever since! Clancy grew up in the Yarra Valley (with lots of big trees!). A Woll lover from the get go and a past stage 2, they even went on the 2021 Alpine Walk and have been a chronic volunteer since. Clancy has come off a 7 year stint on a biodynamic veggie farm, with some bush re-gen work part-time. Quietly encyclopaedic, Clancy is our walking tree and bird field guide, lizard and bug appreciator, banjo legend, and wizard chef (their food is magic and elicits many “yummmmmms”). The scratches on Clancy’s shins, which form a pattern similar to that of the Milky Way, tell the story of many a sheep-wrangling adventure and sock wrestle victory. They are looking forward to spending time in the high country whilst carrying on the Wollangarra legacy that inspired them so much! Our team is very inspired by Clancy’s balanced, calm and fun energy, bringing wit and amazing hugs to any occasion. We’re planning on starting a band called ‘Clancy and the over-confidents’. If they were an animal they’d be a Powerful Owl.
Tom
Tom was born in Sydney in the year 2000, but we’re pretty sure he time traveled from the 1800s! Tired of resisting the urge to throw his phone into a large body of water, Tom has traded the bustle of the city for the sweet serenity of the Facebook-free Macalister. He is our resident guitarist, bringing calm and groovy vibes to the morning wake ups (get ready for some Adrianne Lenker young people!). He is also our designated tinkerer (tinker tom), having honed the art of Macgyverism in his time working in bike shops. He loves getting into the thick of it on cross-country Bikepacking missions and high-country adventures. Last year Tom first volunteered at Mittagundi, and on a rainy few days in November he escaped! Following a feeling, he rode his bike south, over the mountains, to discover his new home, the green pastures and comfy counches of the Wollangarra flat. This year at woll, Tom is looking forward to spending time exploring the mountains with young people, learning a whole bunch of new skills, and cooking up his signature “schlop” for the team (we are not sure what’s in it, but it tastes great!). If he was an animal he’d be a Kookaburra!
Jude
Jude brings colour to Wollangarra in every sense – through her style, her personality, and her diverse skill set. She is deeply diligent and impressively organised (she thinks this makes her sound boring, but trust us, she isn’t!). Raised in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle region, Jude studied climate science and has spent time working in bush re-gen. This has inspired her desire to empower people in the small moments, with nature based knowledge, from the grass roots up. She believes that connection to the natural world grows from curiosity, care, and a willingness to get your feet wet and your hands dirty. She is joyfully playful, who may pounce on you (like a cat!) whilst you’re in the river together, and helps make any task fun with her endless references (back it up Terry!). A roller skater, snowboarder, surfer, and recent boat enthusiast, she feels most at home riding the tides and chasing movement in all its forms. This year, Jude is excited to deepen her sustainable living
practices, connect with like-minded people, and spend more time in wild places. Her one true talent is the ability to reference a song from almost any word uttered in conversation. If she were an animal, she’d be a Lynx.
Laura
Laura is a gentle soul; graceful, ever flowing and boundlessly kind. She is the first to check in with you after a long day, and is always up for a good old heart to heart. She is loving and empathetic to her core, and has been known to dish out hugs like they’re going out of fashion! We have enjoyed falling asleep to Lauras calming tones, as she reads us whimsical stories before bed. Growing up in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, she built a deep connection to her environment. As a result, she is a resourceful forager and organic gardening whizz. She leads a grounded life, carved by her experiences living and working in off-grid communities and hobby farms (our resident cowgirl). Laura is a curiously creative soul, often expressing herself through movement/dance, music, and art (you’ll see her beautiful work on our event posters this year!). Although Laura found Woll through her Instagram algorithm, we’re convinced that it was divine intervention that brought her here; She and Woll are a match made in Heaven! If Laura was an animal, we see her as a speckled deer, likely frolicking through the wilderness.
Council
Bruce Anderson
Chair Person
Bruce was introduced to the outdoors though his childhood family experiences becoming an active bushwalker in his late teens. He has a fundamental belief in positive outdoor experiences as a foundation for a great life. His significant contact with Woll came through the positive experiences of his stepdaughter Zoe as a participant, then a leader in 2022. He has a breadth of business experience and as a community builder through for purposes organisations.
Dave Cadogan
Deputy Chair Person Buildings and Property Assets
David is an agricultural scientist specialising in nutrition and reducing the carbon footprint of food production. He grew up on a farm in North East Victoria, and during his high school years spent every second or third weekend hiking and camping throughout the North Eastern and Central Ranges. Dave attended Mittagundi later in high school (1985) and became a good friend of Ian Stapleton. He joined the Wollangarra Council from the beginning (1989) and spent many weeks helping with the building and early courses. David had a break from the council between 2015 and 2020 to focus on his family and own farm in Lancefield which is totally off the grid (solar powered). He is a keen mountain bike rider, spends a week in August every year on Mount Bogong back country snow-boarding, and is passionate about reducing the use of non-renewable resources.
Kate Hogarth
Outdoor Education
A lifelong Outdoor Educator and adventurer, Kate brings over three decades of experience inspiring young people to connect with nature, community and themselves. In senior management positions in Outdoor Education, Kate currently oversees three unique outdoor campuses for a prominent Melbourne-based school. Her leadership is grounded in safety, sustainability, and nurturing a strong sense of belonging among staff and students alike.
Her career began in the early 1990s, including an incredible year as an Outdoor Leader at Mittagundi in 1995. Since then, both Mittagundi and Wollangarra have been at the core of Kate’s philosophy on life, shaping her lifelong belief in the power of simple living and community.
Trudi Smith
Outdoor Education
Trudi has loved the outdoors all her life even more so after going on an outdoor education camp in Yr.9 and has not looked back.
Having spent many years in Outdoor Education working as a group leader, Course Coordinator and Client Manager and Area manager, Trudi has a passion for all things rivers and tries to fit in as many rafting, canoeing and kayaking trips as she can each year.
Trudi volunteers for different organisations and this year 2026 has joined the Wollangarra Council.
Indi Williams
Grants and Fundraising
Indi first came to Wollangarra as a Program Leader in 2013 directly after finishing school. Wollangarra has remained a special place to revisit, with family and extra dogs in tow these days! Indi is pursing a career in environmental science, and in her spare time can be found hiking, biking and skiing, talking about trees, or looking at birds.
Lucy Kervin-Mcdermott
Outdoor Education
Lucy first visited Wollangarra as a young person in 2009, and has been hooked ever since. She worked at Mittagundi in 2012, and then completed a Certificate IV in Outdoor Recreation and a Bachelor of Outdoor Education (Extended). Lucy has worked as a freelance Outdoor Educator and Wilderness Guide since 2013, and is currently coordinating Outdoor Ed programs for a Melbourne school. Lucy is a keen hiker, and loves all things alpine and desert!
Kirsty McCallum
Local legend
You might not know Kirsty personally, but chances are you’ve heard the name McCallum around. Wollangarra was a big part of Kirsty’s life growing up, thanks to her family connections. Her dad, known as Ranger Wayne, was a key figure, and her brothers were also heavily involved – one even did a stint on staff for a year.
Kirsty herself hung out at Wollangarra as a young person, but her favourite memories are of the staff and directors popping over to her house for a chat and a cuppa.
After working in farming and delivering mail, Kirsty’s firmly embedded in the local scene. Now, as a self-employed dog trainer and photographer, she’s keen to help strengthen Wollangarra’s links in the community, fostering deeper local community involvement and integration.
Samantha Shaw
Secretary
Sam was first introduced to Wollangarra when her daughter, Zoe went on a Stage 1 program as a young person. Zoe loved her experiences at Woll so much she became at leader in 2022. Sam witnessed firsthand the positive role that Woll played in Zoe becoming a confident, adventurous and resilient young woman and wants to give back to the organisation that made that happen. She has a love of the outdoors and is passionate about giving others the opportunity to experience everything that Woll has to offer. She brings a range of business and governance skills to her role as Secretary to the Council.
Lachlan Rigg
Fox Flyers
Other Key People
Louise Ritchie
Business Coordinator
Certified legend. Lou keeps the Woll ship sailing smoothly!
Trixie
Trixie is often mistaken as our 5th staff member and is known to keep the Woll staff – as we say – “‘up with the trends’”- She is truly too cool for school, ditching the classroom this year to finish high school from the high country, (and is somehow still failing outdoor ed). Trixie is a strong, brave and independent young lady, destined to be an outdoor education prodigy and all-round legend – she definitely got that from her Mum. She is drawn to the outdoors with an impressive background in hiking/adventuring. Trixie loves being active in sports such as volleyball and swimming. She also loves listening and playing all kinds of music. She reports that her greatest musical achievement to date is overcoming her Taylor Swift era. Overall, Trixie just knows what’s up, often referencing niche TikTok’s (despite Woll’s no clock policy). Jokes aside, Trix is our socials and merchandise queen, representing Woll’s essence through bright eyes while keeping us connected to the outside world. If Trixie was an animal, she would be a cute lil’ Lemon Shark.
Keen to join the Wollangarra team?
Wollangarra’s live-in volunteer Outdoor Leaders are normally recruited between September and December each year. If you are interested in applying for this once in a lifetime opportunity, find out more below, or call our Directors to have a chat.
