RHSV Staff

Professional headshot of Dr Steven Cooke. He is a middle-aged white man with greying hair and a bit of stubble. He is wearing a dark suit jacket and white shirt and looking into the camera giving a slight smile.

Executive Director: Dr Steven Cooke

Steve brings over 30 years of experience in the cultural heritage sector to the RHSV. His career spans senior leadership roles at iconic Victorian institutions including the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, the Shrine of Remembrance, and the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), as well as academia as Associate Professor of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Deakin University. He is passionate about the RHSV’s mission of “History with Purpose”—igniting curiosity, inspiring debate, and exploring how diverse histories shape our present and future.

Administration Officer: Henry Shand

 

 

Jillian Hisock

Photo Credit: Nico Keenan

 

Collections Manager/Volunteer Coordinator: Jillian Hiscock

Jillian qualified as a librarian at Melbourne University after doing a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University. She has had a career working in public and special libraries, and managing government department libraries and intranets. She ran the Department of Transport library which supported Heritage Victorian and the Planning portfolio, this in role particular has given her relevant experience in managing collections that span manuscripts, ephemera, books, images and non-print materials.

Head and shoulders portrait of Cathy Dodson. She is wearing green glasses, a black shirt, and is giving a warm smile.

Photo credit: Nico Keenan

 

Gidleigh Archivist: Cathy Dodson

Cathy’s passion for history was sparked when, as a teenager, she had the opportunity to volunteer at a local National Trust property. She has since worked and volunteered in a wide range of heritage settings and gained a BA Hons in History and a Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies. For seven years Cathy managed a School Archive, working to make its diverse collection more accessible and secure through publication, digitisation and improved collection management. She joined the RHSV as Project Archivist for the Jones Collection which documents a century of one family’s day-to-day life in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg. Cathy now holds the position of Gidleigh Archivist, managing the recently acquired archive of Heritage Consultant, Graeme Butler.

 

 

Claudia Donovan, a young woman with brown hair, smiling

Collections Officer (Images): Claudia Donovan

Claudia holds a Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies with a specialisation in Curatorship and Collections, alongside a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History, Sociology, and Anthropology. With a strong academic foundation in historical research and preservation, she is deeply committed to the stewardship of Australian history and heritage. Claudia has developed skills in object digitisation, cataloguing, exhibition curation, and narrative development through hands-on roles in both a local government and university context. Her experience includes working with diverse collections to uncover and share the stories behind artefacts and artworks, often in close collaboration with volunteers and community members. Claudia is particularly passionate about connecting communities with their histories and ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of historical collections.

Archive Officer: Bronte Laffin-Vines

Bronte has worked with historical archives for over a decade assisting a wide variety of organisations. Her interest in social history and preservation of design and technology has led her to gain graduate degrees in Cultural Materials Conservation from the University of Melbourne and in Audiovisual Archiving from Charles Sturt University. Her work has involved assisting academic and family history researchers, digitising photographic and printed materials, and improving access to collections. At RHSV, Bronte is assisting with the collections of Heritage Consultants, Graeme Butler and Allan Willingham.

 

 

Head shoulders portrait of Jo, a white woman with long dark hair, smiling for the camera. She is wearing a blue shirt with black cockatoos and green leaves on it.

Photo credit: Nico Keenan

 

Marketing Officer: Joanna Feely

Joanna (Jo) Feely is a versatile communications, marketing, and digital engagement professional. She holds a degree in writing and editing, and loves to bring her eye for detail and creative spin to any task. Previous roles include coordinating the 2020 and 2021 Aussie Bird Count as National Engagement Officer for BirdLife Australia, Communications and Digital Officer at the VPA, and Communications and Engagement Officer at IPC Health.

At RHSV, she coordinates social media, website management, and is the History Month officer for 2025.

Bookkeeper: Kristen Adnams 

Kristen has completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Monash University and has also successfully completed the Chartered Accounting program. Her career began working for a professional services firm – gaining experience in audit and management accounting.  More recently she co-founded a small business offering professional organising services to older clients and those needing support in the home.

Now a registered BAS Agent, Kristen enjoys working with not-for-profits.  She believes this allows her to use her professional skills and give back to the community at the same time.