About Us Our Team

Sarah Metcalfe

Garden Educator

Sarah is our wonderful Garden Educator. Self proclaimed soil-nerd and once-upon-a-time Eco-Faerie, Sarah is multi-talented and always experimenting with something new. In addition to her background in science, landscaping and permaculture, Sarah teaches acro-yoga, makes fermented foods, sews her own costumes and loves arts and crafts. She's passionate about passing her knowledge onto others.

Melody Crouch

Communications Coordinator

Melody helps communicate everything we do at the Farm. She has a background in writing and photography, and a passion for Earth-care. She completed a Permaculture Design Course in 2024, found inspiration working as a gardener facilitating children's connection to nature, and is always chipping away at some creative project or another.

Kate Goodman

Accountant

Kate is our Accountant. She completed her Permaculture Design Certificate in 2023 feeding her passion for sustainable living practices. In addition to her work at Perth City Farm, Kate facilitates community garden tours and workshops at Piney Lakes Community Garden, environmental volunteering in the City of Melville and Buy Nothing Market Days with Brentwood Village Town Team.

Steph Gregg

Board Member

Steph is an experienced marketer, currently with Frasers Property Australia in the role of State Marketing Manager.  With nearly 25 years in the property development industry, Steph Gregg has played a pivotal role in helping shape some of Perth's most recognised master-planned communities. In addition to her professional endeavours, Steph dedicates her time to serving her community. Since March 2023, she has been a committed volunteer at the State Emergency Services. Outside of work, Steph is an advocate for personal wellness and community engagement. She enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle through running and regularly volunteers at her local parkrun. Her passion for exploration has led her to achieve the remarkable feat of visiting every continent, all before starting her family. Steph's guiding principle is simple yet profound: to be kind to everyone she meets, including herself.

Dr Lisa Cluett

Board Member

Lisa works in the field of international relations at a Think Tank based at The University of Western Australia. She has over 25 years’ experience in education, stakeholder engagement and digital content development. Lisa has board experience in the for-purpose section in WA, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and joined Perth City Farm Board in 2023. She is passionate about sustainable living and community education and lives in the Perth Hills with her family.

Jackson Lemin

Assistant Gardener

Jackson is our part-time Assistant Gardener, while he is working on his Horticulture qualification through TAFE. Harvest days wouldn't be the same without him and he loves cooking lunch for the team on Fridays.

Martina Hoeppner

Education Lead

Martina is our education specialist. She spent the last few years teaching permaculture and sustainability in her own business through short workshops, multiday courses and accredited training. She manages our Sustainable Education program.

Rosanne Scott

Founder and Board Secretary

Alongside other alumni, Rosanne came up with the idea for Perth City Farm in 1990.  Rosanne has been involved in the Farm’s growth and development every step of the way and has worked very hard to ensure Perth City Farm produces outstanding community value, promotes local art and music, and of course continues to work towards a healthy and sustainable future through environmental conservation and sustainable food production. Her motto ‘Planting trees to help people grow’ combines her passion for the environment and for people. It was Rosanne’s passionate vision for a holistic project that saw the birth and evolution of Perth City Farm – kick starting the community garden movement in Perth.

Kathleen Burton

CEO

Kathleen is passionate about enabling people to live considered, meaningful lives, feeling that they belong and are valued in their community, and are connected to the natural world.  She’s used her degree in Accounting and Entrepreneurship to work with non-profit organisations, creating programs that bring in new types of revenue, whilst creating change. Kathleen first fell in love with Perth City Farm in 2010 as a volunteer, and after some overseas experience stepped into the role of CEO in 2017.

Paula Galvin

Venue and Office Manager

Paula drives our venue hire enterprise, selling the space and supporting clients to put on delightful events. She also coordinates a lot of the background office work for City Farm and enjoys cooking lunch for our volunteers most Fridays.

Phoebe Dean

Venue, Office and Marketing Assistant

Phoebe works closely with the Venue and Office Manager to operate the venue hire enterprise as well as look after the administrative and compliance needs of the organisation. Phoebe focuses on the marketing and promotion of the venue hire enterprise and runs our Community Recycling Hub, drawing on her Sustainability Science and Environmental Management degrees.

Dougie Scott

Building and Grounds Maintenance Supervisor

Dougie is our amazing Mr Fixit, helping to keep our site safe and beautiful. He’s also very artistic and creative with the use of recycled materials in the way he builds and fixes, bringing great charm to our Farm.

Mandy Ottaviano

Board Member

Mandy is a self-employed corporate finance professional with a background in equity capital markets advisory.  She has been engaged in a wide range of corporate advisory from large, ASX-listed industrials to private, consumer-focused start-ups. Mandy previously founded an online organic grocery retailer focused on delivering local, sustainably grown whole foods without plastic packaging. Mandy is a passionate advocate for certified organic and regenerative farming systems and has a keen interest in optimising health (human and planet) by eating seasonally, buying from the local farmer’s market and cooking from scratch

Gary Ausbruch

Treasurer

Gary is a Chartered Accountant and graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has over 20 years of financial management experience spanning a number of industry sectors, and is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of a large private group of companies headquartered in Perth. Gary joined the City Farm Board as Treasurer in July 2020 and provides valuable oversight to the organisation in the areas of financial management, strategy and corporate governance.

Kate Wood

Board Member

Currently working in Strategy and Transformation for the WA Department of Communities, Kate has spent most of her professional career helping governments support communities to cope with climate change.  As the Executive Director for Climate Change at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Kate developed a new approach for climate change policy development, drove departmental cultural change, and represented Victoria at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris.  Kate has balanced this high level sustainability related work with roles on the boards of community gardens in Victoria, and now with Perth City Farm.

Thom Scott

Father of Perth City Farm

In loving memory of Thom Scott. Thom has been involved in City Farm for more than twenty years, and has been pivotal in developing the gardens and built infrastructure at the site.  Passionate about community-led activism, Thom has served on the boards of the Wilderness Society, Bentley Community Garden, FERN, Avongrow and is the President of Trillion Trees (formally Men of the trees). He was a public speaker, educator and advocate for holistic people enabled, sustainable, built and natural environments.

Lana Snook

Board Chair

Lana is an experienced senior HR practitioner serving on the State Council for the Australian Human Resource Institute. She has a Masters in Human Resource Management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Lana has a broad range of experience, including roles with Ruah, Silver Chain, Telstra and The Financial Times in London.  Lana contributes to City Farm with her expert knowledge of the Fair Work Act 2009 in the not-for-profit sector and passion for improving diversity, culture, and staff engagement and performance.