Georgie Waterman Awards

Since 1999, Interpretation Australia has celebrated the life of interpreter Georgie Waterman by awarding the Georgie Waterman Award to an outstanding interpreter.

Past Award Recipients of the Georgie Waterman Award

The Georgie Waterman Young Achievement Award recognises talented emerging professionals within the field of cultural and natural heritage interpretation.

Past Award Recipients of the Georgie Waterman Young Achievers Award

2019 Winner – Scott Killeen

There is no doubt that Scott Killeen is an amazing interpreter, 25 years in our industry has created an impressive portfolio of work. But it is not just Scott’s interpretive work that deserves merit and recognition. It is his facilitation and encouragement, his inclusiveness and energy to bring everyone along on the journey. Inspiring others to be interpreters, inspiring others to use story and narrative as a key element of experience development and placemaking. This is where Scott’s strengths truly lie and why he is deserving of this award. It is rare to find someone who is so passionate not only about what they do but about developing the skills and capacity of others. His dedication and determination to achieving great results not only speaks volumes about Scott but has also raised the bar of what a professional interpreter looks like.

2017 Winner – David Lancashire

David Lancashire Design built an enviable reputation designing everything from a postage stamp to three-dimensional exhibition spaces, however, it is his work in interpretative design that really illustrated his enormous talent to bring interpretive concepts to life.

David is a clever designer, and he gives himself 100% to every project. He leads us all in seeing the world through different design filters. He can be provocative and demanding, always asking: “Does it have integrity? If it doesn’t, what’s the point?”

Inaugural Winner – Jen Fry

Jen Fry works part-time for the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) as an Interpretation and Education Officer. As part of her role, she has been the program manager for the popular (and award-winning) Discovery Ranger program. In her starting role with the PWS, Jen was the Track Education Officer, managing the minimal impact awareness campaign and the Track Ranger program. Jen is now working on a passion of hers – creating deep connections to place for visitors to national parks and reserves through educational, volunteer and community outreach programs. Jen Fry is the current National Secretary for Interpretation Australia and has been State Chapter Rep in the past.

Jen has been working in the conservation and education field since 1993. She has had the pleasure of working for the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Grand River Conservation Authority in Canada. Jen Fry has also spent time working for herself as a consultant – also quite a pleasure most days.

Jen holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, a certificate IV in Volunteer Management, a Masters in Science (Environmental Management) and her kids’ hands when they cross the road. Jen was very honoured (and slightly stunned) when she received the Georgie Waterman encouragement award in 2008.

2015 Winner – Sue Olsson

Sue Olsson has inspired people over the many years she has been involved with Interpretation. Sue has worked in Interpretation-related roles with people across many states but in particular along the Eastern Seaboard. She has led numerous teams and facilitated the sharing of talent between teams – thus providing the opportunities for interpreters to inspire each other.

Described by her peers as a ‘continuous presence’ in the Interpretive landscape. She is one of those amazing all-rounders – good at everything!!! Sue has an amazing dedication to unenviable tasks, a super incisive analytic ability and lovely quirky charm!! Her commitment to mentoring young interpreters and dedication to the profession of interpretation epitomises Georgie Waterman. This winner knew Georgie Waterman personally so it’s extremely fitting that she receive this award.

2011 Winner – Peter Grant

Peter’s leadership helps to motivate others to inspire visitors to the natural and cultural world.
Peter’s high level skills mixed with his very approachable personality has created the almost “perfect package” for any organisation that is endeavouring to have the general community become more aware of the benefits of nature.

His keynote address ‘Peeling Back the Interpreter’ at the Launceston National Conference in 2010 gave us a typically provocative challenge to rethink and renew our ideas about interpretation. He ended it with this remark, ‘Our life, our light, isn’t going to burn forever, at least not here on earth. But while it burns, fuel it with love and shine iton things that matter’. And he practices what he preaches.

2007 Winner – Cath Renwick

Cath Renwick is a true friend of Australian interpretation.
She has been a key player in forging a growing understanding of the profession of interpretation and has fostered and strengthened relationships with Interpreters from around Australia and the world, with a particular interest in developing lasting relationships with Aboriginal Interpreters.

Cath is a recognised leader in the field of interpretation. As a member of the Australian Working Party of the International Scientific Committee for the Interpretation and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Sites (ICIP), Cath is contributing to the review and revision of the ICOMOS Ename Charter on the Interpretation of Cultural Heritage Sites.These guidelines will provide a benchmark for quality interpretation world-wide and will promote the importance of interpretation within the heritage industry.

2005 Winner – Pamela Harmon-Price

Pamela is a person who is passionate about building interpretation capacity in Australia, helping people appreciate, value and honour their individual skills and abilities. To this end she has contributed boundless energy to initiating interpretive skill development workshops for staff, her ‘team of interpreters’ and hundreds have enjoyed the benefits.

In 2001 she received the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Australia Day Medallion in recognition of her significant contribution to environmental education in Queensland. As tireless advocate and innovative practitioner, Pamela’s influence is evident in many Service productions over the years from brochures and signs to interpretation centres, videos and popular booklets including National Parks of Queensland and Camping in Queensland. We can all be grateful for Pamela’s personal charm and commitment to bringing nature conservation to the Service, staff and the community through interpretation. (from the Australia Day Citation)

She says her secret is passion – being passionate about people and their enjoyment and learning, being passionate about the place or artefact you are interpreting, and being passionate about doing a good job.

Winner – John Pastorelli

John believes that interpretation “is the key to facilitating those experiences that become the stories we hold dear, the stories we keep within us long after the physical journey has ended.”

For John, hooking into opportunities to learn more about the art of crafting and sharing ideas has been core to John’s work and life experiences. This includes finding ways of getting through a range of challenges such as touring through Australia on a motorbike, hitch-hiking across Canada and Alaska and especially when helping individuals, communities and organisations find and craft their own stories.

Winner – Robin MacGillivray

Winner – Gil Field