Current Board and Staff

 

Paul Brooks

Paul Brooks

Chair

Paul is a trusted industry consultant, entrepreneur, broadband engineer and active participant within the Australian ISP community and industry bodies such as Communications Alliance. He was an initial founding member of Internet Australia, and a co-founder of Vocus Communications. Paul is also on the board of the InterPlanetary Networking Chapter of the Internet Society (IPN-ISOC)

Linkedin Profile

Cheryl Langdon-Orr

Cheryl Langdon-Orr

Vice-Chair (International)

Cheryl believes the Internet should be seen as a public asset and needs to be developed and maintained as a cost-effective and accessible resource for communication, education, community, social and business opportunities by the Australian and wider global community.

Linkedin Profile

 Greg Adamson

Greg Adamson

Director

Greg has worked with the Internet since 1991 (a not-for-profit implementation in Indonesia). Since then he has focused on achieving societal benefit from technology. He is a Graduate member of AICD, a Fellow of Engineers Australia, and a Senior Member of IEEE. He is the Industry Fellow in Cyber Security at the University of Melbourne, and principal at Digital Risk Innovation, consulting in cyber security, blockchain, and professional ethics.

 Bronwyn Mercer

Bronwyn Mercer

Director

Bronwyn is an information security professional, passionate about the potential of technology to promote connectivity, development and human rights. She is the chair of the Australian Internet Governance Forum (known as the NetThing Forum). Bronwyn has been actively involved in the Internet governance ecosystem since 2017 and has participated in several forums, including the global IGF, ICANN, APRICOT and APrIGF.

Linkedin Profile

  Holly Raiche

Holly Raiche

Director

Holly is an adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of Law, UNSW, teaching undergraduate and graduate classes in the areas of telecommunications and Internet law. She is also a Research Fellow at the Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre at the UNSW, and a Research Associate at the Communications Law Centre and is on the Leadership Team of ICANN’s At-Large Advisory Committee.

Linkedin Profile

 

 

 

Roll of Honour - Previous Directors and Staff

Notice of 2015 Annual General Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Internet Society of Australia will be held on

Tuesday 6th October, at 17:30 AEDT (06:30 UTC)

at the Park Hyatt, Parliament Place, East Melbourne 3002 (map)

Dial-in details

Time: Oct 6, 2015 5:30 PM (GMT+11:00) Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join from PC, Mac, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/664269496

Or join by phone:

02 8015 2088 (Australia Toll)
1800 792 488 (Australia Toll Free)

Meeting ID: 664 269 496

International numbers available:
https://zoom.us/zoomconference?m=huTFUwMflMX5H3QBHpGWjAv8_UOGhd7H

Please see the Agenda (below) and Explanatory Memorandum (below) for further details.

A member of the Society is entitled to attend and vote, or appoint a proxy to attend and vote on their behalf. A proxy need not be a member. To appoint a proxy, you must provide a valid Proxy Form to the Registered Office of the Society, and it must arrive at least 24 hours before the time and date scheduled for the Meeting.

If you wish to appoint as your proxy a director of Internet Australia, please use the following address:

c/- Maddocks, Level 7, 140 William Street, MELBOURNE Vic 3000.

The Directors are listed here

Details for submission are to be found within the Proxy Form itself:

 

Roger Clarke

Secretary, Internet Society of Australia

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Agenda

The Annual General Meeting of the members of the Society will be held for the purpose of considering the following items of ordinary business. Further details and links are in the Explanatory Memorandum (below).

1. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting

The previous Annual General Meeting took place on 23 October 2014.

2. Adoption of Financial Statements and Reports

The President's Report will be presented.

The following are to be considered, and if thought fit, adopted:

    • the profit and loss accounts
    • the balance sheet
    • the report of the directors
    • the auditors report

3. Resignations of Directors

Four Directors are retiring.

4. Appointment of Directors

There are four (4) vacancies on the Board. The following five (5) candidates have been nominated:

    • Keith Besgrove
    • Paul Brooks
    • Jon Lawrence
    • Craig O'Toole
    • Holly Raiche

As the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies, a ballot will be held.

5. Replacement of the Company's Constitution

The Board proposes that the Company replace the Memorandum and Articles with a Constitution that is consistent with the Corporations Act 2001 and with modern corporate governance practice.

6. Other Business

No Other Business has been notified.

 

Explanatory Memorandum

An annual general meeting is required to be held under the Corporations Act 2001, and certain items of business must be transacted at the meeting. This Explanatory Memorandum supplements the formal Agenda and explains the background to some of the items of business.

1. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting (AGM)

Members will be asked to approve the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting.

The Minutes of the 2014 AGM are available here.

2. Adoption of Financial Statements and Reports

The President's Report will be presented and is available here.

Members will be asked to adopt the Annual Report of the Society, which comprises the Directors' Report, and the profit and loss statement, balance sheet and auditor’s report.

The Directors' Report is available here as PDF.

The financial statements are available here as PDF.

3. Resignations of Directors

The Articles require that one-third of the board of twelve directors (4) must retire at each AGM.

The retiring directors are:

    • Paul Brooks
    • Jon Lawrence
    • Craig O'Toole
    • Holly Raiche

There is no barrier to retiring directors standing for re-election.

4. Appointment of Directors

A call for Nominations for four positions was sent to members. Nominations were received and accepted by the office of Maddocks, in Melbourne until 5pm AEST on 31 August 2015, and the following advice was received from Maddocks regarding this matter:

We refer to the Annual General Meeting and the Director Nomination Form published in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution (being the Memorandum and Articles of Association) of the Internet Society of Australia ACN 076 406 801 and confirm that the following nominations were received on or before the deadline:

    • Keith Besgrove; Proposer: Craig O'Toole; Seconder: Holly Raiche
    • Paul Brooks; Proposer: Paul Brooks; Seconder: George Fong
    • Jon Lawrence; Proposer: George Fong; Seconder: Alexander Vulkanovski
    • Craig O'Toole; Proposer: Shantnu Kumar; Seconder: Holly Raiche
    • Holly Raiche; Proposer: Holly Raiche; Seconder: Roger Clarke

Biographies and Candidate Statements for all candidates are available here.

In accordance with Article 48.2, because the number of candidates for election as directors is greater than the number of vacancies, a ballot will be held.

5. Replacement of the Company's Constitution

The Company was constituted in 1996 by means of Memorandum and Articles of Association (M&AA). In 2001, the Corporations Act 2001 was amended in a number of ways, including the replacement of M&AA with a single document called a Constitution.

An Exposure Draft of a replacement Constitution was published to members on 14 July 2015, together with explanations of the differences between the old and new documents. The proposed replacement Constitution is identical to the Exposure Draft.

The following documents are provided in relation to the motion.

The existing Memorandum and Articles of Association

This is a Special Resolution, and passage of the resolution requires a majority of at least 75% of the members present in person and by proxy.

6. Other Business

Under the Corporations Act, no substantive motion can be put to a General Meeting unless notice has been given in advance.

 

 

Roll of Honour

The Internet Society of Australia (Internet Australia) has been fortunate to have some of Australia's most dedicated Internet professionals on its Board since incorporation in 1996. We would like to recognise and express our appreciation to the directors for their volunteer labour on behalf of Australian Internet users over many years.

Directors

Elected 1996

  • Donna Ashelford (1996-1997)
  • Karl Auer (1996-1997)
  • Tony Barry (1996-1997)
  • Peter Elford (1996-1997)
  • Simon Hackett (1996-2001)
  • Hugh Irvine (1996-1997; President 1996-1997)
  • Bob Kummerfeld (1996-1997)
  • Kate Lance (1996-2001; President 1999-2000)
  • George Michaelson (1996-2002)
  • David Purdue (1996-1997)
  • Pauline Van Winsen (1996-1998)

Elected 1997

  • George Fong (1997-2005)
  • Adam Burns (1997-1999)
  • Michael Paddon (1997-1999)
  • Richard Shepherd (1997-1998)
  • Omar von Eichel (1997-1998)
  • Greg Watson (1997-2001; President 2000-2001)

Elected 1998

  • Antony Healey (1998-2000)
  • Andrew McRae (1998-2014)
  • Leni Mayo (1998-2001)
  • Erica Roberts (1998-2001)
  • Tom Worthington (1998-1999)

Elected 1999

  • David Thompson (1999-2001)

Elected 2000

  • Gunela Astbrink (2000-2016)
  • Anne Greiner (2000-2003)
  • Tamzin Taylor (2000-2001)

Elected 2001

  • Douglas Ross Kelso (2001-2010)
  • Cheryl Langdon-Orr (2001-)
  • Jeremy Malcolm (2001-2008)
  • Galen Townson (2001-2003)
  • Gerry White (2001-2010)

Elected 2002

  • Narelle Clark (2002-2016; President 2011-2014)
  • Tony Hill (2001-2012; President 2001-2011)
  • Craig Ng (2002-2005)

Elected 2003

  • Ewan Brown (2003)
  • Adam Creed (2003-2006)
  • Peter Ziebell (2003-2004)

Elected 2004

  • Kevin Karp (2004-2010)

Elected 2005

  • Greg Adamson (2005-2008)
  • Peter Nissen (2005-2007)

Elected 2007

  • Paul Brooks (2007-; Chair 2017-)
  • Jerry Leeson (2007-2012)

Elected 2008

  • George Fong (1997-2005, 2008-2017; President 2014 - 2017 )
  • Robert Gregory (2008-2016)

Elected 2009

  • Rob Forsyth (2009-2012)

Elected 2010

  • Roger Clarke (2010-2015)
  • Skeeve Stevens (2010-2013)

Elected 2012

  • Jon Lawrence (2012-2017)
  • Craig O'Toole (2012-2018)
  • Holly Raiche (2012-)

Elected 2013

  • Chris Disspain (2013-2017)

Elected 2014

  • Craig Ng (2002-2005, 2014-2016)

Elected 2015

  • Keith Besgrove  (2015-)

Elected 2016

  • Sae Ra Germaine (2016-)
  • Anne Hurley (2016-2017, Chair 2017-2017)

Elected 2017

  • Greg Adamson (2005-2008, 2017-)
  • Roger Clarke (2010-2015, 2017-2020)
  • James Horton (2017-)
  • Shantnu Kumar (2017-2019)
  • Laurie Patton (2017-2017)
  • Peter Tonoli (2017-2020)
  • Fiona Tweedie (2017-2019)
  • Chris Winter (2017-2017)

Elected 2018

  • Geoff Huston (1996-1998; President 1997-1998, 2018-2020)

 

Staff

  • Tony Hill - Executive Director (1999-2001)
  • Kate Lance - Executive Director (2001-2006)
  • Holly Raiche - Executive Director (2007-2011)
  • Laurie Patton - CEO (2014-2017)

About Us

Founded in 1996, Internet Australia (Internet Society of Australia, ACN 076 406 801; also formerly known as 'ISOC-AU') is the not-for-profit peak organisation representing all Australian Internet users. We are a broad member-based organisation not an industry lobby group.

Our mission – “Helping Shape Our Internet Future” – is to promote positive Internet developments for the benefit of the whole community, including business, educational, government and private Internet users. Our directors and members hold significant roles in Internet-related organisations and enable us to provide high level policy and technical information to Internet user groups, governments and regulatory authorities.

As the Australian chapter of the global Internet Society, Internet Australia leverages the expertise of a truly global network of experts as well as providing an Australian perspective on global issues. At a global level, the Internet Society is a very active participant in many international forums for policy and regulation development, and is the administrative home for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF): the open community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers who create the protocols and standards that are fundamental to Internet operation.

Navigate this page:

Objectives | How is Internet Australia organised? | Achievements | Policy Development & Advice
Constitution | Board Meetings (Members Only) | General Meetings | Our Policies (organisational policies) | Our Story | Board and staff

Objectives

Internet Australia's objectives are:

  1. to provide broad-based representation of the Australian Internet community both nationally and internationally;
  2. to provide a service for the benefit of the community generally by enabling individuals, groups and organisations to use the Internet effectively for communication, collaboration, education, and innovation;
  3. to promote the availability of access to the Internet for all Australians, and to provide information, assistance, archives, and other relevant resources for Australian Internet users;
  4. to give expression to the viewpoint of Australian Internet users to business, industry, the government, the media, and society in general, by providing information and promoting education;
  5. to affiliate with other Australian Internet-focused organisations for co-ordination, collaboration and education in order to further the objectives of the Society;
  6. to examine, develop and disseminate the community's understanding of ethical and cooperative standards of usage of the Internet;
  7. to support, coordinate, develop and evolve effective standards of administration of systems and resources fundamental to the functioning and integrity of the Internet, such as addressing, naming, security and connectivity;
  8. to promote, facilitate and conduct research relating to the Internet and internetworking; and
  9. to develop and maintain formal and informal relationships with the international Internet community.

How is Internet Australia organised?

Internet Australia is a membership-based organisation.

Members become part of a friendly, informed network of people at all levels of Internet experience, though dedicated member-only email discussion lists, networking events and a range of Sub-Committees and Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Members can contribute to policy development and submissions to government, parliament and industry bodies, and receive discounted entry to a range of conferences and events. All members of Internet Australia are also members of the global Internet Society, which offers a whole world of opportunities. Internet Australia members regularly attend regional and global events organised by the Internet Society, and are eligible for election to the Society's global Board of Trustees and other representative groups.

Individual Membership: is open to any person over 18 that supports Internet Australia's objectives. Concession pricing is available for students, pensioners and concession-card holders.

Organisational Membership: is open to any organisation that supports Internet Australia's objectives. Additional benefits of Organisation Membership include exposure on our website, cross-promotion of relevant events and the opportunity to take part in an Advisory Council. A range of Organisational Membership options are available to suit different budgets and organisation types.

Please see our Membership page for more information.

Directors: the Board comprises up to twelve Directors, drawn from the membership. One-third of the Board seats are subject to election at each Annual General Meeting, and any member may stand for election to the Board. Each year the Board elects four Directors to be Office Holders - President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer - who, together with the CEO, form the Executive Committee. Board and Executive Committee meetings are generally held via teleconference, and a very active email discussion list facilitates ongoing communications. Full-day, in-person strategy/planning meetings are also held on occasion, usually at least once every two years.

Achievements

Internet Australia is actively involved in cooperation with industry and other groups including:

  • Promotion of IPv6 in Australia
  • Disability and the Internet projects
  • .au Domain Administration (auDA)
  • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN)
  • ICANN, through the At-Large Advisory Committee
  • Internet Governance Forums: global, Asia-Pacific and Australian

Policy Development and Advice

Internet Australia has provided advice and submissions to government and industry bodies relating to:

  • Internet safety and security
  • Privacy legislation
  • National security debates
  • Internet content filtering
  • Domain name policies and services
  • ISP codes of practice
  • National broadband network
  • Communications and Broadcasting Acts
  • International treaty discussions

See Our Work for more details.

Constitution

A new constitution was adopted at the 2015 AGM on 6th October 2015.

The previous and original constitution comprised the following:

Meetings

The minutes of Board Meetings as well as minutes and other documentation for General Meetings are available below.

Our Policies

Internet Australia's organisational policies are as follows.

Our Story

Global Context

The Internet has transformed our lives. This world of opportunity reflects all that we are as humans and enables us to explore and discover our full potential. Infinite possibility is a thing of greatness, but it demands experience, knowledge and care. The Internet Society is fundamental to this.

The Internet Society’s role in this context

We are a global movement that champions an open Internet for all. This is an Internet that offers hope, brings opportunity and celebrates humanity. Our work has never been more crucial. In a world where challenges such as censorship and surveillance are a reality, we break down barriers, drive inclusivity, promote open standards and connect the unconnected.

Fulfilling this Role

Our community is unique. Rooted in the origins of the Internet, we’re passionate about preserving the foundations on which it was built, and developing its full and boundless potential. We have the technical expertise, credibility and reach to make this happen. We influence, we listen, we ask the right questions, and we work with others to solve problems in the right way.

Enduring Purpose

We’re committed to an Internet for everyone everywhere; free from censorship and unnecessary regulation, an enabler of progress. An Internet that can build a business from a spark of an idea, educate the most remote communities, protect human rights and drive human, economic and social development.

This is the Internet of opportunity.