Victorian Beekeeping Clubs Conference 2018

Professor Ben Oldroyd

Professor of Genetics, University of Sydney

Ben Oldroyd is Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Sydney. Ben completed a BSc (Agr) in 1980, PhD at the University of Sydney in 1984 and a Doctor of Science in 2005. Ben’s research focuses on the behavioural genetics of honey bees, the evolution of social behavior and evolution more broadly. Ben is also heavily involved with the Australian beekeeping industry, including helping beekeepers breed better, healthier strains. Ben has made important contributions to understanding the genetic basis of worker sterility in honey bees.  Ben has authored nearly 300 scientific papers on bees and social insects.

Stuart Anderson

Inventor Flow Hive

Stuart Anderson invented the Flow Hive system in Byron Bay, New South Wales with his son Cedar Anderson. In February 2015, they launched a campaign on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo hoping to raise $70000. Instead, they raised over $12 million and received nearly 25,000 orders from over 130 countries. The campaign broke several records for Indiegogo, becoming its most successful campaign. The invention took out a 2016 Australian Good Design Award.

Jessica Hartland

Bee Biosecurity Officer – DEDTJR

Based in Swan Hill, Jessica Hartland is working to reduce the risk of disease entering beehives, by promoting ‘best practice biosecurity’ based on the Biosecurity Manual for Beekeepers, the Biosecurity Code of Practice and the National Bee Biosecurity Program.  Jessica works closely with Agriculture Victoria’s two other Apiary Inspectors, Daniel Martin and Joe Riordan, she will be monitoring and detecting endemic pests and disease such as American Foul Brood (AFB) via field surveillance.

Vanessa Kwiatkowski and Mat Lumalasi

Melbourne City Rooftop Honey

Vanessa Kwiatkowski and Mat Lumalasi are the founders of Melbourne City Rooftop Honey, a unique enterprise that aims to bring bees back to our cities. Concerned by a growing sense of disconnection between food production and consumption and inspired by hundreds of years old practices in Europe, Vanessa and Mat created the project to address issues of sustainability and raise awareness of the importance of bees whilst creating delicious honey.

Doug Purdie

Bestselling Author and co-founder of The Urban Beehive

Doug is a self-professed ‘beevangelist,’ and co-founder of The Urban Beehive. Doug and Vicky Brown started The Urban Beehive in 2010 to support honeybees to do their critically important work in urban Sydney. They have put beehives in city backyards, community gardens and on rooftops, boosting natural pollination to maintain the genetic diversity of Australian honeybees. Doug is the author of two best selling books Backyard Bees and The Bee Friendly Garden.

Danielle Lloyd-Pritchard

NSW DPI, Education Officer Professional Development

Danielle is the Education Officer at TOCAL Research Associate at the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment at The University of Newcastle. She holds a Masters in Environmental Management and Graduate Diplomas in Education and Science Communication. Dani has worked for State and Local Governments developing waste and water educational resources for communities and educational institutions. President of the Hunter Valley Amateur Beekeepers Association.

Benedict Hughes

Beekeeping Educator and founder of The Practical Beekeeper

Benedict is Beekeeping Educator at the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES) and Melbourne PolyTechnic.  The Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies is an award winning, not-for-profit, sustainability centre located on 4.5 hectares on the Merri Creek in East Brunswick, Melbourne.

Dr Kymble Spriggs

Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne

Dr Kymble Spriggs is a Consultant Physician, Specialist Allergist & Immunologist and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. Kymble offers an extensive background in the management of allergic & other immunological diseases, and is especially interested in hayfever, and bee venom immunotherapy, as well as the diagnosis & management of food allergy.