Today the Australian Republic Movement announced the results of its National Executive and National Committee elections.

The new National Executive members are:

  • Co-Chair Esther Anatolitis
  • Co-Chair Nathan Hansford
  • Vice Chair Adam Spencer
  • Treasurer/Company Secretary Isaac McSwan
  • Executive Director Peter Botsman
  • Executive Director Michael Cooney
  • Executive Director Stephen Walters.

Joining the National Executive to form the National Committee are:

  • Youth Convenor Yasmin Poole
  • ACT Convenor Jack Archer
  • NSW Convenor Graham Cooke
  • NT Convenor Clare Martin
  • QLD Convenor Isaac McSwan
  • SA Convenor Raphael Murphy
  • TAS Convenor Wendy Le Cornu
  • VIC Convenor Reggie Michelson
  • WA Convenor Bodhi Hardinge.

Co-Chair Esther Anatolitis said: “What an honour to Co-Chair the mighty Australian Republic Movement. We’ve got a lot of good work to do towards an Australian democracy we can truly be proud of: one whose head of state is elected democratically, with the integrity we expect of every other representative we elect. My warmest thanks to our strong membership all over the continent and to my fellow National Committee members. Together, let’s create Australia’s future republic.”

Co-Chair Nathan Hansford said: “The British monarchy has no part to play in multicultural Australia. We are a fierce independent nation with tens of thousands of years of Indigenous culture. We do not need an Australian King (or Queen), we are quite able to choose one of our own, an Australian, to be our Head of State and represent us on the global stage. This is about Australia as a nation, it’s time to move on and remove the British monarchy from our system of government. It is an outdated and irrelevant institution in our modern Australian democracy. As Co-Chair of the Australian Republic Movement, I am focused on engaging with our strong membership, executive team and National Committee to help drive us towards a stronger democracy and true independence.”

Youth Convenor Yasmin Poole said: “Young Australians overwhelming support an Aussie republic. They know the old and tired ways of monarchy don’t suit what we stand for. If we’re a nation which proudly celebrates fairness and equality, a republic must be part of our future. I’m looking forward to engaging with younger Aussies around the country to make a republic a reality.”

Biographies of the National Committee can be found at: https://republic.org.au/meet-the-nc.

Esther Anatolitis
Photograph of Esther Anatolitis by Sarah Walker

Editor of Meanjin Esther Anatolitis is one of Australia’s leading advocates for the arts and active civic engagement. She is a member of the National Gallery of Australia Governing Council, holds an honorary associate professorship at RMIT School of Art, and heads strategic consultancy Test Pattern – whose values are art, tenacity and democracy. Across twenty years Esther has led creative and media organisations and served many boards and policy committees as a bipartisan appointee. While leading regional and national peak bodies, Esther designed and presented Australia’s first advocacy training programs for the arts and cultural sector, supporting thousands of members in first-time and ongoing civic participation. Her writing has long focused on the foundations of Australian democracy and the need for an Australian head of state, and she’s a frequent commentator on national politics and culture. Esther’s commitment to an Australian republic dates back to 1999 referendum where her grassroots campaign work included moderating a raucous artists’ debate at Parramatta Rd’s long-lost Side On jazz bar. More recently she’s been a member of the Australian Republic Movement’s Victorian Branch Council. Esther’s book Place, Practice, Politics was published in 2022, and her edited collection Essays that Changed Australia: Meanjin 1940 to today is due out in November.
Nathan Hansford Nathan Hansford is the CEO of a peak body and has over 20 years of professional experience as a management consultant, international adviser, federal public servant and is a qualified non-practising lawyer. Nathan has been company secretary of two companies, including ARM, and has the financial and governance skills to ensure the ARM continues to be a sustainable member led organisation. Nathan has been campaigning for an Australian Republic for over 25 years, since before the referendum in 1999, through to continuing his advocacy by convening overseas non-aligned Republic supporters forums in Asia and the Middle East. He rejoined the Movement on his return to Australia and has been active here ever since. With the Republic Movement, he is currently the longest serving company director and has been the ARM Treasurer, Company Secretary and the ACT Branch Convenor for the past five years.
Yasmin PooleYasmin Poole seeks to challenge policymakers to think differently. Her vision is for Australia to become a global leader in intersectional policymaking, with a Parliament that truly reflects the diversity of our communities. She is Plan International’s National Ambassador, advocating for young women to be heard in Australian politics. She regularly provides commentary on Australian TV and radio, such as Q+A, The Drum, and ABC News. Yasmin is the Non-Executive Board Director of OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food waste charity, and previously worked on gender equality campaigns for the World Bank in the Pacific region. In 2021, Yasmin was recognised as the Martin Luther King Jr Center’s Youth Influencer of the Year. She is studying a Master of Public Policy and holds a Master in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.

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