About Us

The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA) was created in 1987 to preserve and maintain the Port Arthur Historic Site – a major Australian tourism destination and one of the country’s most important heritage sites.

In 2011, PAHSMA also became responsible for the Coal Mines Historic Site and Cascades Female Factory Historic Site. All three sites (known collectively as the Port Arthur Historic Sites) are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the eleven sites comprising the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property, which was inscribed in 2010.

PAHSMA is a Government Business Enterprise and operates under the provisions of several principle acts of the Tasmanian State Parliament:

• Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority Act 1987
• Government Business Enterprises Act 1995
• Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995
• National Parks and Reserve Management Act 2002
• State Service Act 2000

PAHSMA is committed to the aims and objectives of the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2002 (the Act). It does not tolerate improper conduct by its employees, officers or members, or the taking of detrimental action against those who come forward to disclose such conduct.

To be the leader in conserving, creating and sharing our extraordinary Australian convict places, experiences and stories.

To enrich the lives of our communities by providing cultural, social, environmental and economic benefit.

Members of the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority’s Board are appointed by the Tasmanian Government.

Members bring a wide variety of skills and knowledge from across a range of disciplines and arenas of business, heritage management and public life to the organisation.

Grant O’Brien MAICD, Chair

Tasmanian born; Grant O’Brien was appointed as Chair to the PAHSMA Board in December 2019. Grant enjoyed a 29-year career with Woolworths Limited, including appointment as Chief Executive in 2011, before retiring in 2016. His career with Woolworths provided extensive skills in Finance, Commercial and Business Operations, Marketing and Retail. He is a former Chairman of both Australian Leisure & Hospitality and Hydrox Holdings and a former Director of Pankind. Grant is the present Chair of the Australian Sports Foundation, a Director of the Stars Foundation, a Director of the Lauderdale Trust and a member of the Tasmanian Government’s AFL task force. In 2021, Grant was appointed as the Chair of Tourism Tasmania. The Board recognises Grant as an independent Director.

Kristal Buckley AM

BA (Hons), DipSocSci, MPubPol, GradCertHigherEd

Kristal Buckley AM is an experienced cultural heritage practitioner with more than 40 years’ professional experience in academia, teaching, consulting and government roles. Her research focuses on the practical implementation of international heritage regimes, and her work includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural heritage assessments, teaching and management projects, with an emphasis on community involvement, cultural landscapes and the cultural values of nature.

Kristal is a former international Vice President of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and a past president of Australia ICOMOS. She has represented ICOMOS at the annual session of the World Heritage Committee since 2007 and was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 2013 for services to cultural heritage and education. 

Roseanne Heyward

Roseanne Heyward has longstanding and strong ties with the local Tasman community, having grown up in Koonya, attended school at the Tasman District School then as a boarder at The Friends’ School in Hobart.   After travelling overseas and returning to Hobart to work and raise a family she returned to Koonya to live in 1995.   Ms Heyward is actively involved as a volunteer with a number of community organisations.

Roseanne has served the Tasman community in the role of Councillor on the Tasman Council while also demonstrating leadership, stakeholder engagement, communication skills and sound judgement in her roles as both Deputy Mayor (2007-2014) and Mayor (2014-2018). Prior to the Tasman Council roles, Ms Heyward was employed as a Practice Manager of a specialist medical clinic for 15 years.

Roseanne is a member of the PAHSMA Audit, Risk and Governance Committee.

Ric De Santi

Ric De Santi has extensive public sector experience in management, financial and performance audit and reporting. He is Deputy Chair of the Catholic Education Commission and an Audit Panel Member for Glenorchy City and Sorell Councils and Chair of Launceston City Council’s Audit Panel. Mr De Santi serves as a Divisional Councillor on the Tasmanian Division of CPA Australia, is Chair of the Public Sector Committee and is a member of CPA Australia’s External Reporting Centre of Excellence. He is also a member of the Local Government Board undertaking the Future of Local Government Review and a casual academic with the University of Tasmania.  Mr De Santi served as the Deputy Auditor-General for the Tasmanian Audit Office for 15 years and, prior to finishing in 2021, he was also a member of the Australasian Council of Auditors-General (ACAG) Financial Reporting and Accounting Committee and Chair of the ACAG Heads of Financial Audit Group.  He was also a Director of CPA Australia from 2017 until 2021 and served as the Deputy President and Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee in 2021.

Mr De Santi holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting, is a CPA Fellow, a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Registered Company Auditor.

Ric is the Chair of the PAHSMA Audit, Risk & Governance Committee.

Melinda Percival

Melinda Percival is an experienced leader having worked in multiple sectors including aviation, tourism, energy and telecommunications. She has held a number of executive positions including the General Manager Product and Marketing at Aurora Energy, Manager National Markets at Tourism Tasmania and General Manager Corporate Affairs and Aviation for Hobart Airport focusing on areas of business development, strategy, customer experience, marketing and corporate affairs.

Melinda has held board positions for the Australian Airports Association, Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, and Antarctic Tasmania. Melinda is a member of the PAHSMA Audit, Risk & Governance Committee.

Richard Mulvaney

Richard Mulvaney has over 35 years’ experience in the cultural sector and is a strong advocate for museums and heritage sites.

He is a past Director of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, past CEO of NSW Rail Transport Museum and a Director of Bradman Museum and Foundation. Mr Mulvaney was also the former president of Museums Australia, Tasmania and has held Board roles on the Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board, Theatre North, Churchill Memorial Trust, Southern Highlands Arts and Museums Arts and Advisory Board.

Richard is a member of the PAHSMA Audit, Risk & Governance Committee.

Our Values give us our sense of identity as an organisation, describing the core qualities that underpin how we work together to support the goals and future success of PAHSMA;

• Unity – We work as one to achieve PAHSMA’s Purpose and vision
• People Matter – We acknowledge and show respect to our people – past, present and future
• Accountability – We hold ourselves, and each other, accountable for our actions and behaviours
• Passion and Pride – We are committed to being world class

Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority Ministerial Charter

Port Arthur Historic Site Statutory Management Plan (currently under review)

PAHSMA Strategic Plan 2023-28

Port Arthur Historic Site Customer Service Charter

For more publications and documents relating to the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority please click here.