My mother has been an active local historian for many years and I grew up helping research local and family history, wandering through cemeteries and spending hours in the local library searching through genealogy records. After multimedia training, I returned to history throughout the 1990s through the medium of photos, completing many hours of photo restoration work. During this time I also began a variety of volunteer work, including around six years in the Coffs Harbour Regional Museum. In the mid-2000s The Solitary Islands Marine Park employed me to research and develop a coastal heritage drive-trail and signage. I am a foundation member of Coffs Harbour City Council’s Heritage Executive Committee formed in 2004. I graduated from the Advanced Diploma of Local, Family and Applied History in 2006 (UNE) and the Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice (UNE) in 2016 with a New England Award, receiving an Undergraduate Research Summer School accommodation scholarship in 2013. In 2016 I was selected by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to become a Wreck spotter. I am currently in my final year of part-time study undertaking the Bachelor of Arts with Honours at the University of New England, supervised by Dr Matt Allen and Dr Martin Gibbs.