Michael White is Deputy Principal at Safety Bay Senior High School, with recent experience as a Deputy Principal at Armadale and Governor Stirling Senior High Schools. Michael has a passion for History having taught Modern History for over 20 years. His interest in military history spans from pre-classical Greek through to the Western and Eastern Roman Empires and then picks up again with Napoleonic history running through to the contemporary world. Michael is a member of the Army Reserve and has coached junior sports in both softball and basketball in his spare time; his main interests are his family, history, sport and reading.
Whilst on the ANZAC tour, Michael will be keen to recognise his own family’s service during World War One. His Great Uncle, Adolf Knable, was killed at Fromelles, while Adolf’s cousin Hamel White won the Military Medal at Mouquet Farm and subsequently died of his wounds. The current excavations in Pheasant Wood near Fromelles are of great interest to Mike and his family as it is believed Adolf’s body was buried there during the war.
Michael has participated in two previous tours, as a Teacher Supervisor (2006) and then as Deputy Tour Leader (2007).
Rosinda Seara completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1987, majoring in History. On completing her teaching qualifications in 1988, Rosinda worked as a secondary classroom teacher until being appointed Head of Society and Environment at Hamilton Senior High School in 2006. Her teaching responsibilities include Society and Environment, TEE History and TEE Geography. Rosinda has traveled extensively and appreciates the value of knowing one’s own History. Consequently, engaging students in the study of 20th Century Australian History is her passion. Rosinda’s students are regular participants in the Sir Charles Court Young Leaders program, the National History Challenge and the ANZAC Student Tour competition. Rosinda actively encourages student involvement in ANZAC Day commemoration events within her school and community.
Rosinda is highly experienced when it comes to extended excursion management. She regularly coordinates many intrastate, interstate and overseas excursions. As an Emergency Services Cadet instructor, she has been a regular organiser of expeditions. Each year, Rosinda takes great pride in the role that she and the Emergency Services Cadets play at various school and community ANZAC Day parades and ceremonies.
Rosinda joins the 2009 Tour as Deputy Tour Leader, having participated in the 2008 Tour to France and Belgium as a Teacher Supervisor.
As a Society and Environment/History teacher, Catherine has taught in public secondary schools in Laverton, Broome and Northam for the past 16 years, returning to Perth five years ago where she is now the Head of Society and Environment and ATP Humanities Coordinator at Kelmscott Senior High School. In addition to her school commitments, Catherine is a History Teacher Development Centre Coordinator and a representative for the Curriculum Council’s Modern History Assessment, Review and Moderation Panel.
Throughout her teaching career Catherine has been actively involved in student services and served as a year coordinator on many occasions. She has also coordinated and participated in numerous intrastate excursions across Western Australia, including many with Girl Guides. The Premier’s ANZAC Student Tour, she believes, will be a fantastic experience as it will allow Australian Military history to come alive and students will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the past and how that impacts on Australian society today. Catherine is married with two children.
Justin Davies commenced his teaching career with the Department of Education and Training in 1992, and over the course of his career has had extensive country and metropolitan teaching experience. He is currently Manager: 8-10 Science/Technology and Environment Sub-school at Rockingham Senior High School, where he oversees the pastoral care and academic progress of some 250 students. He has been a part of the K-10 Curriculum Guides for Science and has developed many innovative teaching programmes, most noticeably the Lone Pine propagation project at Rockingham Senior High School.
In his spare time, Justin is a member of Royal Australian Air Force Reserve and enjoys reading, gardening and spending as much time as he can with his wife and two children. There is a strong ANZAC link in his family with members serving in conflicts as far back as the Boer War, WW1, WW2, the Confrontation and Vietnam. Justin is a member of the Bakers Hill RSL and is looking forward to visiting the Menin Gate where he can identify the name of one of their WW1 diggers who was killed in the battle of Polygon Wood in 1917 and has no known grave.Carmen Carter is joining the ANZAC Student Tour in 2009 as the media officer.
Carmen has extensive experience working in local newspapers across Perth.
She covered a wide range of rounds including government, education, police, sport and arts, and interviewed countless local personalities, politicians, high achievers, war veterans and everyday people.
She has worked as Media and Communications Officer at the Department of Education and Training media unit since 2007, following a three-year stint as Public Relations Officer at the City of Swan.
Carmen’s grandfather George Bayliss served in Timor during WWII, where he was part of the 2/2nd Independent Company left behind after the AIF’s withdrawal from the region. This battalion later became the Special Air Service Regiment. On the home front, Carmen’s great-grandfather Gordon Pescud served in the Citizen’s Military Force in the Fremantle and Rottnest area.