A huge number of people have generously volunteered their time over the years to keep the AHWA going. On this page you’ll find all the previous committees listed chronologically.
The AHWA AGM is held every October/November and all committee positions are declared vacant and refilled or filled anew. So each of the committees below ran for a year from roughly October of the year listed.
Late-2003 to 2005 – A committee of 8 people from the Southern Horror Yahoo Group formally organised as the Australian Horror Writers Association
Founding President: Marty Young
Committee:
Kim Wilkins
James Cain
Mick Piemontese
Carl Schaller
Early August 2005 – AHWA becomes an incorporated body in the State of Victoria – official launch during Continuum 3 in Melbourne on July 17th, 2005
President: Marty Young
Vice-President: Kirstyn McDermott
Secretary: Mick Piemontese
Treasurer: Carl Schaller
General Committee members:
Angela Challis
James Cain
2006
President: Marty Young
Vice-President: Kirstyn McDermott
Publications and Marketing: Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Secretary: Carl Schaller
Treasurer: Ian Mond
Membership Officer: David Carroll
General committee members:
Angela Challis
James Cain
2007
President: Marty Young
Vice-President: Kirstyn McDermott
Publications and Marketing: Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Secretary: Carl Schaller
Treasurer: vacant at the time of the AGM
Membership Officer: David Carroll
General committee members:
Ian Mond
2008
President: Marty Young
Vice-President: Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Treasurer: Kirstyn McDermott
Secretary: Ian Mond
Membership Officer: David Carroll
General committee members:
David Schembri
Mick Piemontese
2009
President: Marty Young
Vice-President: Shane Jiraiya Cummings
Treasurer: ?Kirstryn McDermott
Secretary: ?Carl Schaller
Membership Officer: ?David Carroll
General committee members:
?Felicity Dowker
?Mark Farrugia
2010
President: Leigh Blackmore
Vice-President: Geoff Brown
Secretary: Carl Schaller
Treasurer: Scott Wilson
Membership Officer: Amanda Spedding
General committee members:
Jason Crowe
James Doig
Ian Mond
2011
President: Geoff Brown
Vice President:
Treasurer: Carl Schaller
Secretary: James Doig
Membership Officer: A J Spedding
2012
President: Geoff Brown
Vice President: Daniel Russell
Treasurer: Carl Schaller
Secretary: James Doig
Membership Officer: A J Spedding
General Committee Members:
Greg Chapman
Andrew McKiernan
Rebecca Fraser
2013
President: Mark Smith-Briggs
Vice President: Cameron Trost
Treasurer: Cameron Oliver
Secretary: vacant
Membership Officer: Stacey Larner
General Committee Members:
Greg Chapman
James Doig
Robert Datson.
2014
President: Mark Smith-Briggs
General Committee Members:
Greg Chapman
2015
President: Mark Smith-Briggs
Vice President: Cameron Trost
Treasurer: Cameron Oliver
Secretary: James Doig
Membership Officer: Louise Zedda-Sampson
General Committee Members:
Greg Chapman
Steve Dillon
2016
President: Steve Dillon
Vice-President: Cameron Trost
Treasurer: Steve Dillon
Secretary/Public Officer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Steve Dillon
General Committee Members:
Greg Chapman (Sinister Reads – members’ news)
Claire Fitzpatrick (Australian Shadows Awards)
Anthony Paul Ferguson (Critique Group)
[Redacted] (Web site administration for new web site)
There was then a short period between early 2017 and the November 2017 AGM when committee positions changed. A new president took over from Steve Dillon, but that person defrauded the Association and was removed at the 2017 AGM, so their name will not be recorded in AHWA history. During that brief period, the temporary committee was:
President: [Redacted]
Vice President: Greg Chapman
Secretary: James Doig
Treasurer: James Doig (stand in)
General Committee Members:
Anthony Paul Ferguson
Silvia Brown
2017 – The AHWA formally updates its name from the Australian Horror Writers Association to the Australasian Horror Writers Association to officially encompass New Zealand and the greater Australasian region
President: Greg Chapman
Vice President: Lee Murray
Treasurer: James Doig
Secretary: Joseph Ashley-Smith
Membership Officer: Silvia Brown
General Committee Members:
Anthony Ferguson
Lynette Watters
Robert N Stephenson
Lee Battersby
2018
President: Greg Chapman
Vice President: Robert N Stephenson
Secretary: James Doig (acting)
Treasurer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Caroline Angel
General Committee Members:
Anthony Ferguson
Silvia Brown (Shadows Coordinator)
Lynette Watters Idehen
Alister Hodge
Bernie Rutkay
2019
President: Greg Chapman
Vice President: Alan Baxter
Secretary: James Doig (acting)
Treasurer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Al Hodge
General Committee Members:
Bernie Rutkay
Lynette Watters
Anthony Ferguson
2020
President: Alan Baxter
Vice President: vacant
Secretary: Anthony Ferguson
Treasurer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Paul Sheldon
General Committee Members:
Bernie Rutkay
Matt Tighe
Lynnette Watters
Chris Jacobs
2021
President: Alan Baxter
Vice President: R.F. Blackstone
Secretary: Anthony Ferguson
Treasurer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Paul Sheldon
General Committee Members:
Bernie Rutkay
Claire Fitzpatrick
Matt Tighe
Lynnette Watters
Chris Jacobs
2022
President: Alan Baxter
Vice President: Bernie Rutkay
Secretary: Kellie Beat
Treasurer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Paul Sheldon
General Committee Members:
Anthony Ferguson
Matt Tighe
Lynnette Watters
Chris Jacobs
R F Blackstone
David-Jack Fletcher
2023 -2024
President: Claire Fitzpatrick
Vice President: Bernie Rutkay
Secretary: Kellie Beat
Treasurer: James Doig
Membership Officer: Paul Sheldon
AHWA Presidents and tenures:
Marty Young: 2003 to 2010 (8 years)
Leigh Blackmore: 2010 to 2011 (1 year)
Geoff Brown: 2011 to 2013 (2 years)
Mark Smith-Briggs: 2013 to 2016 (4 years)
Steve Dillon: 2016 to 2017 (less than a full year)
Greg Chapman: 2017 to 2020 (3 years)
Alan Baxter: 2020 to 2023 (3 years)
Claire Fitzpatrick: 2023 – 2024 (1 year)
Honorary Lifetime Members:
Marty Young
James Cain
Kim Wilkins
Mick Piemontese
Carl Schaller
Kirstyn McDermott
Angela Challis
Kaaron Warren
Citte Christensen
