We proudly employ tutors who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their respective fields. Current Academic Officers include former presidents and secretaries from professional associations, managers and department heads from a variety of organisations and successful owner operators of a wide variety of businesses.
All Academic Officers and course writers:
- Hold a tertiary qualification (diploma or degree).
- Have a minimum of five years of industry experience.
- Hold an appropriate training skills qualification.
- Are still working in industry (at least part time).
John Mason
Dip.Hort.Sc., Cert.Supn., Adv.Cert.Mgt., FIOH, FCIH
From the mid-1960s, John worked on building sites during school holidays before studying horticulture and horticultural engineering at Burnley Horticultural College. Throughout the 1970s he worked in landscaping, parks management and gardening before founding ACS Distance Education in 1979. In 1983 he built the school's first office from mud brick and continues to apply his practical skills in both construction and horticulture. John has been teaching, writing and practising across multiple disciplines for more than five decades. He comes from a family of builders, from his great-great-grandfather who owned a building company in the United Kingdom to his father, a carpenter who operated his own building business in Melbourne for 45 years.
Lachlan Allan
B. Engineering, B.A.
Lachlan has wide-ranging experience across project management, engineering and related industries in both Australia and the United Kingdom.
Jacinda Cole
B.Sc., M.Psych., Cert.Garden Design, MACA
Jacinda worked as a painter, decorator and builder throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before undertaking studies in building, landscaping and psychology. Over subsequent decades she has worked across all of these industries, renovated and sold property, and continued applying her trade knowledge in a variety of settings throughout England and Australia. Jacinda also has extensive experience in course development and educational writing.
Diana Cole
B.A. (Hons), RHS Diploma in Horticulture, BTEC Higher Diploma in Garden Design, Diploma CIPD, PTLLS, PDC
Diana has studied and worked extensively in landscaping, horticulture and permaculture. She operates her own landscape gardening business, Arbella Gardens, and has actively contributed to conservation and community organisations including the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners.
Megan Cox
B.Sc. (Hons) Environmental Conservation, M.Sc.
Megan has more than ten years of practical and industry experience in farming, land conservation and gardening throughout the United Kingdom and South America. She spent two years working on farms in South America and has taught and practised permaculture in the UK. Megan is passionate about sustainable living and continues to develop her property in North Wales.
Adriana Fraser
Adv.Cert.Hort., Adv.Dip.Hort.
Adriana has lived a self-sufficient lifestyle for decades on rural properties on Melbourne's eastern fringe. She has written regularly for magazines including Grass Roots and Home Grown and has made significant contributions to ACS books and courses over many years.
Gaynor Hartley
Dip.Hort.Sc.
Gaynor has worked with ACS since 1986. She grew up on a large farm in northern Victoria before studying horticulture in the late 1970s. Gaynor owned and operated a propagation nursery for more than two decades and has maintained a lifelong passion for gardening, arts and crafts. Her experience is extensive and her support of students has become legendary within ACS.
Melissa Leistra
B.Ed., M.Sc. (Nutrition)
Melissa built her own off-grid home and has lived a self-sufficient lifestyle on rural properties in northern New South Wales and Tasmania. Alongside her practical experience, she is a qualified teacher and nutritional scientist with more than twenty years of experience in teaching and educational writing.
Jade Sciascia
B.Sc. Biol., Dip.Prof.Ed., Cert. Food Hygiene
Jade grew up in Scotland with a strong connection to the land before moving to Australia in her twenties. Together with her husband, she built her own home on acreage in Queensland. From painting and cabinet making to fencing and gardening, Jade has developed broad practical experience. She is also an accomplished writer and educator with qualifications in education, business and quality auditing.
Nicola Stewart
BA(Hons), Dip.Pub., CIM Dip.Marketing, PGCE, M.Ed.
Nicola has worked across the building, education, writing and health sectors. Today she divides her time between ACS, doctoral studies and supporting her husband's building business.
Mitchell Skiller
Assoc.Dip.Hort., Cert IV Training and Assessment
Mitchell has more than 25 years of experience in the horticultural industry. His career has included roles as a supervising horticulturist, landscaper, consultant and business owner specialising in tropical plants and cut flower production.
Timothy Walker
B.A. (Botany), RHS.M.Hort., Post.Grad.Dip.Ed.
Timothy is a botanist, horticulturist, gardener, author and academic. After training at several prestigious gardens including Windsor Great Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, he joined Oxford Botanic Garden in 1986 and became Director in 1988. Under his leadership the gardens won four Chelsea Flower Show gold medals and established 67 acres of MG5 wildflower meadow at Harcourt Arboretum. Timothy remains an active gardener and internationally respected authority in horticulture and botany.
Rajy Xavier
M.Eng., M.Ed.
Rajy is an electrical engineer and educator with more than twelve years of experience. Following completion of a Master's degree in Telecommunication Engineering, she worked as an Assistant Professor in Electrical Engineering for five years. She later completed a Master of Education with a double major through Queensland University of Technology.