Since 1980, Sally has been involved with anthroposophy and
its practical application in daily life, mainly in the context
of the ‘Camphill’ organization in the UK.
(Camphill is an international organization
that supports people with special needs, both those with learning
disabilities and mental health issues, by providing a family
type ‘home’ for them, with committed residential
‘house managers’, and staff from different countries
around the world. In all the Camphill centres further learning
and work opportunities are provided, with plenty of time for
recreation and socialising. Ideals underpinning these centres
are based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner).
Sally has spent 20 years in the role of house
manager; has been active in all other areas of day to day
running and organization; has pioneered new ventures and has
set up and co-ordinated many diverse trainings. These range
from short one- week programs based on a particular theme,
to ongoing one to three year courses. Sally has also lectured
on many different subjects and is a well-respected teacher.
Sally has always loved painting and helping others to paint
and has run classes for people with disabilities, young people
from all over the world and mature age students. In 1985 she
started to become interested in the therapeutic potential
of working with colours and began to train with an experienced
painting therapist, gradually taking over some of her work.
In 1994 she came in contact with The Emerald
Foundation in The Netherlands. Here she met Liane Collot d’Herbois
and her teachings, which opened the way to a whole new understanding
of the spiritual background of colour. Since then she have
been consistently practising this method of painting, gradually
stepping back from some of the other areas of responsibility
to make more time for this valuable work. She has gained experience
working in clinics with doctors and other therapists, and
is a recognised teacher of this method of painting.
In July 2001 Sally moved with her family
to Australia. Sally has taught many courses on the Sunshine
Coast, in Melbourne, Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Tasmania, and
abroad. She also works as a Painting Therapist with children
and adults both at school and in her private practice.
Membership of professional bodies:
Nederlandse Vereniging Voor Kunstzinnige Therapieen
op antropopofische grondslag.
The British Anthroposophical Art Therapy Association. BAATA
The Australian Anthroposophic Medical Association. AAMA
Australian and New Zealand Art Therapy Association ANZATA
[Click here]
Sally Martin’s Statement about her Artwork.

Dr Mark grew up in Melbourne and was educated at a Marist
College. After leaving school Mark studied graphic design
before living a ‘bohemian lifestyle’ in the St
Kilda art scene where he met his current partner Nicole.
In 1989 Mark’s first child Pia was born and the family
moved to South Australia so that Pia could attend the Mount
Barker Waldorf School.
In the early 1990’s Mark undertook a Diploma in Applied
Science and began working as a paramedic on the streets of
Adelaide receiving an Australian National medal for ‘diligent
service in protecting human life’.
In 1998 Mark completed a Bachelor of Health Science and in
2000 Mark received formal academic status at Flinders University
whilst working as a clinical lecturer in the School of Medicine.
In 2001 Mark decided to become an anthroposophic doctor graduating
with a Bachelor of Surgery and a Bachelor of Medicine in 2006.
Concurrent with his conventional medical studies Mark began
post graduate training in anthroposophic medicine in 2004
and has spent considerable time in New Zealand training at
‘Novalis House’ with Dr David Ritchie.
Following his daughter’s completion of Year 12 his family
moved back to Melbourne and Mark’s second child Finn
is enrolled at the Dandenong Ranges Steiner School.
In 2008 Mark will be completing his in-hospital training and
will undertake further anthroposophic medical studies in India
and the Melbourne Therapy Centre. Following the completion
of his medical training Mark plans to consult as a general
practioner specializing in anthroposophic medicine.
The emotional and ideological atmosphere of growing up on
a dairy farm in the 60’s planted in Paul a three-fold
quest: this quest involved seeking for a sustainable agricultural
method, a desire for community living and a search for the
spiritual in all areas of life. That same quest still drives
Paul some 40 years later.
As a keen organic teenage gardener in the
late 60’s Paul came across the words “Bio-Dynamics”
in a gardening book he was reading; these simple words became
a guiding star for Paul as he set out to find and learn about
this magical agricultural method. The quest for this secret
has led Paul to sustainable farming and gardening methods
in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and research ventures
in Europe. In the early 70’s Paul uncovered the even
greater mystery that lies behind Bio-dynamics -‘Anthroposophy’-
A term that denotes the teachings of Austrian-born philosopher
Rudolf Steiner (1871-1925).
In the late 70’s Paul found himself
managing the first UK Bio-dynamic venture into Community Supported
Agriculture; where the customers not only benefited from the
healthy, nourishing produce and were involved socially, but
also had the satisfaction of helping to keep the enterprise
financially viable. During this time Paul had the unexpected
pleasure of meeting adults with learning disabilities who
came to work on the farm. He found this contact very exciting
and stimulating.
This eventually led him to Botton Village,
a Camphill Community on the North Yorkshire Moors, where homes
and work situations are created together with people with
special needs. Here he met and married Sally, farmed Bio-dynamically,
lived and worked a sustainable community life-style and pursued
his love of Anthroposophy. Paul helped pioneer a training
for young Bio-dynamic farmers and taught on the Camphill Bio-dynamic
Seminar for 15 years.
A move to a different Camphill Centre near
London brought Paul into contact with people with mental health
issues, and enabled him to deepen his knowledge of the medical
and therapeutic side of the work.
In 2001 Paul and Sally and their youngest
son, Stefan, returned to Australia, where Paul continues to
work with adults with an Intellectual Disability and Acquired
Brain Injury, no longer in community, but still striving to
empower the clients with the recognition that the abilities
that they possess are of the greatest value to the rest of
society.
Through his long involvement with Bio-dynamic
agriculture and with people who find it difficult to express
themselves, Paul has learnt to listen with empathy both to
the land and to people. Many have taken courage and seen new
meaning in their life through coming into contact with Paul;
and his love and skill with plants shows itself in the beautiful
garden he has created at his home which is a haven of peace
and stillness, where colours, etheric forces and elementals
abound.
Paul continually seeks to extend his knowledge
of Anthroposophy and to make it available to the general community.

Rob spent the first 17 years of his working life as an Electronics
Technical Officer in the Telecommunications industry, before
resigning in 1984 to focus on building a house and develop
a small acreage property near Brisbane, with wife Loraine
and two young sons.
Five years prior to this, in 1979, while still living in Sydney,
he attended a series of lectures given by Mr Robert Williams
as an introduction to the lectures on biodynamic agriculture,
which had been presented by Dr Rudolf Steiner in 1924. Mr
Williams was the first person to bring the knowledge of these
lectures to Australia in the 1940’s.
Already committed for a number of years to the cause of conservation
and organic farming, Rob was sufficiently inspired by these
lectures and the quality of the biodynamic farms (and farmers)
he came into contact with, to take on as a life task, a deepening
of his knowledge of biodynamic agriculture and to practically
applying the method in his gardening work.
Waldorf education, again based on the work of Rudolf Steiner,
has been a twin passion. Rob is currently the gardener and
gardening teacher at the Samford Valley Steiner School. He
returned to this role in 2007, after a break of several years.
Rob’s initial involvement began in 1990 when his younger
son joined the school. Wishing to share his love of gardening
with the children led to Rob taking on the gardening teaching
position in 1998.
Motivated by a desire to assist individuals find meaning in
their lives through identifying and working through the inherent
“roadblocks” along the path, Rob gained a Diploma
in Experiential and Creative Art Therapy from MIECAT (Melbourne
Institute of Experiential & Creative Arts Therapy) and
has completed the theory component of a Diploma in Holistic
Counselling from Sophia College. The knowledge gained from
this training informs his approach to teaching and human relations
in general – endeavouring to honour the worth of each
individual. Since joining the Samford Valley Steiner School
in 1990, Rob has taken the opportunity to study anthroposophy,
the philosophy which provides the spiritual underpinnings
for all the endeavours arising from Rudolf Steiner’s
insights.
Over the last decade, Rob has given many talks on Biodynamics
and after gaining a Certificate 4 in “Workplace Training
and Assessment” in 2006, has run a number of one-day
and two-day introductory workshops over the last two years.
These workshops are held under the auspices of Grovely TAFE
College in Brisbane.

Lorraine has 21 years of experience working in a small business
as company director and accountant. It was in the service
industry and each day necessitated meeting and interacting
with many customers and employees. Lorraine’s work also
involved keeping up with changing legislation effecting small
businesses and book keeping changes like GST, which brought
her into communication with various government bodies. From
both these areas she gained valuable inter-personal skills
and insights into human nature.
Lorraine had always cherished a hope that
one day she might be able to work in a more healing capacity,
and finally in 1997 she was able to commence training in the
area of massage therapy. She achieved her certificate four
in 1999 and diploma in 2005 in Brisbane, Australia. During
this time, Lorraine studied various techniques of massage
therapy.
In 2002 Lorraine began studying rhythmical
massage with the school for rhythmical massage in Sydney and
obtained her diploma qualification in 2005. Rhythmical massage
was developed by Dr Margarethe Hauschka under the direction
of Dr Ita Wegman within the anthroposophic medical model.
Lorraine continues to attend post-graduate trainings twice
a year for her on-going professional development.
Since 2002, Lorraine has realised her dream
of working therapeutically with people through the different
forms of massage that she practices. She now works with an
anthroposophic homeopath and has clients of all ages referred
to her. Most of these have some involvement with the Steiner
Schools.
Memberships of professional bodies:
- The Australian anthroposphic medical association –
AAMA
- The Australian Association of Massage Therapists –
AAMT

Specialist Teachers
There will be many more visiting teachers from other parts
of Australia and from abroad,
giving specialist courses during the training.
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