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.