Megan Bird

Megan has a strong print-journalism and corporate communications background. She has worked as a reporter, sub-editor and editor in Australia, Britain and Bangkok, and written everything from websites, media releases and newsletters to speeches and short-film scripts. She is versed in writing and editing for multiple digital media platforms. Her career has been shaped by her son Thomas's autism. She homeschooled him throughout high school until 2023 as other options were unsuitable. She lobbied for his needs and manages his NDIS package. Megan has maintained her communications' work, as wordsmith for sculptor David Ball and other clients and by writing the odd freelance article. She turned her passion for antiques into a business in order to provide work while slotting it around her son's needs. She also completed many courses and worked in the disability sector during Thomas's early years. Thomas began university in Canberra in July 2024, freeing her up to take on a full-time role.

• Spearheaded the awareness of The Australian Science Festival from a negligible figure to an outstanding 86 per cent of Canberrans
• Supervised and mentored up to 10 staff members to perform tasks ranging from organising a visiting journalists program and updating media data bases to writing editorial copy and strategic documents
• Used Teams, Canva, Powerpoint, Mailchimp, Instagram, Facebook, Excel and the like
• Secured sponsorship to cost-recover multi-million-dollar events
• Juggled competing deadlines to deliver outstanding outcomes
• Crisis management
• Writing, editing, publishing and pitching hundreds of media releases and alerts
• Conducting media monitoring, reports and analysis
• Organising, briefing and training scores of media spokespeople
• Planning, writing and coordinating many websites

• Volunteer Ethics Teacher, Mittagong Public School, Mittagong, NSW, 01/01/15-12/31/16, Assembled sensory toolbox for classroom use.
• Co-founder, The Learning Zone, Mittagong, NSW, 01/01/12-12/31/16, Designed classroom sensory toolboxes.
• Founding Member, Special Needs and Parent Support Committee (SNAPS), Moss Vale, NSW, 01/01/12-12/31/14, Generated media coverage and advised on a specialist library.
• Founding Member, Support Group of Parents of Children with Disabilities, Moss Vale, NSW, 01/01/12-12/31/14, Provided guidance to parents.
• Live-in Carer, London, England, 01/01/93, Provided personal care.
• School Work Experience, Social Work Day Program Facility for People with Disabilities, Brisbane, QLD, 01/01/85

Southern Highlands, NSW, Berry, NSW, Sydney, NSW, Canberra, NSW, 01/01/16-present

• Second-generation antiques dealer specialising in Mid-century and retro.
• Started Magpie to recycle own pieces and got hooked.
• Has dealt in centres ranging from Lunatiques (Sydney's busiest centre at the time) to the Mittagong Antiques Centre and the Old Cheese Factory in Robertson.

• Positive Behaviour Support, one-day ASPECT workshop, 2017
• Introduction to Community Services, four-week course by MDS, 2016
• Tony Attwood, two-day Asperger’s Syndrome workshop, 2013
• Making it a Success, by Sue Larkey, one-day workshop, 2012
• Managing Challenges Collaboratively, by Dr Steve Walker, 10 weeks, 2012
• Positive Partnerships, one-day workshop, 2011
• Traffic Jam in My Brain by OT Gen Jereb, one-day workshop, 2011