Dr Carole Adams has a PhD in history from Harvard University. She has taught at the Universities of Maryland and Central Florida and at the University of Sydney. Carole has also lived and taught in Germany and led tours through the region.

Dr Michael Adcock is a social and cultural historian who specialises in the field of modern France. Michael's teaching experience includes several years with History Department of the University of Melbourne and a series of popular lectures at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, the Art Gallery of Queensland and the National Gallery of Victoria. He has also published works on the French Revolution with Cambridge University Press. Michael has previously led two highly successful tours to Paris for Academy Travel.

Carolyn Andrew spent her early life in Belgium, France and Italy, and after stints in New York, London and Tokyo was delighted to return to Europe, settling in Milan with her family for an extended period. Long absorbed in all aspects of Italian art and culture, this passion has over the years been expanded and enhanced in the course of numerous return visits to italy both as a traveller and a tour director. She is fluent in Italian and French.

Dr John Barclay has decades of experience travelling to China and working with the Chinese. He is a founding member of the University of Sydney's China Education Centre, giving him an insider's view of Chinese society. He has led a number of small group cultural tours to China.

Stuart Barrie is a director of Academy Travel and has over 20 years' experience in travel, including leading groups through western Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and the United States. He has a strong interest in history, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Macquarie University and a Master of Commerce from the University of New South Wales. Stuart led a theatre tour to New York in early 2006, jointly offered by Academy Travel and the Sydney Theatre Company.

Christopher Bradley has an honours degree from Liverpool University and specialises in the history and art of North Africa and Arabia. One of his particular interests is the Queen of Sheba. He first visited Ethiopia in 1977 and has led specialist tours there since 1993. He has written and photographed ten guidebooks and lectured to ADFAS, NADFAS, universities and the Royal Geographical Society.

Cathy Campbell, holds a Master's degree in Egyptology from Macquarie University, Australia's leading centre for research and teaching on Ancient Egypt, where she is also an adjunct lecturer. Her special interests are in Egyptian Art, Egyptian Religion and the New Kingdom with particular emphasis on the 18th Dynasty and the Amarna Period.

Marina Campbell was born in Russia and returns regularly for study, work and pleasure. Marina holds an MA in Russian Studies from the University of NSW and has spent many years teaching Russian language and culture at the University of Sydney. She has led many successful tours to Russia and Central Europe.

Ben Churcher has a wide range of experience both as an educator, a traveller, a historian and an archaeologist. Ben graduated from Queensland University in 1983 with Honours in Ancient History and he also holds a Diploma of Education from the University of Sydney. Since 1983 Ben has been involved in the yearly excavations by the University of Sydney at the site of Pella in Jordan and he is, at present, the field director of the project. As well as his ‘hands-on’ excavation experience, Ben has also travelled widely throughout Europe, the Middle east, North and East Africa, Japan, and South-east Asia.

Darryl Collins is an expert in the art of South East Asia. He holds a Masters of Arts degree from the Australian National University, specialising in Asian Art. He has worked as a curator of Asian art exhibitions in major galleries around Australia. He first travelled to Cambodia as part of a team from the National Gallery of Australia assisting the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. He has continued his association with the National Museum and has been a resident of Cambodia for more than 10 years, today living in a beautifully restored house in Siem Reap, close to the ruins of Angkor Wat. He has worked as a lecturer and tour leader of many specialised tours to Laos and Cambodia

Dr Carole Cusack is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Studies in Religion at the University of Sydney. She has many years of experience teaching public courses through the University's Centre for Continuing Education and has received awards both for excellence in teaching and research supervision. Her research interests include Medieval Christianity and European Mythology. She has traveled extensively in Western Europe pursuing her research interests.

Dr John Dickson is founding Director of the Centre for Public Christianity. He has a degree in theology and a doctorate in ancient history, specializing in the birth of Christianity. John is a Senior Research Fellow of the Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University, and teaches courses on Christian origins at both Macquarie and Sydney Universities. He has hosted two television documentaries broadcast nationally on the 7 Network (The Christ Files and Life of Jesus), authored over a dozen books and is in demand as a public speaker, both in Australia and internationally.

Tom Duncan was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied History of Art and Classical Archaeology. He then studied in the United States and moved to England in 1984 to complete his PhD. He taught at University level and now lectures widely to heritage and artistic organisations. He has now retired from University life to concentrate on lecturing to a wider public. He leads tours to his major areas of interest, including the architecture and archaeology of England and Ireland.

Leonie Furber is well-known to food lovers in Australia. She is the founder of Convivial Times, which organises food tours and corporate events. For many years Leonie was closely involved with the Slow Food movement, both internationally and in Australia. Needless to say, Leonie has a passion for understanding the history and traditions that stand behind fine food, and in sharing knowledge of these traditions with Australians. For more information on Leonie visit www.convivialtimes.com.au

For over 25 years Robert Gay has presented music history courses for the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney. Over the same period he has designed and escorted more than 60 musical and cultural tours to Europe and America.

Dr Nick Gordon has a PhD in late medieval Italian and early modern English history from the University of Sydney. His research focuses on of political and urban space. He has taught European history (1200-1900), social analysis and architectural history at universities in Sydney and has led several tours to Italy for Academy Travel.

UK-based Angus Haldane studied classics at Oxford University, specialising in Roman history and art. His postgraduate qualifications from London's prestigious Courtauld Institute are in Byzantine and Renaissance art. When not running his European art consultancy, Haldane Fine Art, Angus leads tours for Academy Travel and for some of the UK's leading cultural tour operators. In 2011 Angus led our City of Rome residential tour.

Toby Hartnell holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney and a Master of Arts (Archaeology) from the University of Chicago, for whom he has also worked as a member of the Oriental Institute on archaeology. He currently co-directs an archaeology project with his Iranian colleagues. Toby's special interest is ancient Iranian history and culture and he has taught courses and day seminars on Iran at the University of Sydney and online for the University of Chicago.

Dr Cecily Hennessy is a UK based expert on Byzantine art and history. She holds an MA from the University of Washington and a PhD from the London's Courtauld Institute. She has lectured in universities in the USA and the UK and has led many tours for leading UK cultural tour operators.

Dr Estelle Lazer is an archaeologist who has worked on site at Pompeii for seven seasons and has an international reputation for her research on the city's skeletal remains. She has just completed a major book on Pompeii. She lectures at both the University of Sydney and the University of NSW. Estelle has led numerous trips to southern Italy for Academy Travel.

Odette Livingstone-Smith has an MA in Art History and for 15 years taught with universities in Surrey and London. She moved to Paris 22 years ago and now resides in the Loire Valley. She has led and lectured on study tours and cruises in Europe, South Africa and Australia. As well as French culture she is interested in Mediterranean civilizations of all periods. She is a popular NADFAS lecturer.

Robin Nichols is well known to keen amateur photographers in Sydney, through his regular classes and photography tours that he has led to locations around the world. He has been a professional photographer for more than 30 years. As well as teaching the effective use of a camera, his teaching work has increasingly concentrated on the use of software to enhance and present digital photos. Robin’s good sense of humour and approachable style have made him a popular teacher and tour leader.

Dr Kathleen Olive has a doctorate in Italian literature from the University of Sydney. She has a strong interest in medieval history and contemporary fiction writing, which she has taught at a number of universities in Australia. Kathleen leads travel groups to Italy and Spain. She lived and studied in Italy and speaks fluent Italian.

John Osborne has postgraduate qualifications in Classics from Cambridge University. For many years he was Classics master at Marlborough College. John has considerable experience travelling and leading tours to the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Suzanne Perrin holds a masters degree from Chelsea School of Art and is a visiting lecturer in Japanese art, history & culture at the University of Cape Town and the Victoria and Albert Museum London. Suzannne has led several study tours to Japan for NADFAS and lectures on Japanese art and culture for ADFAS, NADFAS and the Asian Arts course at the V & A.

Yalda Razmahang is an Iranian-born archaeologist who grew up in Tehran and in Rasht, the port of the Caspian Sea. She completed her Masters of Archaeology training in Tehran before moving to Sydney to complete her thesis. She was a tour leader in the National Museum of Iran's educational program for three years. She knows all the intricacies of Iranian food, traditions, and religion.

Judy Roberts holds a BA in Archaeology and Ancient History and Honours in Classical Archaeology from the University of Sydney. She has lived and travelled extensively in Europe and beyond, particularly to Greece and Turkey where she has visited more than ten times. Judy has been involved at the University of Sydney excavation at Paphos, Cyprus. She has special interest in religion and food, both ancient and modern.

Sue Rollin is an expert on the history and archaeology of the Middle East and is the author of the highly-regarded Blue Guide to Jordan. She lectures for the UK-based National Association of Decorative and fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) and is well known to ADFAS members through her lecture tours in Australia.

NADFAS lecturer Nirvana Romell makes her first ADFAS lecture tour in 2011. Nirvana was born in Croatia and has lived in the UK for many years now, regularly presenting art history courses and lectures at the Manchester Art Gallery and the Walker National Gallery in Liverpool. Nirvana has led many tours to Croatia.

Jeni Ryde is a senior lecturer in Italian language at the University of Western Sydney and a fluent Italian speaker. She lived in Italy for a number of years and has a wide ranging knowledge of Italian history and cultural traditions. She has led many special focus tours to Italy and is currently writing her PhD - a cross disciplinary study incorporating Renaissance Historiography, Museology and Tourism Studies.

Simon Smart is a Director of the Centre for Public Christianity. A former English and History teacher Simon has since completed a Masters in Christian Studies at Regent College, Canada. He has years of experience writing and editing both academic curricula and popular books. He is the author of Bright Lights Dark Nights - the enduring faith of 13 remarkable Australians and was the controlling editor of A Spectator’s Guide to World Views.

Dr Archondia Thanos specialises in Bronze Age Greece. Her doctoral thesis focused on the Myceneans. Career highlights include teaching at the British School at Athens and the University of Sydney, as well as field work in Athens, Chios, Melos and Cyprus. Sydney-born, Archondia speaks fluent Modern Greek and has good knowledge of Koine, Classical Greek and Linear B

Dr John Tidmarsh is president of the University of Sydney's Near Eastern Archaeology Foundation, and a former lecturer in the Department of Archaeology. He is also Co-Director of the University's excavations at Pella in Jordan, and the ANU/University of Melbourne excavations at Jebel Khalid in Syria and has also excavated in Greece and Cyprus. He has led numerous tours to Oman, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and other countries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Robert Veel holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Education, from the University of Sydney. He led his first tour to Italy in 1990 and since then has designed and led 16 tours to Italy, Turkey and the United States, as well as traveling through Asia, north Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Canada. Robert's special interest is in Italian medieval and Renaissance history, and he has taught numerous courses in this area at the University of Sydney and elsewhere since 1990.

Dr Kathryn Welch is a senior lecturer in Roman History in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney. She has written extensively on the Roman Republic, civil war and early Imperial Rome and on Roman topographical subjects. She has led many tours to Italy, especially to Rome.

Croatian-born Anita Yousif works as an archaeologist and interpreter in Sydney. She completed her undergraduate studies in archaeology at the University of Belgrade and holds a MPhil in Archaeology from the University of Sydney, where she worked for several years as a research assistant.

To be announced.

Please see tour leader biographies for individual tours