Russell Schneider

Russell Schneider AM was born in Sydney and grew up in Newtown. He started his career as a Journalist with the Sydney Daily Telegraph, became News Ltd's Canberra Bureau Chief and Political Correspondent for The Australian newspaper between 1978 and 1983 during which time he wrote two books and a weekly column on politics. He has been adviser to a Federal Minister, ran an industry association for 22 years, then became Director of a major Australian company.

In 2015 he took part in the Museum of Australian Democracy's oral history program reflecting on life in Australia's Old Parliament House. (https://oralhistories.moadoph.gov.au/russell-schneider), and in 2016 became Chair of a Task Force set up to deal with a massive flying fox colony which had settled in the township of Batemans Bay.

He has maintained a deep interest in the history of early Australian settlement particularly as shown through the journals and books written by those with first- hand experience of the venture. His Facebook page First Fleet-myths and mysteries-what your teachers didn't tell you reveals little known facts about the late 1780's.

As well as being an amateur historian Russell dabbles in local politics, tries to paint in water colours, shares cooking with his wife Pamela, and looks over the gorgeous waters of Broulee bay, once entry port for the Mogo and Araluen goldfields, on the far south coast of New South Wales.

Russell was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008.