About the Victorian Veterans Council

Council members

• Mr Roger Clifton - Chair

  Roger was conscripted for National Service in 1969 and served in Vietnam as the Australian Task Force Brigadier's radio operator from 1970 to 1971. Roger has had an extensive senior career in Marketing and Advertising as Managing Director and Strategy Planner of the Melbourne offices of three international advertising agencies, one of which he was also a principal. Roger is also a Trustee of The Shrine of Remembrance, a Director of The Emerald Tourist Railway and a Director of William Angliss Institute of TAFE.

• Lieutenant Commander Pelagia Markogiannakis - Deputy Chair

  Pela has been a Navy Reservist since 1986 and has attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. She has had a variety of logistics, engineering and infrastructure related roles.  

  Pela is an engineer and certified project professional. She has been the Aide-de-Camp in Waiting to His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales and the His Excellency the Administrator of the Commonwealth of Australia.  

  She is currently serving in a staff role to Shore Force at Fleet Headquarters, Sydney and is the Staff Officer for Reservists in Victoria reporting to the Head of Reserves in Canberra. Pela currently holds the executive infrastructure role with the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.

• Dr Ross Bastiaan, AM RFD

  Ross enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1975 and was attached to 3 Army Field Ambulance. In the RAADC (Res) he was promoted to Colonel Consultant and is currently attached to Defence Health Services Branch, Canberra. Ross served on the Council of the Australian War Memorial from 1995 to 2009. Since 1990 he has placed over 240 multi-lingual, large bronze commemorative plaques at locations around the world, from Europe to the Great Ocean Road. He has also written 3 books on WWI and WWII. Since 1978 Ross has worked in private practice as a periodontist.

• Ms Elizabeth Brown

  Elizabeth is a widow of a Vietnam veteran, a carer to her father-in-law (a WWII veteran) and has been a Pensions/Welfare Officer for the past 4 years.

  She is a qualified Associate Accountant and has worked in finance roles across State Government and is currently studying law at Victoria University.

  Elizabeth was nominated for appointment to the Council by ex-service organisation, the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Victorian Branch (Noble Park Branch).

• Wing Commander Sharyn Bolitho, RAAFAR

  Sharyn Bolitho joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1987. While in the RAAF, she held postings as the Chief of Defence Force, working for Admiral Chris Barrie at the time of the 2001 terrorist attack. She was then responsible for deploying operational personnel in 2002 – receiving a Commendation from Commander Australian Theatre.

  Sharyn was appointed Commanding Officer of Combat Support Unit East Sale in December 2008, transitioning to Commanding Officer No 30 (City of Sale) Squadron when it was reformed on 1 July 2010. She left the Permanent Air Force in May 2012 to remain in Sale and accepted an appointment as Manager Economic Development at Wellington Shire Council. Sharyn transitioned back to RAAFAR as the East Sale Indigenous Liaison Officer in 2017.

• Ms Kim McAliney

  Kim was Deputy Mayor for the City of Wyndham from 2016 to 2017. She was first elected in 2005 and previously elected Mayor for 2007 to 2008, and 2011 to 2012.

  Kim is FCPA qualified, has an Advanced Diploma in Public Safety (E.Mgt) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Kim’s worked at accountancy firms, in the aged care and retirement sector, a multinational company and a National Crisis Counselling service and held numerous board directorships.

  She has been a Director of Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trusts (GMCT) since 2013.

• Lieutenant Commander Peta Irving RAN (Rtd)

  Lieutenant Commander Peta Irving RAN (Rtd) joined the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service in 1983 after spending four years in the Army Reserve Artillery Corp. Peta joined as a Naval Supply Officer and was one of the first females to serve at sea in a permanent position on the HMAS JERVIS BAY in 1985. 

  While in the Navy Peta was logistics officer for Operation RELEX and specialised in joint IT logistic systems as a Project Manager. Peta’s last position in the Royal Australian Navy was as the National Manager Warehousing for the Department of Defence.

  Since leaving the Navy, Peta has been teaching and consulting in Project Management and Supply Chain and Logistics, volunteering and travelling the world. 

• Mr Bruce Mildenhall

  Bruce is not a veteran but has broad experience and strong personal interest in the veteran sector.  He is currently involved in commemorative activities as Chair of the Mt Macedon ANZAC Dawn Service, and has assisted as support rider in the Vietnam Veteran Vetride.

  Bruce’s father was a Rat of Tobruk and maternal grandfather an officer in the ANZAC Light Horse. As a former State MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans' Affairs, Bruce assisted in the drafting of Victoria’s veterans legislation, the Veterans Act 2005, and led the first Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize tour to the Western Front.

• Mr Geoff Brewer

  Geoff Brewer completed National Service with 2RAR in 1966-1967, including a tour of duty to Vietnam in 1967 where he served as an infantryman. Following his military service, Geoff returned to his career as a teacher in Victoria. In 1984, Geoff was awarded an International Teaching Fellowship placement at Hoover Middle School in Buffalo, New York.

  Geoff spent the final 11 years of his teaching career as Principal of Solway Primary School, before retiring in 2000. Geoff has been a longstanding member of Melbourne Legacy, serving as the convenor of the Melbourne Legacy Education Panel for 16 years, and as the Legacy member of the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme Victorian Board since 2001. Geoff is the Legacy member of the Victorian Veterans Council.