The Australian Reptile Park team is made up of passionate and committed individuals who care for the animals that call the Reptile Park home and ensure all guests have a great time when they visit!

John has owned the Australian Reptile Park with his wife Robyn since the 1980s and has turned the zoo into the success it is today. John still oversees all Park operations and construction to this day. He was awarded the prestigious Member of the Order of Australia in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to Australian tourism and the production of life-saving snake and spider antivenoms.

Robyn’s work in developing and implementing methods for extracting venom from funnel-web spiders has contributed to saving many Australian lives and was recognised by a humanitarian award from the Commonwealth Bank. In 2003 she was recognized as the Central Coast region’s Businesswoman of the Year. She still works at the Park today, heading up the accounts department.

Tim

Tim is a recognised leader in the Australian zoological industry and in conservation organisations worldwide. His working life has been dedicated to hands-on wildlife education and conservation.  It is through his passion and knowledge of wildlife and ecology that saw Tim was recognized in 2015 when he was awarded the Australian Geographic Conservationist of the Year for his work and contribution in the conservation of the Tasmanian devil at Aussie Ark.

Tim made regular appearances on the hit series Bondi Vet and both his series, Outback Adventures with Tim Faulkner and The Wild Life of Tim Faulkner, chronicle his daily interactions with the world’s most dangerous and delightful animals and is aired in over 160 countries worldwide. Also giving back to the tourism community, Tim sits on the Central Coast Tourism Advisory Committee and provides feedback to Central Coast Council regarding tourism in the region.

Liz

Liz joined the Australian Reptile Park family as a volunteer in 2002 and never looked back. Starting her career in reptiles, she quickly moved through the ranks to be Head of Reptiles in just four years. Liz is highly motivated and focused on the continuous improvement of the Australian Reptile Park, the wider animal industry, and innovative conservation projects within Australia. In addition to her zoo duties, Liz is also the President of the NSW Zoo Association working towards providing NSW zoos a voice to government for policies and legislature.

Liz has exposure in a range of animal welfare positions and is the liaising representative for two AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) facilities. She oversees the world-renowned venom production unit of the Australian Reptile Park, as well as the ongoing captive breeding program for the endangered Tasmanian devil and other species at Aussie Ark.

Hayley

Hayley is the resident “koala whisperer” at the Australian Reptile Park, having hand-raised many koala joeys and building the koala breeding program to its record numbers it sees today. Starting with the Australian Reptile Park in 1998, Hayley quickly showed her aptitude with Australian mammals and birds and worked for many years as zookeeper with the Park.

A large part of Hayley’s role is overseeing the endangered species breeding programs the Australian Reptile Park undertakes including the massive Aussie Ark project whilst managing animal welfare for the Australian Reptile Park.

Mick

Having worked at the Park for close to 27 years, Ranger Mick is proud of the impact the Australian Reptile Park has on children and visitors. With nearly 46,000 lives shows under his belt, it’s estimated that Mick has performed in front of 5 million people! Ranger Mick presents all educational talks at the Australian Reptile Park and is a highlight for many visitors who come to the Park.

Billy is the Operations Manager for the Australian Reptile Park. Since Billy was young, he always had a deep interest for reptiles, especially saltwater crocodiles, and began working at the Reptile Park in 2006 until 2016. Billy’s passion for saltwater crocodiles has seen him travel and live in parts of Far North Queensland to study this beautiful, yet elusive species from 2016 to 2022, where he made his return to the Park to become the Operations Manager.

Joining the team in 2017, Hewin started as a volunteer and quickly became a favourite of staff and visitors alike. He studied a Bachelor of Zoology and had a deep love and connection to the Australian Reptile Park. Hewin’s drive and passion for mammals lead to him becoming Head of Mammals and Birds.  Hewin is passionate about conservation and is often helping with this at Aussie Ark and hand raising mammals when necessary for their survival.