Cottage by the Sea has a Board of Management who oversee the operations. All of the members kindly volunteer their time, skills and knowledge to help steer the organisation in the right direction


Scott Chapman AM – President

Scott is the Chief Executive of the Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria and has a lifelong involvement in outdoors and camps during his exciting professional and voluntary career. Scott currently holds the Chair positions of Doutta Galla Aged Services, the Enterprize Ship Trust, Dafydd Lewis Scholarship Trust, Western Melbourne Tourism and has recently been appointed as Chair of AMREF International Flying Doctors based in Kenya. Scott was the inaugural Chair of Outdoors Victoria and Chair of The Outdoor Group for 9 years. He is a Director of Awards Victoria and continues his personal involvement in outdoor adventure and camping as often as he can. Scott and his wife Jacqui’s favourite part of the world is Point Lonsdale, where they have a holiday home.

Jerome Walsh – Vice President

Jerome is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of FINSIA with over 20 years in the finance industry. He is experienced in debt financing across a variety of industries. Jerome is married to his wife Alison whom enjoy the company of their adult children.

Don Rankin – Treasurer

Don is a chartered accountant and was a founding partner of Pitcher Partners. He has a long history advising  middle market businesses. Don sits on the Advisory Boards of a number of larger private family businesses, the Board of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Board of a company listed on the ASX.  Don and his wife Megan have had a house at Pt Lonsdale for almost 40 years and spend as much time as possible there.

Dennis Smart

Dennis has an honours degree in Chemical Engineering Science and throughout his career gained technical, engineering, production and marketing experience, with the last 30 years as a Managing Director of the Woods Auto Group. Now retired, Dennis and his wife Sue are spending more time involved with their 5 young grandchildren, travelling and enjoying their Queenscliff beach house and the local community.

Michael Randall OAM

Michael has been in the investment advisory industry for over 40 years, currently working as an investment adviser at Heritage Capital Group. Previously, he has worked at Randall & Co, Potter Partners, UBS and Macquarie Group. He sits on the Finance Committee for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and as a member of Kidney Health Australia’s long-term Strategy Committee. Michael has been a major driver behind establishing and building the Cottage Foundation. He is married with 2 children and enjoys his spare time at Point Lonsdale.

Natalie Hickey

Natalie is a barrister at the Victorian Bar specialising in commercial law and intellectual property. She was formerly the partner of an international law firm. On the Cottage Board for over 16 years, Natalie is delighted to give something back to a community that means a great deal to her. She is an ‘alumni’ of Pt Lonsdale Primary School.

Dr Priscilla Seyfort

Priscilla’s entire professional and academic life has focused on the wellbeing and interests of children. She has the extensive practical and policy-related experience, particularly in relation to working with disadvantaged children and families, and considerable experience on not-for-profit boards. Priscilla has a PhD in Education from the University of Melbourne. Priscilla holidayed at Queenscliff as a child, and she and her husband, Anthony, own a house in Queenscliff where they enjoy holidays with their four adult children.

Liam Petrie-Allbutt

Liam, the managing director of Studio All, a bespoke lighting design house, brings his passion for community and design to Cottage by the Sea as a dedicated Board member. Raised on the Bellarine, Liam’s profound ties to the local community are evident through a decade of active involvement in executive committee roles at Point Lonsdale SLSC, including directing the Rip View Swim Classic.

Recognised for his outstanding contributions, he received the Borough of Queenscliffe’s Young Citizen of the Year Award in 2016, the Community Service of the Year Award in 2017 for the re-creation of “Nippers in School” and Citizen of the Year Award in 2022. Barwon Heads is home for Liam, and he is thrilled to contribute his governance expertise to Cottage by the Sea.

Holding both an Industrial Design degree and a Masters of Architecture, Liam’s accolades extend into his award-winning career as a designer consulting on large-scale projects. His commitment to community leadership is evident in events such as the Queenscliff180 charity family swims and the Rip View Swim Classic. Liam’s sea-inspired design journey began in childhood, shaping his unique perspective and enhancing his role on the Board of Cottage by the Sea.