New Chair of the National Film and Sound Archive Board

The Albanese Labor Government has today announced the appointment of Ms Annette Shun Wah as the next Chair of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) Board, and the reappointment of Mrs Lucinda Brogden AM as a member of the NFSA Board.

A treasured national collecting institutions now in its 40th anniversary year, the NFSA collects, preserves and shares Australia’s audiovisual culture – providing an unbroken record of Australian creativity and diversity.

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the Albanese Labor Government had safeguarded the NFSA’s future after a decade of chronic underfunding by the Coalition – and these two appointments would help the iconic cultural institution thrive. 

“Both Annette and Lucinda have accomplished and varied careers in their respective fields, and both have a strong commitment to preserving Australia’s audiovisual legacy. 

“We want to protect our beloved cultural institutions and part of that is ensuring you have experienced, knowledgeable and representative voices leading the way.

“I want to thank the current Chair of the Board, Caroline Elliott, whose term ends in December and who has guided the Archive in its commitment to implement the National Cultural Policy, Revive.”

Ms Annette Shun Wah is currently the Programming Adviser of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival, where she was Artistic Director from 2020-2023, and also serves as Director of the Board of the Sydney Theatre Company. 

Ms Shun Wah has had an extensive career across radio, television, publishing and theatre, including as an actor, host, producer and writer on a range of shows and feature films since 1982. In 1996, she was nominated for an Australian Film Industry award for her supporting role in Australia’s first foreign language feature film, Floating Life. 

In 2018, Ms Shun Wah was inducted into the Adelaide Festival Centres Walk of Fame, and in 2023 was awarded an Honorary Master of Fine Arts from the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the NFSA Board in October 2023 and will commence as the Chair of the Board in December 2024.

Mrs Lucinda Brogden AM has been a member of the NFSA Board since December 2021 and has more than 30 years’ experience in accounting, finance and organisational psychology. She currently serves on a number of boards including as Chair of the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, Director of the Corporate Mental Health Alliance, Director at Australian Unity, and a Director of Be Kind Sydney.

Mrs Brogden was also formerly the Chair and Commissioner of the National Mental Health Commission Advisory Board and Director of the Sydney Community Foundation.

In 2019, Mrs Brogden was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to workplace mental health and wellbeing. 

Lucinda is proud to be a great-niece of the late Ken G Hall AO. As a child she used to play with Ken’s Oscar and Logie; both are now in the care of the National Film and Sound Archive.