Our Staff Team

Dr Don Markwell AM has been Head of King’s College since December 2025. The Head of College leads the College community, and is its Chief Executive Officer and academic head. He is responsible to the College Council for the good management of King’s in all its aspects.

Born in Quilpie in Outback Queensland, Don Markwell studied at the Universities of Queensland and Oxford (as Rhodes Scholar for Queensland), and at Princeton. He taught politics and international relations in Oxford for a decade (primarily as a Fellow of Merton College and University lecturer) before becoming Warden of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne in 1997.

He has since served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) of the University of Western Australia, the global head of the Rhodes Scholarships as Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford, senior advisor to the Australian Minister for Education and to the Attorney-General of Australia, and as Warden of St Paul’s College at the University of Sydney.  From 2019 to 2025, he was Head of St Mark’s College, Adelaide. He also, for example, worked with former Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, on the development of the New Colombo Plan, which supports Australian undergraduates to study abroad and undertake internships in the Indo-Pacific region.

Don Markwell has held the title of Professor in five Australian universities, and greatly enjoyed being a resident scholar at King’s in 2012-13 while also serving as a visiting professor at the University of Queensland. He is the author of a number of books on issues in politics, international relations, higher education, and leadership. His latest book, The College Ideal: upholding values and expanding opportunities, has been published by Wakefield Press in 2026.

He has held many governance positions in Australia and overseas, including on the governing bodies of two Oxford colleges, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in South Africa, the National Library of Australia, several Anglican Church institutions (including Geelong Grammar School, Cranbrook School, and the Anglican Schools Commission in Western Australia), and the Constitution Education Fund Australia (CEFA).

In 2023, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for significant service to education in a range of roles”.

Natalie Smith brings extensive experience in education, residential college leadership, and organisational transition to her role as interim joint Deputy Head of College at King’s. With a strong background in student support, educational administration, and senior leadership, Natalie contributes a deep understanding of collegiate communities and the role they play in supporting students to live, learn and thrive.

Prior to joining King’s, Natalie served as Dean of College and then Vice-Principal of The Women’s College at the University of Sydney from 2016 to 2021. Most recently, Natalie served as Principal of Montessori International College from 2023 to 2024, further extending her experience in educational leadership.

Natalie holds a Master of Educational Administration in Organisational Transition from the University of New England, a Graduate Diploma in Humanities and Social Science with Japanese from La Trobe University, a Graduate Diploma in Education with a focus on Secondary Teaching from Queensland University of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science with Japanese from Griffith University, where she studied Microbiology, Genetics and Japanese. 

Natalie has also completed the Executive Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, further strengthening her leadership expertise.

Tony Walters serves King’s as interim joint Deputy Head of College with a distinguished background in residential college leadership, teaching, and student development. His experience spans both school and tertiary education settings, with a particular focus on supporting young adults through periods of academic, personal, and professional growth.

From 2017 to 2020, Tony held senior leadership roles at St John’s College at the University of Sydney, serving first as Dean of Students and then as Vice-Rector. Alongside his residential college leadership, Tony has taught extensively at tertiary level, bringing a strong understanding of higher education and the challenges and opportunities students encounter throughout their university journey. 

Tony holds a Master of Education and a Graduate Diploma of Reading from Griffith University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Macquarie University.

Margo Baas plays a key role in guiding students through their educational journeys and preparing them for their future careers. She is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment where students can achieve their academic potential while developing the leadership skills necessary for the professional world. 

Margo brings more than 15 years of experience across the Australian and UK tertiary education sectors, with extensive expertise in residential college and university environments. She has led a wide range of student-focused initiatives, including academic programs, career development and employability strategies, recruitment, mentoring programs, and partnership development.

Her leadership experience spans several prominent institutions, including the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), UNSW Sydney, the University of Leicester, and Griffith University, where she has overseen careers and employment services and supported students in achieving successful academic and professional outcomes.

Margo joined us in March 2026 from The Women’s College at the University of Sydney, where she had served as interim Vice-Principal. In this role, she worked closely with students, provided academic oversight for approximately 300 resident students, and supported them to achieve a Distinction average. She also strengthened leadership, internship, and mentoring programs, while promoting student wellbeing.

She holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Learning and Development, and brings a strong commitment to academic excellence, career development, and positive student outcomes.

Melanie Young, a Chartered Accountant, joined King’s College in June 2024 and is an accomplished strategic partner with a strong history as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with extensive experience in executive teams focusing on strategic, financial, customer and operational goals.

Prior to joining King’s College, Melanie gained experience as a CFO in small-medium sized ASX-listed companies covering the end-to-end finance function, statutory reporting, procurement, IT, HR, administration, company secretariat, and merger & acquisitions (M&A) across a number of industries.

Melanie has been on both the buy and sell side of acquisitions, aligning processes and implementing system and reporting improvements, in addition to the day-to-day responsibilities and strategic planning and reporting challenges. 

Dr Maike Neuhaus is Director of Wellbeing at King’s College, where she leads the design and delivery of evidence-informed wellbeing initiatives that support resident students and Associate Members to flourish personally, socially, and academically within the residential environment.

Grounded in applied behavioural science and positive psychology, Maike’s work focuses on resilience, self-leadership, purpose, and prevention-oriented wellbeing systems. She is committed to strengthening a culture in which students feel safe, supported, and equipped to thrive.

With more than 15 years’ experience across higher education, government, and community contexts, Maike brings deep expertise in wellbeing program design, capability development, and culture change. At The University of Queensland, she established and led consultancy services for two research centres, delivering large-scale, evidence-based wellbeing and leadership initiatives for academic, professional, and community audiences.

Alongside her College leadership role, Maike is an experienced educator, coach, and facilitator, and founder of The Flourishing Doc. She is an ICF-accredited coach, Positive Psychology Practitioner, and highly cited health behaviour change researcher, recognised for translating rigorous evidence into practical strategies that create measurable wellbeing impact.