Harry Vincent is an Australian documentary filmmaker and environmental communicator whose work explores the intricate relationships between people, wildlife, and the landscapes they share. Over the past decade, he has built a career at the intersection of conservation, environmental storytelling, and documentary production, driven by a deep fascination with apex predators and the critical roles they play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

The creation of On The Fence became an extraordinary journey across Australia, taking Harry to every mainland state and territory. Over three years, he travelled thousands of kilometres along the vast Dingo Fence, immersing himself in some of the country's most remote and challenging landscapes. Along the way, he spent countless hours filming, tracking, and observing dingoes in the wild while documenting the diverse and often deeply personal perspectives of the people whose lives and livelihoods intersect with them.

As founder of Yellow Tail Films⁠ , Harry is dedicated to creating films that inspire curiosity, challenge preconceived ideas, and foster meaningful dialogue about the natural world. His work seeks to bridge divides, illuminate complexity, and encourage a deeper understanding of the often-contentious relationships between people, wildlife, and Country.

Through compelling storytelling and a commitment to thoughtful exploration, Harry's films invite audiences to look beyond simple narratives and engage with the nuanced realities of conservation in modern Australia.

Dr Bradley Smith is a leading researcher in dingo behaviour, human-dingo interactions, and non-lethal management. He is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at CQUniversity Australia, Scientific Director of the Australian Dingo Foundation, and a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Canid Specialist Group’s Dingo Working Group.

Over the past two decades, he has conducted research on captive and free-ranging dingoes across Australia, examining their behaviour, ecology, cognition, taxonomy, and interactions with people and livestock. Dr Smith has published more than 100 scientific papers and regularly works with government, conservation organisations, mining companies, and Indigenous ranger groups to explore evidence-based and ethical approaches to dingo management.

He is the author of Canis dingo: Understanding Australia’s Apex Predator (CSIRO Publishing, 2026), and lead editor of Wildlife Research in Australia (CSIRO Publishing, 2022), and The Dingo Debate (CSIRO Publishing, 2015).

https://www.howlingdingo.com.au/

https://staff-profiles.cqu.edu.au/home/view/536

 Lyn has dedicated more than three decades to the conservation of Australia's dingoes. A lifelong dog enthusiast, she bred champion dogs across numerous breeds and remains a highly respected accredited international all-breeds judge. Her extensive knowledge of domestic dogs led her to recognise that dingoes are fundamentally different in their physical characteristics, behaviour and cognition—an insight that sparked a lifelong commitment to their preservation.

As founder of the Australian Dingo Foundation, Lyn has played a pivotal role in advancing dingo science, mentoring researchers in Australia and internationally, including collaborators from Yale University's Canine Cognition Center. Under her guidance, the Foundation has supported research spanning archaeology, behaviour, biology, cognition, evolution, reproduction, parental care, vocalisations and non-lethal management.

Lyn leads a dedicated volunteer team caring for more than 40 dingoes while delivering education programs, supporting media engagement and advocating for evidence-based dingo conservation. She has also helped drive ground-breaking DNA research that is reshaping understanding of wild dingo populations and challenging long-held misconceptions.

Through unwavering dedication, Lyn has become one of Australia's most influential voices for dingo conservation, working to ensure this iconic apex predator is recognised, respected and protected for future generations.

Euan Ritchie, Professor of wildlife ecology and conservation, leads the Applied Ecology and Conservation Research (AECR) Group, within the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University. AECR’s work spans diverse research fields, including behavioural, community, population and landscape ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management. Their work has a strong focus on the significance of species interactions and ecological functions of Australian mammals, fire, invasive species, and ecosystem management. This research is aimed at more effective environmental policy, management actions, and biodiversity conservation. Euan is also the President of the Australian Mammal Society, a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, and a passionate and prolific science communicator.

He has:

• published over 200 scientific articles, cited more than 23,000 times
• written over 100 The Conversation articles read over 2.5 million times 
• received the AERA award in 2021 https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/news/professor-euan-ritchie-2021-aera-winner/, the 2024 Eureka Prize for promoting understanding of science and was part of a team that received a Eureka Prize for environmental research in 2013 for work on dingoes. He has also been a Eureka Prize finalist on three other occasions.
• He was listed among the ABC Science Show’s Top 100 Australian Scientists in 2024 and named an      Australian Science Superhero in 2017, by Australia’s Chief Scientist.

 Dr. Kylie Cairns is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), specializing in wildlife and conservation genetics. Her trailblazing work focuses on the genetic makeup of dingoes, investigating their evolutionary history, taxonomy and ecological role in Australia. Dr. Cairns has contributed significantly to understanding the origins and identity of dingoes and their relationship to domestic dogs and wolves. More recently she has begun using environmental DNA to investigate how predators interact with their environment and other species. Her research aims to inform conservation strategies that protect these iconic animals while balancing ecosystem health, biodiversity and agricultural impacts. Kylie is passionate about engaging the public in science and conservation efforts. She frequently collaborates with Indigenous communities to integrate traditional ecological knowledge into her research. In her spare time, she enjoys camping with her family, spending time with her two poodles and gardening. 

For more information about Kylie and her research see: https://www.kyliecairns.com/

 Kelly Ann is an Adjunct Research Fellow at La Trobe University and Biocultural (Returning Spirit) Officer at Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. 

Kelly Ann believes her ancestors guided her to explore archaeology so she could do work to protect Cultural heritage and create change to help decolonize archaeological research and practice in related to Indigenous Archaeology in Australia. 

Kelly Ann's focus is Reawakening Traditional Cultural Knowledges in relation to Animal Connections within Archaeology. Walking in two worlds and bridging Traditional Ecological Knowledges with Western Science within Archaeological research and practices. 

Follow up reading

Garvey, J. and K.A. Blake. 2024. ‘Koling wada ngal (let’s walk together): Reimagining Australian archaeology through the weaving together of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and academic colonialism’. Australian Archaeology 90(1): 36-38.

Blake, K.A. and D. Jones, D. 2024. ‘Darrwal [Dingo] in Australia’s First Nations Peoples Cultures: Indigenous Archaeological Perspectives’, in Rai, N. (ed.) Indigenous Archaeologies. The Archaeological Review from Cambridge, 39(2).

Blake, K.A. and D.S. Jones. 2023. ‘Barrat-car-loon ngarrwabil-nhuk burdu’auan Darrwal baap Kaal: Reawakening sleeping Traditional Knowledge of the dingo [Darrwal/Kaal]’. This paper was included in the 13th issue of Excavations, Surveys and Heritage Management in Victoria and was presented at the annual Victorian Archaeology Colloquium held at La Trobe University on 2 February 2024.

Waldron, D., K.A. Blake & S. Mennen. 2023. ‘In the 1800’s, colonial settlers moved to Ballarat’s Yarrowee River. The impacts are still felt today’. The Conversation, November 3. Available at: https://theconversation.com/in-the-1800s-colonial-settlers-moved-ballarats-yarrowee-river-the-impacts-are-still-felt-today-214949

Blake, K.A. 2022. ‘Reflections on Western Archaeology Training from a First Nation’s Perspective: Whose Knowledge and Whose Methods?’, in C Kutay, E Leigh, JK Prpic and L Ormond-Parker (eds.), Indigenous Engineering for an Enduring Culture, 259-271. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 

Machelle is the founder of Highlands Dingo Rescue Ltd, driven by her passion for dingoes that ignited during her childhood in the Myall Lakes Region of NSW, specifically in Bulahdelah and Hawks Nest. She spent countless days captivated by wild dingoes, laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to these incredible animals.  With 24 years of experience caring for domestic and wild-born dingoes, she moved to the Pilbara, WA, with her partner 19 years ago. They began rescuing orphaned wild-born pups, which led to the establishment of Desert Dingo Rescue, dedicated to providing care and advocacy for dingoes in need.  Four years ago, they returned to the east coast, bringing five adult dingoes and setting up a puppy care clinic with enclosures for adult dingoes on our five-acre property in Tenterfield, NSW. They currently care for 12 dingoes and have rescued 97 wild-born pups, with more expected as puppy season begins. By monitoring den areas for living parent dingoes, they’ve successfully kept 28 wild-born pups in their natural habitat, ensuring they remain part of the ecosystem.  Their mission also involves raising awareness about the alarming trend of pups being taken from the wild unnecessarily. Each removal disrupts family structures and has detrimental effects on the ecosystem, as dingoes are crucial for maintaining ecological balance.  Over the years, they’ve provided education on dingoes through social media, schools, and communities in WA and NSW.  Machelle would like to express her gratitude to her partner, Ross Cartner, for his invaluable support. We look forward to Machelle sharing her incredible journey at DingoFest and raising awareness about dingo conservation.