HISTORY TRUST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Justyna Jochym

Chief Executive Officer

Elizabeth Ho OAM, long-standing Chair of the History Trust of South Australia, has today announced Ms Justyna Jochym* as the incoming Chief Executive of the History Trust of South Australia. The History Trust is the leading statutory agency for history, running the SA History Festival, the Bay to Birdwood, themed museums offering maritime, migration and motoring stories, the Centre of Democracy, the State History Collection, and supporting student education, authors, local museums and history groups across the state.

Ms Jochym was educated in the United States and Poland. She brings to the position an international background in cultural heritage, and in literary and arts fields. She has proved herself to be a highly innovative and successful director in both Europe and South Australia.

Previously the Chief Executive of peak festivals body Festival City Adelaide, Ms Jochym came to Adelaide in 2018 from Poland, where she was Head of International Cooperation & Development at the Krakow Centre for Business, Festivals and Culture.

Her work overseas with 350 partners across borders, languages and cultures – including UNESCO, the United Nations, OECD, and national cultural councils – positioned the City of Krakow as a global leader in cultural diplomacy, heritage and arts sector development, and the creative and tourism industries. At Festival City Adelaide, she has spearheaded the organisation’s industry-wide initiatives in workforce development, tourism, volunteer management, and climate action, uniting a diverse sector through a shared agenda.

Since coming to South Australia in 2018, Ms Jochym has been appointed to the SA Tourism Board, the Wyatt Trust Board and the Industry Skills Council for Creative Industries, Finance, Business, & ICT. She is a former Chair of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.

Ms Jochym took up her new position on 1 September 2025, replacing respected Adelaide arts and culture champion, Greg Mackie OAM. Her appointment comes at a critical time for the History Trust of SA, with renewal aspirations for the world’s first Migration Museum and international interest in plans to restore the famous Priscilla Queen of the Desert bus and create a linked immersive exhibition at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood.

About HISTORY TRUST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The History Trust of South Australia is exactly what our name implies. We carry the community’s trust to keep safe our state’s stories and memory collections so that they will not be lost. This means that they will continue to enrich the lives of current and future generations.

As a statutory authority, we report to Parliament and our Board of Trustees are accountable through the Minister for Education.

Our Act safeguards South Australia’s material heritage and encourages research and the public presentation of South Australian history.

The Act requires us to carry out a number of roles and activities. We manage museums of our own and produce exhibitions and an annual History Festival. We promote programs that assist community museums and historical societies in every part of our State. We provide policy advice to the Minister for Education.

All photos courtesy of the HISTORY TRUST OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA