Top Maritime Journalists in Australia (2025)

Jeffrey Mellefont is Australia’s preeminent chronicler of Southeast Asian maritime heritage, currently contributing to Inside Indonesia and the Australian National Maritime Museum’s digital platforms. With 48 years of field experience across the archipelago, his work bridges academic anthropology and public history.

Core Coverage Areas

• Material Culture Analysis: Interprets boat designs, fishing tools, and ritual objects as historical documents
• Cross-Cultural Exchange: Traces shared nautical traditions across Austronesian migration routes
• Living Heritage: Documents traditional practices adapting to modernity, from sail-powered cargo ships to GPS-enabled fishing fleets

Achievement Highlights

• Curated the first ASEAN-Australia digital maritime exhibition (2024)
• Archived 14,000+ items of Indonesian maritime heritage for ANMM
• Recipient of the Indonesian Ministry of Culture’s Adhikarya Seni award for cultural preservation (2021)

Pitching Recommendations

“Focus on objects that tell stories – a weathered figurehead, a salt-stained navigation chart. Help me hear the whispers of history through material evidence.”

maritime law, contemporary fisheries management

Joseph Keefe is a maritime and sustainability journalist currently contributing to Maritime Executive from Australia. With decades of experience across journalism and finance, he specializes in stories that bridge technological innovation, environmental policy, and economic viability.

Key Coverage Areas

• Maritime Technology: Offshore wind vessels, hydrogen fuel systems, and AI navigation tools.
• Sustainable Finance: ESG regulatory frameworks, green bonds, and climate-risk disclosure laws.
• Energy Transitions: Port electrification projects and carbon-neutral supply chains.

Avoid Pitches On

• Traditional cargo shipping routes without sustainability angles.
• Cryptocurrency or fintech unrelated to maritime/energy sectors.

Career Highlights

“The global economy is in transition; a new era of opportunity and risk is before us.” — Joseph Keefe, 2024 Farewell Address

• Guided MarineNews to become a top trade publication for offshore engineering.
• Co-developed the Equator Principles, now used by 90% of global project financiers.

Paul Zalai is Australia’s foremost maritime and logistics journalist, combining frontline industry leadership with incisive policy analysis for The DCN. As Director of the Freight & Trade Alliance, his reporting anticipates regulatory shifts in container stevedoring, biosecurity, and cross-border trade.

Key Coverage Areas

• Port Operations & Fees: Terminal access charges, empty container logistics, and automation impacts (e.g., ACCC stevedoring report analysis)
• Trade Policy: Biosecurity levies, US tariff repercussions, and ASEAN export campaigns (e.g., Vietnam market expansion)
• Industrial Relations: Port strikes, heavy vehicle regulations, and safety standards (e.g., Qube Ports dispute coverage)

Avoid These Topics

• Maritime tourism or recreational boating
• Naval defense contracts or shipbuilding

Pitching Tips

Lead With Data

Zalai prioritizes stories with verifiable metrics, such as port throughput statistics or compliance cost analyses. His award-winning work on customs automation used Border Force FOI data to drive reform.

Highlight SME Impacts

Pitches should emphasize how policies affect small exporters. His terminal charges investigation protected regional agribusinesses from fee hikes.

Wendy Laursen is MarineLink’s Australia-based senior maritime analyst, covering offshore energy transitions, environmental technologies, and Asia-Pacific maritime policy. With 20+ years’ experience and a marine ecology background, she deciphers technical innovations for global audiences.

Key Coverage Areas

• Energy Transition: Track record in methanol/ammonia fuel debates
• Blue Economy: Specializes in aquaculture-energy synergies
• Climate Tech: Reports on CCUS and ocean-based CDR solutions

Pitching Insights

• Regional Relevance: Prioritize Asia-Pacific case studies
• Data Depth: Include class society certifications or port authority stats
• Future Focus: Highlight 2030-2050 implementation roadmaps

Notable recent work includes analysis of nuclear-powered disaster response vessels and repurposing oil infrastructure for algal farms. Her reporting informs IMO working groups and Pacific Island policymakers alike.