Our History

Christine Pope is a Director and Treasurer of the ATMS. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Health Science and Advanced Diplomas in Homeopathy & Nutrition. Christine practises as a Naturopath and Nutritionist in her multi-modality clinic, and taught at Nature Care College for nearly a decade. Prior to her career in natural medicine, Christine spent 20 years in Investment Banking and Venture Capital specialising in risk management and analysis of business. Her focus at ATMS is on representing the interests of natural medicine to parliamentarians & the public. Christine is also responsible for Natural Medicine Week – a successful ATMS, annual initiative that connects the Australian public with accredited practitioners to complement their health and wellbeing naturally.

Peter Berryman is a qualified Naturopath, Homeopath, Medical Scientist and Educator who has spent over 35 years in clinical practice. Peter is a Director (2007-current) and a past President (2017-2023) of the ATMS, and has held the special role of representing the ATMS on the Chinese Medical Board of NSW, the Australia Council of Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Medical Board of Australia (2017-2023). He holds a Master of Science (Homeopathy), a Bachelor of Medical Science, a Bachelor of Science, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Health Science, an Advanced Diploma in Homeopathy, a Diploma in Naturopathy, a Graduate Certificate in Education, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Denis Stewart has been in continuous practice for over 50 years. Referred to as the Godfather of Australian Herbalism,
Denis spearheaded a Renaissance in Australian Herbal Medicine in the early 1970’s. At the NSW College of Naturopathic Sciences,
Denis established/taught the inaugural 3-year full-time program in Herbal Medicine in Australia. For the National Herbalist’s Association
of Australia, Denis constructed professional examinations, course studies and curriculum for Herbal training and education.
In the late 1970s, Denis founded the Southern Cross Herbal School, offering undergraduate and post-graduate programs. From 2002-2007,
Denis was a Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle and assisted in the construction of the Bachelor of Herbal Therapies
program at the Ourimbah campus. Denis was inducted into the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) Hall of Fame in 2012 and as an ATMS Life in 2019. He is a Fellow/Life Member of the National Herbalist’s Association of Australia (NHAA).

Sandra Grace is a leader in natural medicine education and research. She is a Professor in the Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University. She has a long history of service to ATMS as a Director and active member of a number of its committees, including the Academic Review Committee. She established ATMS’ Research Committee. She is committed to ensuring the highest standards of natural medicine education and has an outstanding research record in natural medicine. Sandra was in private practice for over 30 years as an osteopath and chiropractor.

Bill Pearson has been an accredited member of ATMS since the early 1980s and joined the board of directors in 1996. He held the position of ATMS president for 10 years and vice president for several terms, chairing numerous committees. He was bestowed Life Membership for his years of service to the members, ATMS, and the natural medicine industry in 2009. He graduated as a massage practitioner in 1984 and as an Acupuncturist in 1987 and has a clinical practice in Hobart, Tasmania. In the early 1980s, he also studied Medical Qigong and has since been invited to teach and present to numerous organisations, including for the female and male prisons in Hobart.

Bill has made Tai Chi mastery available through his Hobart-based  Jian Shen School of Tai Chi which he established in 1995.

In 2000 he was invited to attend the Medical Qigong symposium in Japan and later led an ATMS member delegation to China to further experience Chinese medicine.  In 2009 Bill also represented ATMS visiting Chinese medicine facilities and building relationships with training organisations for future study opportunities for members.

In 2017 as an Australian representative, along with participants from 17 other countries gathered for Tai Chi practice on the Great Wall of China. In 2019 Bill was nominated as Citizen of the Year in the suburb of Glenorchy, Hobart.

Maggie has over four decades of experience in natural medicine. After qualifying in naturopathy and remedial massage in 1985 Maggie founded the School of Integrated Body Therapy (SIBT). SIBT was a founding ATMS-recognised college and in 1999 SIBT became an Australian Registered Training Organization (RTO) offering government training packages in remedial massages. She was invited to be an independent member of the Complementary Health Industry Reference Committee (2017-22) representing private RTOs and has assisted in developing six massage therapy health training package qualifications. Maggie is also the founder of the purpose-built LakeSpa Wellness Centre on the Central Coast of NSW established in 1989.  Maggie became a director of the ATMS in 1987 and has been a leading part of the natural medicine industry’s development. She has had the privilege of being mentored by ATMS pioneers, Dorothy Hall, Denis Stewart and Peter Derig and for her contribution to ATMS was awarded Life Membership in 1999.  Maggie held positions of president, vice president & treasurer, retiring from the board in 2023, her directorship spanning 36 consecutive years. Her contribution to ATMS is expansive and includes overseeing the initial rewrite of the constitution in 2013, initiating Natural Medicine Week, the CPC program, and Friends of Natural Medicine. During her presidency, Maggie also led the member insurance tender process bringing significant gains to ATMS and its members. She has travelled extensively presenting natural medicine seminars nationally and internationally and has several awards including the NATEX 2020 Trail Blazer award. Maggie also exported natural medicine education with the support of the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) to several Asian countries. Maggie passionately remains a strong advocate for natural health care and ATMS.

Denis Stewart has been in continuous practice for over 50 years. Referred to as the Godfather of Australian Herbalism,
Denis spearheaded a Renaissance in Australian Herbal Medicine in the early 1970’s. At the NSW College of Naturopathic Sciences,
Denis established/taught the inaugural 3-year full-time program in Herbal Medicine in Australia. For the National Herbalist’s Association
of Australia, Denis constructed professional examinations, course studies and curriculum for Herbal training and education.
In the late 1970s, Denis founded the Southern Cross Herbal School, offering undergraduate and post-graduate programs. From 2002-2007,
Denis was a Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle and assisted in the construction of the Bachelor of Herbal Therapies
program at the Ourimbah campus. Denis was inducted into the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) Hall of Fame in 2012 and as an ATMS Life in 2019. He is a Fellow/Life Member of the National Herbalist’s Association of Australia (NHAA).