Meet the Islanders

Sally Ellis manages “International Tours and Travel”, organising holidays in the Falkland Islands and overseas. She is responsible for ensuring that plans run smoothly for her customers at home and abroad.

Sally was born and brought up at Port Stephens, a stunningly beautiful area of West Falkland. She has fond memories of her own childhood and believes that the Islands are a great place for children to grow up, offering endless opportunities for exploration and outdoor activities.

When she has spare time, Sally enjoys making the most of the Falklands’ environment with particular interests in running and climbing.

Tony Smith is a long established tour guide with over twenty six years of guiding experience. He began one of the first overland travel businesses in the Falklands with trips to Volunteer Point to show visitors some of the best scenery and wildlife, the lovely white sand beach and spectacular king penguin colony.

Born in Stanley but brought up on West Falkland, Tony returned to Stanley in 1988 and now takes visitors to a wide range of destinations on East Falkland, specialising in the military history of the 1982 war as well as niche wildlife colonies. With his wife Theresa he also manages Stanley’s newest accommodation offering, “The Pale Maiden B&B”.

Mike Rendell was born in Devon and arrived in the Falklands in 1974 as a Royal Marine. He met and married Phyl. Both moved to the UK after his detachment but felt the calling of the Islands and returned in October 1982.

A year later Mike, bought the “Malvina House Hotel” in Stanley. The purchase of Bleaker Island followed in 1999 and after twenty one years, Mike decided to sell the hotel and develop Bleaker as a tourism destination. He is pleased to have developed the tourism offering on the island and has built good trade. Mike also spent four years in politics. He loves the ability to make a difference for himself and others.

Julie Halliday, a New-Zealander, arrived in the Falklands in 2001 and is now happily settled here with her husband and four children. She opened “Studio 52” in 2006 to showcase her photography and design creations.

Julie has worked in the design and advertising industries in Canada and New Zealand, ever since gaining her diploma in graphic design and photography. She now enjoys using her skills continually creating new products for her gallery. Recently she has taken up jewellery making, using local flora, pebbles and textures.

Julie loves the openness of the landscape and the contrasts between colours, textures, forms and detail and finds inspiration everywhere, but without having to travel far!

Steve Dent can be found on busy cruise days flipping burgers and serving up other tasty snacks in his food truck, “Loggers”, alongside the Jetty Visitor Centre. He arrived in the Falklands from Australia in 1998 to take up work as a travelling teacher and has now made his home in Stanley.

Steve has a varied career including as a volunteer fire-fighter in Australia and a reserve police officer in the Falklands. He is a local entrepreneur, leaving his full-time job with the Falkland Island Government in 2012 to set up a health and safety consultancy. Steve enjoys meeting people, “Loggers” is a great place to do so.

Shirley Hirtle is proud to be a fourth generation Falkland Islander and has spent most of her life in the Islands. Her varied career includes teaching at the infant school and work in many Government Departments.

Shirley now works in the Historic Dockyard Museum and played a key role in the set up of early displays of Falklands heritage in the building which now houses Standard Chartered Bank. Shirley has helped with a number of museum moves and really enjoys her work, noted by her friends to be an excellent historian as well as a good gardener.

Tooie Goodwin counts herself as a sixth generation Falkland Islander. She had an idyllic upbringing in Fitzroy, East Falkland, where her father was farm manager, until she moved to schooling in England. Keen to return to the Islands, Tooie spent time at Port Howard, West Falkland and then the lovely location of New Island working in farming and tourism.

After moving to Stanley and employment with the Agriculture Department, Tooie began devoting her weekend time to the museum. She now has greater involvement and alongside assisting visitors, she also creates bronze-cast and replica scrimshaw souvenirs.