Fara Pelarek

Fara Pelarek is a senior leader in visitor engagement, currently serving as Head of Visitor Experience and Engagement at the Australian Museum. She leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for the Museum’s Burra learning place, a culturally responsive and inclusive early years learning space alongside the Museum volunteers’ program, visitor services, scientific, cultural and public enquiries, ticketing operations, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

With over 13 years of experience managing the Museum’s Visitor Services unit, Fara has played a pivotal role in shaping the visitor experience. Her leadership encompassed a wide range of public-facing programs including the Early Childhood program, the Museums online, offsite and onsite Education Programs, the Front of House Volunteers Program, Museum events, and exhibition-specific initiatives. Her work has consistently focused on enhancing visitor satisfaction, accessibility, and engagement.

Fara is deeply committed to social inclusion, with a strong focus on providing equitable access for people with disability and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She has chaired the Access and Inclusion Steering Committee for the past four years, championing systemic change and embedding inclusive practices across the Museum’s operations.

In addition to her programmatic leadership, Fara served as the Museum’s Grievance Manager for five years, facilitating the resolution of workplace disputes and advising staff on grievance procedures with fairness and empathy.

Earlier in her career, Fara worked at Interaction Disability Services as a Social Educator and Coordinator, supporting people living with Prader-Willi syndrome. This experience strengthened her person-centred approach and deepened her understanding of inclusive practice, which continues to inform her work in cultural institutions.

Qualifications