TasTAFE
Renewed focus on hospitality and industry engagement at TasTAFE TasTAFE is excited to announce the appointment of David Dunn as Regional and Industry Engagement Manager – supporting the training and workforce needs of Tasmania’s hospitality sector. David will be familiar to many in Tasmanian hospitality: he spent the past seven years working as TasTAFE’s Education Manager, Tourism and Hospitality, based in Launceston. A dedicated volunteer, David recently clocked-up 18 years with Festivale , northern Tasmania’s premier food-and-drink event, including the past six years as committee chairman – and 16 years as a committee member, chairman and mentor with Agfest . David also sat on the board of Launceston’s successful bid to become a UNESCO ‘City of Gastronomy ’ in 2021 – a position he still holds. All of this hard work propelled him to receiving the ‘ Launceston Citizen of the Year Award ’ in 2025.
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“I’d much rather drive and have these meetings face- to-face – I think you build better relationships that way,” David said. “We’ve just got to get out there and tread the boards, as they say!” David’s commitment to Tasmanian hospitality runs deep – and TasTAFE’s engagement with the sector is in safe hands as the organisation commits to a renewed focus on tourism, hospitality and food. Working collaboratively with industry partners, including the THA, TasTAFE’s refreshed approach will continue to deliver outstanding hospitality training to Tasmanians.
TasTAFE is also retiring the long-established ‘Drysdale’ brand, which has a fascinating history:
Arthur James Drysdale (1887–1971) is a formidable figure in Tasmanian history. Born in Battery Point, he became a successful butcher and pastoralist; built the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel (which evolved to become Australia’s first casino in 1973); renovated Hadley’s Hotel in Hobart; and bought and sold Tasmanian Lotteries (Tattersall’s, which became the national Tattslotto). Drysdale left his grand Hobart HQ, Drysdale House, to his daughter Nora, who sold it to the State Government in 1975. The building then became the Hotel and Catering Training Department of the Hobart Technical College, as TasTAFE was then known. Drysdale Launceston Campus and the Drysdale facilities in Devonport and Claremont followed in later years – with thousands of hospitality learners passing through Drysdale’s commercial kitchen, bakery, bar, barista and butchery facilities over the decades. To honour this rich heritage, TasTAFE’s three public- facing restaurants in Hobart, Launceston and Devonport will retain the Drysdale Restaurant name.
His new Industry Engagement role spans all of Tasmania’s north and north-east, from Oatlands to Flinders Island – plus statewide responsibilities in specific industry areas, including tourism and hospitality. David will be spending a lot of time on the road, working closely with stakeholders to identify how TasTAFE can increase training access and meet specific industry
*New pricing for short courses! - RSA: Responsible service of alcohol (SITSS00071) $50 in-person, $20 online - Espresso Essentials (NONC0194A-V01) - $145 - Food Safety Supervision Skill Set (SITSS00069) $145 or $48.33 with concession
51 Tasmanian Hospitality Review June/July Edition
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