About Apricot Zebra
Apricot Zebra Pty Ltd is a specialist editing, indexing and information design company based in Canberra, ACT. It was founded in 2010 by editors Dr Wendy Elliott and Kirsten McNeill AE.
We are committed to helping our clients to achieve their communication objectives.
Kirsten McNeill AE (Senior Editor)
Kirsten has had 28 years’ experience as an editor. She is accredited by the Institute of Professional Editors Ltd and holds an AGSVA Baseline Security Clearance. She has held senior positions in Thomson Reuters (Law Book Company), federal parliament (Hansard) and the Australian Government Solicitor.
Kirsten has been a senior editor at Apricot Zebra Pty Ltd for 14 years. From 2013 to 2017 she was consultant editor to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. She was the editor of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law AIAL Forum journal between 2016 and 2022.
Dr Wendy Elliott (Senior Editor)
Wendy has had 23 years’ experience in editing, writing and publishing roles. In her 14 years as a senior editor at Apricot Zebra she has completed high-profile and complex editing and writing projects for Australian Government agencies and other public, private, non-government and educational organisations.
Previously Wendy held executive-level publishing and communications positions at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Government Solicitor. As a freelance editor, she undertook challenges such as converting CARE International’s global emergency handbook into plain English. She has a Graduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing from RMIT University and a PhD in history from Monash University.
Lauren Fisher AE (Editor)
Lauren has had 8 years' experience in the editing and publishing industry, and is accredited by the Institute of Professional Editors Ltd. She has a strong background in education; her previous roles have included teaching English and history at senior secondary level and developing online courses for secondary school subjects in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. She holds a Master of Research in English Literature and a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Electronic Publishing from Macquarie University.
Lauren's editing work has included teaching and learning materials for a wide range of school subjects; training manuals; school magazines; and annual reports. She has recently joined Apricot Zebra and is looking forward to applying her editing skills to a broad range of government and private sector material. She's thrilled to be part of the team!
Diana Dellecese (Editorial Assistant)
Diana's strong administrative skills, love of language and can-do attitude make her Apricot Zebra's ideal Editorial Assistant. Her background is in freedom of information administration, working with law firms, courts, and solicitors to subpoena and FOI deadlines and requirements. She has also worked in outpatient clinics and imaging departments and participated in the COVID-19 testing clinics during the pandemic.
Diana holds a Graduate Certificate of Writing from Swinburne University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Deakin University, with majors in literary studies and sociology. In February she embarks upon a Master of Editing and Publishing to begin her editing career.
Diana played competitive soccer (football) throughout high school and college in her home state of Florida and continues to play as the centre back for Williamstown Soccer Club. She has two dogs: Oakley, a 6-year-old Staffy, and Marlowe, a 3-year-old Bull Arab/Greyhound mix.
Our clients
Most of Apricot Zebra’s clients are subject-matter experts – lawyers, academics and specialist groups in government – who need to convey important information to non-expert audiences in a way that is both engaging and clear.
We have the knowledge, expertise, responsiveness and experience needed to help them to do so. Please see our case studies for some examples of such projects.
We specialise in conceptualising, structuring and presenting written content to minimise the amount of time and effort users need to understand it, learn from it and apply it in practice.
Our clients include:
- Department of the Environment and Energy
- Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
- Department of Defence
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Department of Health
- Attorney-General's Department
- Australian Government Solicitor
- Department of Human Services
- Australian Federal Police
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
- Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority
- Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.