Xavier Noonan

My passion for taxidermy began when I was seven years old, after seeing a taxidermy fox at a family friend’s house. I asked my mum if I could have one, and when she said no, I decided I would learn to make one myself. Three years later, she honoured a promise she’d made, and on my 10th birthday I received my first taxidermy kit. That single gift changed the course of my life.

From the age of 10, I learnt alongside my grandfather, practising on legally sourced road-killed animals before being mentored by a retired local taxidermist with decades of experience. Through his guidance, I developed not only technical skills, but a deep appreciation for the role taxidermy can play in science, conservation and education.

Growing up with dyslexia and ADHD, taxidermy became my pathway into fields that had once felt out of reach. It taught me patience, persistence and the value of preserving knowledge. At 13, I held my first museum exhibition. Since then, my work has featured in newspapers, magazines and television, and I’ve volunteered at festivals, donated specimens to schools and museums, and delivered educational workshops that encourage people to engage with wildlife, anatomy and conservation.

Today, I operate Peninsula Taxidermy with a vision that extends beyond my own workshop. Through a Churchill Fellowship, I aim to learn from world-leading museums, conservators and taxidermists across the United States and Europe, bringing that knowledge back to Australia. I want to establish structured training pathways, strengthen partnerships between taxidermists, museums and researchers, and expand educational workshops that inspire curiosity about Australia’s wildlife.