Meet Our Directors
The National Dinosaur Museum is owned by our directors Jeno and Tom Kapitany, Martin Rowe, and Chris and Kathleen Michael.
The Museum was acquired by us in 2011 with the aim of upgrading the Museum into a world-class facility with investments in new exhibits, outdoor displays, and the growth of the retail store to become the largest selection of crystals, minerals, fossils, and gemstones in Canberra. Providing a first-class educational and entertainment experience, the Museum is now one of Canberra’s most popular attractions.
Jeno Kapitany
Jeno founded Paradisia Nurseries in 1980 with his brothers Tom and Attila as an extension of their hobbies.
Paradisia Nurseries has grown over the years and now is a specialised nursery with 3 large production sites and a retail nursery in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.
Jeno has always shown a great interest in plants, gemstones, and other collectable items and founded a retail site, Collectors Corner at Garden World in Melbourne in 1985. The creation of Collectors Corner has allowed the team to amass an amazing array of rare and unusual items under the one roof. Collectors Corner is not just a plant nursery; as the name implies, it is a haven for collectors and includes incredible ranges of Gems, Fossils, Meteorites, Sea Shells, and preserved insects, as well as a vast array of plants. The majority of the plants sold are grown in our own production nurseries.
Tom Kapitany
Tom Kapitany is an Australian botanist, geologist and entrepreneur. He is the director of Crystal World in Victoria, Australia, a director of National Dinosaur Museum in Canberra, Australia, a director of Collectors Corner Garden World in Braeside, Victoria, Australia, director of Australian Mineral Mines Pty. Ltd. and an international consultant for museums and universities, particularly in China, Mexico, U.K, U.S.A, New Zealand, and Indonesia with regards to Geology.
Tom completed his B.Sc. in Geology and Botany at the University of Melbourne in 1984 and has held multiple mining tenements around Australia. He has made numerous donations to the Museum of Victoria and other museums and institutions worldwide. Kapitany is known for raising awareness on the importance of collecting and fossicking minerals and fossils; to educate people and children on fossils and rocks of biological origin.
Martin Rowe
Martin Rowe is one of the three original investors of the National Dinosaur Museum in 2011, lives in Victoria and is a father of six. He and his wife Cathy own and run a crystal, mineral, and fossil import and wholesale company, Made By Earth. They also run Kingdom Of Crystals, a crystal retail business.
Three to four times a year he travels to purchase goods, other business, and for leisure. His interest in fossils and dinosaurs was fulfilled when he became a director of the NDM in 2011. Since then he has overseen substantial growth and a rejuvenation of the business to become a world-class museum.
Chris and Kathleen Michael
Chris and his wife Kathleen live in Sydney and operate an auction business, Artsell.
Chris has led an adventurous life ranging from trans Asia motorbike travels in the 1970’s, to working in oilfields, sailing the seven seas and successful property investments. Chris is also a pilot and has circumnavigated Australia by air in 4 weeks.
Chris and Kathleen travel extensively with notable highlights and many stories from Antarctica, North and South America, Europe and Asia.
He is a keen collector of crystals and minerals and a regular visitor to Canberra where he has family.