News

Appointment of Additional Trustees [31.08.2010]

The trustees have pleasure in confirming the appointment of three new trustees from 31 August, namely The Hon Rod Kemp, Ms Winsome McCaughey and Dr Philip Moors.

Under her Will, our benefactor Helen restricted the maximum number of trustees to three persons, and the growth of the Trust over recent years had made that provision a somewhat onerous restraint. For instance, the Trust commenced in 1951 with a capital of £ 275,000 and today its capital is $90 Million after having distributed grants of over $80 Million to Victorian charities.

In November last year the trustees were granted an Order of the Supreme Court of Victoria permitting an increase in the maximum number of trustees from three to nine persons, which, in turn, gives rise to these additional appointments.

The uplift in the trustee structure will provide considerable long-term benefits, and we welcome our three new Board members.

Rod Kemp is Chairman of the Institute of Public Affairs, a director of the National Institute of Circus Arts, and Vice President, Melbourne Scots. The Hon Rod Kemp retired as a Senator for Victoria in 2008 after a long career in Federal Parliament. He was Minister for the Arts and Sport 2001-2007, Assistant Treasurer 1996-2001, and Acting Minister for Finance in 2001. He also held various Shadow Ministerial Portfolios between 1992 and 1996.

Prior to entering Parliament, he was Director of the Institute of Public Affairs, and also held various positions in journalism, economic research, and corporate relations.

Winsome McCaughey is Senior Strategic Advisor (Partnerships) at the University of Melbourne, a director of the Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation and a director of family-run Seven Sisters Viineyard which produces Baddaginnie Run wines. Amongst her many roles, Winsome was founding Executive Director of Australian Business Arts Foundation (ABAF), Chair and CEO of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority, CEO of Greening Australia Ltd, Executive Director of Lance Reichstein Foundation, a Councillor of the City of Melbourne, and Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 1988-89.

Winsome is a descendant of the McPherson clan. Her great-great-grandmother, Mary McCrimmond McPherson, a widow with nine children, migrated in 1852 from the Isle of Skye to Victoria.

Philip Moors grew up in Sydney and attended the Australian National University in Canberra and then the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, from where he received his PhD in 1975. He joined the New Zealand Wildlife Service as a research ecologist in 1974 and was appointed Assistant Director (Research) in 1985. He returned to Australia in 1989 to become the first full-time Director of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union (now Birds Australia), the major national bird conservation and research organisation.

In November 1992 Philip was appointed Director and Chief Executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, which includes the botanic gardens at South Yarra and Cranbourne, the National Herbarium of Victoria, and the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology.

Philip has led the creation of the multi-award-winning Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, an outstanding new botanic garden celebrating the diversity and beauty of Australia’s plantlife.

Philip is author or joint author of 45 research papers and editor of a book on the conservation of island birds. He received the Centenary Medal in 2003 for services to the community through conservation and the environment. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Committee for Melbourne, the inaugural President of Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand, a member of the Victorian National Parks Advisory Council, and a member of the Sustainability and the Environment Committee of The Myer Foundation.

Darvell M Hutchinson AM
Chairman of Trustees

Right Step: A diversion program for young offenders [20.07.2010]

Right Step is a new, innovative program run by Youth Connect in conjunction with the Victoria Police and Moorabbin Justice Centre which is aimed at reducing youth recidivism amongst 10-18 year olds. It involves a program of life skills, capacity building, information and referral, mediation and mentoring and will involve 120 young offenders over a three year period. The Trust has made a grant of $64,500 over three years towards the program which has been developed through extensive community consultation between the three participating organisations.

The program is unique and groundbreaking for Victoria. Police and magistrates will be able to refer young offenders at risk of further youth or adult criminal behaviour to Right Step, potentially curtailing the need for further police involvement or progression into the justice system. The program’s primary target group are those young people under police caution or being dealt with through the new Moorabbin Justice Centre. The launch of the Centre, which now sees young offenders from the area prosecuted by a court based in the local community, highlighted the need for a youth offender diversion program in the region. Consultation with various support agencies suggested a need for a program with case-managed, individualised support. All young people targeted for Right Step support will be at high risk of recidivist behaviour and in need of individualised, early intervention support to prevent them becoming an ongoing risk to themselves and general community well-being and safety. The program will be overseen by a steering group made up of partner community agencies in addition to Victoria Police and Moorabbin Justice Centre (Magistrate Court).

Jack Charles v. The Crown – new Indigenous theatre [20.07.2010]

Indigenous Australians have traditionally used storytelling to disseminate knowledge and culture. Theatre is an ideal medium in the contemporary context to give voice to Indigenous stories and contribute to the dialogue about redressing perceptions and stereotypes of Indigenous Australians. The Trust is pleased to be a funding partner with a grant of $20,000 for a new production by Ilbijerri Theatre Company, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. Jack Charles v. The Crown is a story about and involving highly regarded Elder and role model Uncle Jack Charles. For this production, Iljiberri have teamed up with Uncle Jack and acclaimed dramaturg/writer John Romeril to bring Uncle Jack’s rollercoaster life story to the stage. The play will premiere at the Melbourne International Arts Festival in October.

The subject of an award-winning documentary “Bastardy”, Jack Charles' life story is similar to many of the Stolen Generation: taken from his mother at age four months; years of abuse at the notorious Box Hill Boys' Home; put into foster care; years of heroin addiction; in and out of jail for burglary. During this turbulent period, he also managed to be founder of the first modern Aboriginal theatre company in 1971 and an actor in numerous stage, screen and television pieces. Despite his life history, Jack Charles has maintained an unswerving optimism, embodying the true spirit of Reconciliation. As well as still performing, he has become a passionate advocate to help those who are still caught up in the vicious cycle of his former lifestyle. As Uncle Jack says, “I want them to know there is a way out… if I can do it – so can you!”

Ilbijerri is committed to ensuring indigenous stories are brought to life with authenticity and respect and is the only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander theatre company working in Victoria to do this.