Past Directors
Some of the distinguished past directors of Equity Trustees have included (with dates of board service in brackets):
Francis E Stewart (1888-1895)
Accountant and Company Manager. Equity Trustees' first Chairman. Formerly General Manager Goldsborough Mort, later Managing Director of Younghusbands Row.
Sir George Fairbairn (1888-1889)
Pastoralist, politician, businessman. Also on board of Union Bank, Dalgety, AMP. Later MLA, then a Federal Member, then Senator. Agent-General in London between 1924-27.
Edward Fanning (1888-1917)
Merchant and businessman. Served the last 22 years on the board as Chairman. Also on board of NZ Loan and Mercantile, London Bank, CUB, Colonial Mutual Life.
Hon Henry Bournes Higgins (1888-1906)
Barrister, politician and jurist. Served on the board until appointment to the High Court. As President of Arbitration Court in 1907 gave the landmark 'Harvester Judgement' which established the principles of the Basic Wage (7 shillings per day, equivalent to 35 cents).
Sir Henry E A Hodges (1888-1889)
Barrister. Served until appointment to Supreme Court. Active member Council of Melbourne Grammar.
Dr. John Madden (1888-1893)
Chief Justice of the Colony of Australia, later Lieutenant Governor, Chancellor Melbourne University between 1907-1918.
Hon Robert Reid (1888-1893)
Businessman and politician. Retired upon appointment to State Cabinet of the Patterson Ministry (Defence, Health). Previously Director of Robert, Reid & Co, importers and wholesalers.
Oliver Vial (1888-1895)
A prominent Melbourne tea merchant; other business interests included Jumbunna Coal Co in South GippsIand.
Hon Matthew Lang (1890-1893)
Member Legislative Council (Victoria) and Mayor of Melbourne from 1889-1892; prominent wine merchant.
Theyre A'B Weigall (1893-1898)
Barrister. Afterwards Acting Judge of the Supreme Court. President of LTAV, 1909-25. President Melbourne Club in 1912; Council Melbourne Grammar.
John Burnett Box (1894-1905)
Barrister. Retired upon appointment to County Court. From 1888, was editor of Victorian Law Reports for 17 years.
Edward Trenchard (1896-1904)
Agent and Company Director. Stock and station agent with branches Northern Victoria and Riverina. Also on board of National Bank Australasia, National Mutual Life (Chairman).
Hon Donald MacKinnon (1898-1932)
Barrister and politician. Served on the board until he died in 1932; the last 15 years as Chairman. As a young barrister, assisted in consolidation of Colony's statute law. From 1914, was Victorian Attorney General; later Director of Recruiting WWI; Australian Commissioner to USA 1923-4.
Hon Robert G McCutcheon (1904-1918)
Printer and politician. State backbencher, also director Mason Firth & McCutcheon printer. President of Melbourne Chess Club.
William Campbell Guest (1905-1909)
Barrister and businessman. Served until appointed as Commissioner of Titles, 1910-30. Chairman of T B Guest & Co biscuit manufacturers.
Sir William Hill Irvine (1907-1918)
Politician and jurist. Served until appointment as Chief Justice of Victoria for 17 years ('Iceberg' Irvine). A former Premier (1902) and Attorney General.
John James Falconer (1909-1928)
Company Manager. Fprmer General Manager of Australian Mercantile Land & Finance Co.
Stewart G McArthur (1910-1920)
Barrister and jurist. Served until appointment to Supreme Court. A prominent member of the Melbourne Club.
Viscount Stanley Bruce (1918-1921)
Federal Treasurer 1921-23, Prime Minister 1923-29. Bruce moved Federal Parliament from Melbourne to Canberra.
Sir Edward F Mitchell (1918-1941)
Barrister and businessman. Served 1932-1941 as Chairman. Interests included pastoral station in East Gippsland; Lawn Tennis Association Melbourne Cricket Club (President 1933).
Albert S Austin (1919-1928)
Chairman of Riverina Wool Growers & Graziers Association. Active interest in International Red Cross and YMCA.
Sir John Latham (1920-1936)
Politician and jurist. Retired on appointment as Chief Justice High Court of Australia. Earlier held general retainers with several companies. In 1925 became FederaI Attorney General; and in 1932 was the Australian representative to Geneva disarmament conference.
Ivor William Evans (1924-1935)
Formerly a Bank Manager. Later became Managing Director of Evan Evans tents and flags. As a schoolboy in 1901, he designed what eventually became the Australian flag.
Sir Stephen Morell (1929-1943) Chairman (1941-1943)
Board member of CUB, Victoria Insurance. Lord Mayor of Melbourne 1926-8; the Morell Bridge over the Yarra River is named in his honour.
Colonel Allan Spowers (1929-1965)
Journalist and company director. Vice Chairman (1955-1965). Also on board of Colonial Mutual Life (Chairman), Moran & Cato (Chairman), CapeI Court, Felt & Textiles. Served in both WWI and WWII.
Sir H Alan Currie (1933-1942)
Pastoralist and businessman. Vice Chairman. Breeder of fine wool merinos; keen member Victorian Racing Club and VATC. Served in WWI in France and Belgium.
Joel Fox Company Manager (1933-1936)
Formerly Manager of Equity Trustees for 45 years from its inception.
Major-General (Sir) Edmund F Herring (1936-1944)
Soldier and jurist. Resigned upon appointment as Chief Justice Supreme Court. Rhodes Scholar 1912, then barrister, lecturer. Through WWII held a succession of important commands. Later Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria.
Sir Robert G Menzies (1936-1939)
Federal Attorney General between1934-39. Prime Minister of Australia from 1939-1941 and again 1949-1966.
Charles T Martin (1938)
Company Manager. Previously 35 years with Equity Trustees, the last four as Manager.
Sir Wilfred K Fullagar (1940-1945)
Barrister. Served the last two years of his board service as Chairman, resigning upon appointment to Supreme Court. Also on board of The Argus and Australasian.
Sir Clifden H A Eager (1941-1968)
Barrister and politician. Chairman 1945-1968. From 1943 was President of Legislative Council for 15 years. Also on board of Pearl Assurance, Australian Cement Co.
Sir William C Angliss (1943-1955)
Founder of the vast Angliss Meat empire over 30 years, financed hospitality school in Melbourne, Member Victorian Legislative Council 1912-1952.
Sir Thomas S Nettlefold (1944-1956)
Businessman. Lord Mayor of Melbourne 1942-45. Managing Director of T S Nettlefold manufacturing engineers.
George A Caro (1945-1965)
Wine merchant and Company Director. Also on board of Gollins, Herald & WeekIy Times (Chairman), Alliance Assurance, Mildara Wines.
Sir James B Tait (1945-1980)
Barrister and Company Director. Served 34 years, the last 12 as Chairman. Longstanding member of Victorian Bar Council and Chairman of Barristers Chambers. Also on board of Austin Motor Co (Australasia), Colonial Mutual Life, Group Holdings.
John S Gale (1956-1964)
Company Manager. General Manager Dalgety & NZ Loan; also on board of Gollins & Co; a trustee of William Buckland Foundation.
Sir Ninian Stephen (1964-1970)
High Court of Australia Judge 1972-82, Governor-General of Australia 1982-1990.
E Angus Jones (1965-1978)
Company Director. Served 1968-1978 as Vice Chairman. Formerly Managing Director Mobil Oil Australia. Also on board of Gilbert Lodge, Liquid Air, K G Luke (Chairman).
Gordon Landy (1965-1970)
Chartered Accountant. Also on board Westinghouse Brake Co. Father of John Landy, the runner.
Leonard J Dooling (1968-1971)
Banker and company director. Formerly Chief Manager of Commonwealth Bank; also on board of International Harvester, Shepparton Preserving, Norwich Union Insurance.
Robert Money (1969-1981)
Company Manager. Worked 42 years with Equity Trustees, the last 20 as Manager. Also on board of ARC Industries, and Reg Hunt-Rhodes Motors.
William O Harris (1970-1973)
Barrister. Resigned upon appointment to Supreme Court. Previously 4 years RAN WWII, then legal practice; later President Vic Bar Council.
Norman K Baker (1971-1997)
Chartered Accountant and Company Director. Formerly Senior Partner at Arthur Young & Co; auditor to BHP. Other boards have included AMP, Comalco, Containers and ACI.
Sir John L Knott (1972-1997)
Administrator and Company Director. Former Director General of Posts and Telegraphs. Other boards have included ACI (V-Chairman), Nicholas Int, Saab-Scania (Chairman) and Jennings Industries (past Chairman).
Richard K Fullagar (1974-1975)
Barrister. Resigned upon appointment to Supreme Court. Previously RAN then legal practice. (Son of W K Fullagar, a Director between 1940-45).
Richard H Searby QC, MA (OXON.) (1975-2000, Chairman 1980-2000)
Admitted to practice as Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria in 1956. Associate to Sir Owen Dixon, Chief Justice of Australia, between 1956-59. Became one of Her Majesty's Counsel in 1971. Practice as a barrister largely concerned with commercial, corporate and constitutional matters and as well with taxation, industrial property and trade practices law. Director BRL Hardy Limited. Director of Amrad Corporation Limited. Director of Woodside Petroleum Ltd. Director of Times Newspapers Holdings Limited (UK). Chancellor, Deakin University. Previously served on boards of Ansett, Shell, CRA and News Corp (as Chairman).
Sir Ernest W Coates (1978-1997)
Administrator and Company Director. Formerly Permanent Head of Victorian Treasury and Commissioner of SSB; also board of Kinnears Ltd.
James B Leslie (1980-1997)
Past Chairman of Qantas, Boral, Christies Australia, and Mobil Oil. Chancellor of Deakin University, in addition to holding many other public offices.
Jack D Booth (1986-1997)
Banker and Company Director. Former Managing Director and Chief Executive National Australia Bank. Also on the board of McPhersons Ltd, and formerly ACI Ltd.
Anthony G Hiscock (1996-2001)
Admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria in 1962. Partner at Hedderwicks, Fookes and Alston Solicitors between 1967-84. Partner at Arthur Robinson and Hedderwicks since 1984.
Raymond A Orloff (1997-2001)
Employed with Smorgon Group since 1959 in various administrative and finance roles. Director, Smorgon Consolidated Industries.
Donald J Christie LLB LLM MTAX ASIA (1999 - 2003)
Joined Equity Trustees in 1993, and appointed Managing Director in 1999. Previously with Australian Securities Commission where he was Senior Investigator for the Royal Commission into the Tricontinental Group of Companies. Admitted to Practice as Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria in 1987.
John J D'Arcy BCOM (2001-2002)
Vice Chairman from 1998-2001. Non-executive director since 1989. Associated with media industry for 38 years. Managing Director, The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd 1985-88. Chairman, HSBC Asset Management Australia Ltd. Director, Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine.
Philip Molyneux B.Econ, FCA (1992-2007)
Chairman 2003-2007. Philip was involved in non-executive roles in both the not-for-profit and corporate sectors. He was chairman of listed biotech research and development company, Anadis Limited, and was director of the listed company, Pro Medicus Limited. Philip’s other directorships included Australian National Academy of Music and the Centre for Eye Research Australia Limited. He was a trustee of the Eye Research Foundation, the Ansell Ophthalmology Foundation and The Monash University Accident Research Foundation.
Peter Williams Dip.AII, MAICD, FAIM (2003-2010)
Managing Director 2003-2010. Peter came to Equity Trustees with broad experience in investments, insurance and superannuation, having worked in Australia and internationally with the listed insurance company, AXA (previously National Mutual Ltd). In 2000, Peter was appointed general manager, Superannuation & Portfolio Services at Perpetual Limited. Directorships include NM Superannuation Pty Ltd, including two years as its chairman, two years as the national president of the Trustee Corporations Association of Australia and Peter is a current board member of that organisation. Peter was a director and vice-chairman of Austcham (the Australian Chamber of Commerce) in Hong Kong. In February 2005, Peter was appointed to the Board of the Australian Baseball Federation. In August 2009, Peter was appointed to the Board of Olympic Park Sports Medical Centre Pty Ltd.