Patrons, Board and Governance
FRRR is fortunate to have a number of highly respected people as our Patrons and Board, guiding our activities.
All members of the FRRR board and our staff are passionate about enhancing communities in remote, rural and regional Australia. Many members of our team have grown up in rural communities and most now live and work in regional Victoria, operating from the Bendigo office. We also spend a lot of time on the road, visiting the organisations and projects that FRRR funds so we can continue to strengthen our knowledge and understanding of the many and varied challenges that face rural and regional communities.
Our Patrons
Our Patron in Chief Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC (Governor-General of the Commonwealth Of Australia) is joined by the Hon John Anderson AC, as well as founding retired board members the Rt Hon Ian Sinclair AC and Bill Kelty AC.
The Board
FRRR is fortunate to have highly respected and skilled people volunteer their time for our Board, guiding our activities. Most Directors have extensive experience in the philanthropic sector and strong connections to rural communities. Others are experienced and knowledgeable people who have strong backgrounds in government or business.
Governance
FRRR’s policies and practices provide the framework that enables the Board’s principal governance role to be achieved. FRRR’s policies ensure that its activities are conducted ethically and in accordance with the law, including well managed and transparent annual financial statements.
Patrons
Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Patron in Chief
Ms Sam Mostyn AC was sworn in as Australia’s 28th Governor-General on 1 July 2024.
A businesswoman and community leader, Ms Mostyn is known for her exceptional service to the Australian community. She has a long history in executive and governance roles across diverse sectors, including business, sport, climate change, the arts, policy and not-for-profit.
In 2024, Ms Mostyn was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service in the social justice, gender equity, sporting, cultural and business sectors, to reconciliation, and to environmental sustainability. She had previously been appointed an Officer of the Order in 2021.
For her continued contribution as an advocate for gender inclusion and equality, sustainability, and climate change action, Ms Mostyn was awarded the 2020 United Nations Day Honour Award and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the Australian National University in 2018.
Most recently, Ms Mostyn chaired the boards of Aware Super, Centre for Policy Development, Beyond Blue, Australians Investing in Women, Foundation for Young Australians, Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, Australian National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) and The Climate Council.
She has also served on the boards of some of Australia’s leading companies including Mirvac, Citi Australia, Transurban and Virgin Australia.
She dedicated more than a decade to the boards of the GO Foundation and Climateworks Australia, during this time she also served on the boards of Tonic Media and Global Business & Sustainable Development Commission.
Ms Mostyn was a Commissioner with the Australian Football League for over a decade until 2017.
She has also been a strong supporter of women in sport, and was an advocate for the creation of the AFL Women’s league and co-founded the Minerva Network, Australia’s only mentorship and development program dedicated to professional female athletes.
From 2013–2017, she was President of the Australian Council for International Development.
Ms Mostyn became an inaugural commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission in 2012 and Deputy Chair of the Diversity Council of Australia in 2010. She served on the Australian faculty of the Cambridge University Business & Sustainability Leadership Program from 2010–2024.
She has contributed to independent reviews for the betterment of the community as a member of the panel of the Crawford Sports Funding Review (2009), and Review of the Treatment of Women in the Australian Defence Force (2012). She chaired the NSW Government Women’s Economic Opportunities Review (2022), and Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce report (2023).
She also held membership to the boards of Reconciliation Australia and Australia Council for the Arts.
Before taking on non-executive roles, she held senior executive roles at Insurance Australia Group, Optus, and Cable & Wireless plc.
Ms Mostyn is married to Mr Simeon Beckett SC and they have an adult daughter, Lotte Beckett. Ms Mostyn is an avid Sydney Swans fan, and served on the board from 2017–2024.
The Right Honourable Ian Sinclair AC
Mr Sinclair was FRRR’s inaugural Chairman, serving from inception to 30 June 2019 and following his retirement, was appointed as a Patron of FRRR.
Born in Sydney and educated firstly at Knox Grammar School and then at Sydney University (BA, LLB), Mr Sinclair was admitted to the Bar in 1952.
From 1953 to 2001 Mr Sinclair bred cattle and sheep at “Glenclair”, Bendemeer NSW and now fattens cattle on Dumaresq Island on NSW’s mid-north coast.
In 1961 Mr Sinclair was elected to the NSW Legislative Council. In 1963 he then moved to Federal Parliament as the Federal Member for New England in the House of Representatives in 1963.
Mr Sinclair served as Leader or Deputy Leader of the National Party for nearly 19 years, and held a number of senior portfolios including Social Services, Primary Industry, Shipping and Transport, Communications, Defence and Leader of the House.
He also held the honoured position of Speaker of the House, retiring as Speaker in 1998.
At the time of his retirement, he was also President of Scouts Australia (NSW) and Patron of a number of charitable and philanthropic bodies.
Bill Kelty AC
Mr Kelty was a founding board member of FRRR, serving from inception to 30 June 2019 and following his retirement, was appointed as a Patron of FRRR.
After graduating in Economics from La Trobe University, Bill Kelty began his career in the early seventies working in various positions in the trade union movement.
This involvement led to his becoming Assistant Secretary of the ACTU in 1977, a position he held until he was elected ACTU Secretary in 1983 and he remained as Secretary until February 2000.
In his role as Secretary of the ACTU, Mr Kelty was responsible for industrial relations policy and practice in all industries, especially oil, the waterfront, retail, airlines and transport.
A key part of Mr Kelty’s role was to conduct industry level negotiations to improve company competitiveness while maintaining and improving workforce wages and conditions.
Importantly he was responsible for helping to negotiate national fiscal policy, which included the introduction of compulsory superannuation for the Australian workforce.
At the time of his retirement from the FRRR board, Mr Kelty’s current activities include the following:
Non-Executive Director of the Linfox Group;
AFL Commissioner;
Chair of Virtual Communities
Director of the Bank of Queensland
Director of Luna Park Pty Ltd. Melbourne
Member of La Trobe University Council
Chair of Evans & Partners Advisory Board
Member of McGuire Media Advisory Board
Member of Bill Hutchinson Foundation
Chair of Ministerial Advisory Council on Regional Australia.
Awards
Recipient of the Centenary Medal – 2003
Companion of the Order of Australia – 2008
John Anderson AC is also a Patron.
The Board
FRRR has had a long history of generous people volunteering their time to serve on our Board.
We are grateful for their advice and support.
Tim Fairfax AC
Chairman
Mr Tim Fairfax AC is a Company Director, Pastoralist and Philanthropist.
Tim is Chairman of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation. He is the Director of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, and Australian Philanthropic Services.
He is President of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation, a member of the National Portrait Gallery Foundation, the National Gallery of Australia Foundation and Australian Schools Plus.
Tim is Patron of the AMAQ Foundation, the University of the Sunshine Coast Foundation, the Flying Arts Alliance Incorporated, the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, and the Actors’ & Entertainers’ Benevolent Fund (QLD) Inc.
Tim takes an active leadership role in promoting philanthropy in Australia. He is passionate about supporting rural, remote and regional communities, particularly students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Tim has a range of business interests. He operates nine rural properties in Queensland and New South Wales involving beef cattle, fine wool and grain.
Anne Grindrod
Deputy Chair
Anne is a Director with wide experience in the philanthropic and not-for-profit sectors in Australia.
She served as a trustee of the John T Reid Charitable Trusts from 1998 to 2014, with the last five years as Chairman. Through this involvement Anne developed a commitment to building resilience and sustainability in rural communities. During this time the Trusts formed a close partnership with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal initiating funding for the CATCH program and enabling funding for natural disaster recovery.
Anne has also served on the board of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network, with a particular interest in broadening philanthropic donations to help protect biodiversity through nature conservation and to enable rural communities to develop strategies for resilience in the face of climate change.
She has a great interest in promoting early years education and early intervention services, having served on the board of the Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing (Taralye) for more than ten years including time as Chairman. In 2014 Anne was appointed a life member of the Advisory Council for Children with Impaired Hearing.
Anne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Anne’s family has a long association with rural living in Australia. She splits her time between Melbourne and her family farm on the Goulburn River flats at Thornton, near Alexandra in central Victoria.
William Myer
William Myer joined the FRRR Board in January, 2023, as the representative of the Sidney Myer Fund.
William works at Regal Partners in Sydney, where he is primarily responsible for continuing to grow and expand Regal’s existing relationships and strong connections within the Australian family office sector and sophisticated, self-directed private investor channel.
William previously spent 10 years at financial software firm Bloomberg across roles in London, New York and, most recently, Sydney, where he led Bloomberg’s Analytics division in Australia and NZ. Prior to Bloomberg, William held analyst roles at Caledonia Investments, and at his family’s investment group, the Yulgilbar Group of Companies. William has also been involved within his family business for well over 15 years, contributing within his family investment office with a particular focus on investing, philanthropy, agriculture and group level strategy.
William holds a Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Science (International Business) from Hult International Business School in Boston, MA. William holds a deep passion for Rural Australia and has worked through a variety of agricultural endeavors on family properties in the Clarence Valley and the Mornington Peninsula.
Sue Middleton
Sue has wide reaching and deep change management experience across agricultural businesses, commodity groups and sectors, and regional and rural local communities. She is passionate about the future of rural and regional Australia and has focused her 30-year professional career in this area. Sue has a real-world perspective on how to make community organisations successful and has deep experience in successfully brokering Government intent and industry and community capacity.
Sue’s past roles include the Chair of the WA Regional Development Trust which oversees the Royalties for Regions program, Chair of the West Midlands Group (Grower Group), National Rural Advisory Council, COAG Reform Council, WA Agricultural Produce Commissioner, National Regional Women’s Advisory Council, Farmbis State Planning Group, Australian Research Council, and Regional Solutions Board.
For her work, Sue has been awarded the Centenary Medal for Service to Regional Australia in 2002, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Woman of the Year for Australia in 2010 and was inducted into the Western Australia Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
Sue joined the FRRR Board in 2018.
Current interests
- Board of Racing and Wagering WA
Georgie Somerset AM
Georgie Somerset AM is an industry leader and strategist with boundless energy for regional development across Australia. Based on her family’s cattle property in Queensland’s South Burnett, she is actively involved in the operation of the multigenerational family beef business. For three decades Georgie has juggled the challenges associated with living regional and remote and has advocated in this space tirelessly.
Georgie was a founder, and later president, of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network–QRRRWN and held roles with the National Foundation for Australian Women as well as a founding member and Chair of the Red Earth Community Foundation.
In addition to her Philanthropic callings, Georgie uses her resilience and forward-thinking out of the square approach across multiple boards in the not-for-profit, government and industry sectors.
Georgie is currently the General President of AgForce Queensland, Chair of the Red Earth Community Foundation South Burnett, Director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland section), the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Eastern Operations) Limited, Mediflight, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the National Farmers Federation and the RFDS Foundation. Georgie also serves on a number of advisory committees for regional development, tertiary institutions, industry and community groups, including the Telstra QLD Regional Advisory Council, USQ’s Rural Economies Centre of Excellence and a number of government review panels. Georgie is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Institute for Resilient Regions.
Hon John Sharp AM
John Sharp AM has a farming and business background. His political career commenced in 1980 at the age of 25 when he was elected to the Young Shire Council. In 1984, he was elected to the Federal Parliament as the National Party member for Gilmore. Following redistribution in 1993, he represented the seat of Hume. Mr Sharp served 14 years in the Federal Parliament, and from 1987 to the end of 1997 was a member of the Coalition’s front bench as Shadow Minister, and then Minister for Transport and Regional Development and Federal Treasurer of the National Party.
During his parliamentary career, Mr Sharp became well known and respected for his role in promoting aviation safety and was responsible for numerous reforms, including a complete rewrite of the aviation regulations. He was also responsible for the reform of Australia’s railways, creating the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
From 2001-15, Mr Sharp served as director of Airbus Group Australia Pacific. He was a director of Skytraders, operating aircraft for the Australian Antarctic Division, from 2005-13 and the French / Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a Director of Eurocopter Australia Pacific.
Mr Sharp has been involved in a number of voluntary organisations and is a former Co-Chair of the Cancer Council of NSW, Southern Highlands Branch, former Chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation, and former Chairman of the Winifred West Schools Foundation from 2001-2008. He was also a Member of the Climate Change Authority, and a Member of the University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Board.
Mr Sharp was invested as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2018 for significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to the aviation industry, and to the community.
Current interests
- Founder and Director, Thenford Consulting
- Deputy Chairman, Regional Express (Rex)
- Chairman of Pel Air
- Director, Luerssen Australia
- Director, Australian Maritime Shipbuilding and Export Group
- Director, John McEwen House
- Director, Tudor House Foundation
James Flintoft
James Flintoft has substantial private sector and government executive leadership and governance experience, including in regional development and agriculture policy and service delivery. He has served on various private sector, government and not-for-profit boards.
He spent 10 years in the public service including as Chief Executive of Regional Development Victoria facilitating infrastructure development, jobs facilitation and regional partnerships; Deputy Secretary, Agriculture Victoria; and First Assistant Secretary, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Before joining the public service, James spent 20 years working in the private sector. He was a senior executive at ANZ Bank – including Managing Director, Business Banking; a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in the firm’s Australian, London and Washington offices advising across many industries; and a commercial lawyer at Allens Arthur Robinson.
He was formerly Treasurer of the Mirabel Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that provides support and counselling services to children orphaned or abandoned due to parental drug abuse.
He has a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne, an MBA from the Wharton School (US), and is a Graduate of the AICD.
Current Interests:
- Director, Transport Accident Commission
- Director, Development Victoria
- Director, Epworth Healthcare Group
- Chair, Sapia Pty Ltd
- Director, Social Traders
- Director, Foundation House (Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture)
David Mackay
David Mackay is the Acting Deputy Secretary for Regional, Cities, and Territories in the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, after serving as First Assistant Secretary of Infrastructure Investment Division, and, earlier, of Cities Division. Before joining the Department, David held division and branch head roles across the Australian public sector, in the Attorney-General’s Department, the Department of Finance (where he was responsible for Budget coordination and policy), and the Department of Health (in health system and funding reform, and in youth mental health and suicide prevention).
David is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Monash University, and is an alumnus of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government’s Executive Fellows Program.
Donna Digby
Donna Digby is passionate about showcasing the best of remote and Northern Australia: the strength and perspective of local people, the places, and working with others to create a vibrant future and thriving regions. Her connection to the NT spans 25 years and she has lived and worked in most regions of the NT. She currently lives in the rural area outside Mparntwe (Alice Springs). She values authenticity, inclusion, collaboration and creating a positive impact.
Donna embodies a people-centred, place-based and purpose-driven approach. For the past two decades, Donna has worked with local people in Victoria and the NT to inform, shape and achieve their futures.
She is an inclusive and community focused leader that believes we can achieve richer outcomes for our communities when we create spaces and opportunities to draw on the ideas, experiences and expertise from within our community, as well learning from other communities in Australia.
Donna is driven to support community leaders to reach their leadership potential by drawing on their lived experience, creating pathways for leadership development, building networks, mentoring and attracting investment to facilitate this. Donna is the current NT Chair – Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award Alumni, Board Director of Red Earth Community Foundation, Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and has completed a Bachelor of Environmental Science with Honors.
David Hardie
David Hardie was appointed to the FRRR Board in July 2024.
David has been an effective leader in government, not-for-profit and philanthropy organisations, most recently as the Foundation Manager at the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF). In this role he managed a grantmaking team responsible for a diverse $10M annual grants program. David led the work on more than 100 grants and managed strategic partnerships in education, ethics and place-based philanthropy. He is the author of The VFFF History Volume 3 (2009 to 2023) and deeply respected for his commitment to listening to and encouraging those on the front line of not-for-profit organisations.
David’s professional background is the government sector, including leadership roles in Communications and Human Resources at Sydney Water. Completing the Sydney Leadership Program in 2004 set David on a new career path grounded in purpose and values. He has extensive volunteer experience, including telephone counselling, refugee settlement assistance and youth mentoring.
David holds a Bachelor of Business, Master of Policy Studies and Graduate Certificates in Arts (Environmental Policy) and Business (Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies). He is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. David is also the Chair of The Social Outfit, a Director of St Francis Social Services, Slingsby Holdings Pty Ltd and the Slingsby Foundation, and a Patron of GiveOUT.
Click to view Past Patrons-in-Chief, Patrons and Directors
| Name | Appointed | Retired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAST PATRONS-IN-CHIEF | ||||
| The Honourable Sir William Patrick Deane AC KBE | 2000 | 2001 | ||
| Right Reverend the Honourable Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE | 2001 | 2003 | ||
| Major General the Honourable Michael Jeffery AC AO (Mil) CVO MC (Retd) | 2003 | 2008 | ||
| The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO | 2008 | 2014 | ||
| General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC (Retd) | 2014 | 2019 | ||
| General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) | 2019 | 2024 | ||
| PAST PATRONS | ||||
| Lady Marigold Southey | 2000 | 2019 | ||
| Baillieu Myer AC | 2000 | 2022 | ||
| PAST DIRECTORS | ||||
| Winsome McCaughey | 1 March 2000 | 30 May 2000 | ||
| Kenneth Cowley AO | 30 May 2000 | 10 July 2001 | ||
| Gatjil Djerrkura OAM | 30 May 2000 | 28 November 2001 | ||
| Kenneth Matthews | 2 March 2000 | 11 March 2005 | ||
| Sidney Myer AM | 1 March 2000 | 30 June 2005 | ||
| Francis Bethwaite | 1 March 2000 | 25 November 2009 | ||
| Michael Taylor AO | 11 March 2005 | 25 November 2009 | ||
| Samantha Baillieu | 30 June 2005 | 30 June 2010 | ||
| Dr Wendy Craik AM | 23 November 2000 | 25 March 2011 | ||
| Mike Mrdak AO | 12 January 2010 | 21 May 2011 | ||
| Mike Mrdak AO | 9 October 2013 | 12 September 2017 | ||
| Glenys Beauchamp PSM | 21 May 2011 | 10 October 2013 | ||
| Lindy Hayward | 8 September 2010 | 10 October 2013 | ||
| Margaret Smith AO | 1 March 2000 | 17 November 2015 | ||
| Tim Fairfax AC | 31 October 2002 | 6 July 2017 | ||
| Bill Kelty | 30 May 2000 | 30 June 2019 | ||
| The Rt Hon Ian Sinclair AC | 1 March 2000 | 30 June 2019 | ||
| Dr Steven Kennedy PSM | 15 November 2017 | 1 September 2019 | ||
| Simon Atkinson | 11 March 2020 | 21 April 2021 | ||
| Ian Allen AM | 28 March 2001 | 17 February 2022 | ||
| Fred Grimwade | 21 September 2011 | 17 February 2022 | ||
| Rachel Bacon | 27 April 2021 | 24 August 2022 | ||
| Patrick Myer | 25 September 2013 | 9 November 2022 | ||
| Paddy Handbury | 20 March 2009 | 9 November 2022 | ||
| Hon Simon Crean | 1 July 2019 | 25 June 2023 | ||
| Andrew McKenzie | 4 April 2018 | 31 December 2023 | ||
| Bruce Scott | 15 November 2017 | 30 May 2024 | ||
Governance
The Role of the Board
FRRR’s Board of Directors exercises the powers vested in it by the Corporations Law and the Company’s Constitution. The Board is directly responsible to its members for the long-term health and prosperity of the Company.
FRRR’s policies and practices provide the framework which enables the Board’s principal role to be achieved while ensuring that FRRR activities are conducted ethically and in accordance with the law, including well managed and transparent annual financial statements.
The Board charts the direction of FRRR and monitors management’s performance. Its responsibilities include:
The Board has a Nominations and Appointments Committee, which meets as required, and a Finance and Audit (F&A) committee, which meets quarterly. The F&A Committee oversees all aspects of financial investment and management of the Foundation. Our financial reports are independently audited to confirm our financial processes meet all statutory requirements.
Explore our most recent Financial Statements lodged with ACNC.
