Board of Directors

Tony Hasham AM, FAICD , FAIM - Chairman

Tony first met Ted Noffs the founder of Life Education Australia in 1985 and was soon helping Ted put more and more of the drug education Mobile Learning Centers on the road. After Ted’s tragic illness Tony was co-opted onto the NSW division of Life Education where he took on the role of Chairman for two years. He has been a director of Life Education Australia since 1992 and became Chairman of the national body in 2005.

Tony has been involved in Variety The Children’s Charity for 25 yrs where he has held the Hon. Positions of National Chairman Australia and International Vice President on the International Board in New York. He is currently Hon. Treasurer of Variety Australia and International Ambassador for Variety International.

Tony is married to Terri, has three children and a grandson. He loves a game of Golf whenever his busy schedule allows.

Hon. Robert J. Ellicott, QC, BA, LLB; (Past Chairman 1999-2004)

Mr. Ellicott was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1950. He was Solicitor General from 1969 to 1973. Mr. Ellicott was then elected to the Federal Seat of Wentworth in 1974 and served until 1981.

Mr. Ellicott has held a number of Federal Ministerial portfolios including Commonwealth Attorney General from 1975 to 1977 and Minister for Home Affairs and Capital Territory 1977 to 1981. Court of Arbitration for Sport-Olympics (Current). Mr Ellicott worked closely with Ted Noffs at the Wayside Chapel and was involved with Life Education at its beginning. Interests include athletics, tennis and farming.

Bernie Foley

Bernie has been operating his own Mortgage Broking franchisee business “Mortgage Choice” in Perth for the past three years. Previous to that he spent 11 years working in the Not for Profit area in an executive role in Marketing, Fundraising and Development.

Bernie was introduced into Life Education Western Australia, four years ago through the Rotary Club of West Perth due to his experience in the Not for Profit Sector. He has been a Rotarian for the past five years and currently holds the Board Position of “Community Service” after servicing as Secretary for three consecutive years.

n 2007, Bernie was elected Chairman of Life Education WA during a challenging time in Western Australia where funding was becoming a major focus. Through the support of a strong Board, Life Education Australia, a number of Rotary clubs and individual Rotarians, the delivery of the Life Education programs in WA is becoming stronger.

Rear Admiral A. L. Hunt AO

Tony Hunt served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1954 to 1995 reaching the rank of Rear Admiral. A graduate of Melbourne University he specialised in Weapons and Electrical Engineering in both naval aviation and small ships. He was the Chief Naval Engineer and Naval Support Commander responsible for bases throughout Australia.

Tony joined the Life Education Australia Board in 1996 and was subsequently elected Deputy Chairman. He is currently responsible to the Board for administrative matters.

He is also Vice Chairman of the Royal Humane Society of NSW, President of the Sydney Maritime Museum, Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institution of NSW, a councillor for the Australian Society of Defence Engineering and a councillor to the Parish of St. Canice, Elizabeth Bay. He and his wife Cecile enjoy their four children and eleven grandchildren.

Paul Wheelton

Paul Wheelton B.Comm, CPA was appointed to the Life Education Victorian Board in April 2001. Chairing Life Education Victoria’s Fundraising Committee, and a member of LEV’s Strategic Planning Task Force, Paul has been pivotal in the success of LEV’s fundraising events, profile raising activities and strategic direction. Holding a Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne 1978, he has been a member of the Australian Society of Certified Practicing Accountants for 10 years. Paul was the Group Manager for Administration and Finance for the Budget Rent a Car Corporation, and for the last 20 years has been Managing Director and owner of the largest Budget Rent a Car Franchise Group in Australia. He is currently Chairman of the Budget Licensee Council.

Paul’s interest and involvement in the community is extensive. He has been the Treasurer of St Theodore’s Anglican Church in Surrey Hills for 16 years, currently on the organising Board for the Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar Brownlow Breakfast, and is a Board member and Deputy Chairman of Variety – The Children’s Charity in Victoria. Together with his wife, Heather, and his children, Paul is sponsoring an orphanage in Bali – via The Wheelton Foundation.

Hon Alan G Cadman

Mr Alan Cadman, a long-term supporter of Life Education, represented the people, the families and the organisations in the Federal seat of Mitchell in the north-western suburbs of Sydney for the past 33 years.Mr Cadman was born in Sydney and he graduated from the University of NSW  Prior to his election to Parliament he was experienced in station and property management, small business and orcharding. with a Certificate in Agriculture.

Following the Coalition’s decisive Federal election victory on 3 March 1996, Mr Cadman was appointed to the position of Chief Government Whip.He served in that position until his appointment as Parliamentary Secretary for Workplace Relations and Small Business in July 1997 and held that position until October 1998.

He was also appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Fraser, in 1981 and was later appointed Shadow Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in 1985, a position he held for four years.When in Opposition, Mr Cadman served as acting Coalition spokesman in many senior portfolios including Communications; Aviation and Tourism; Senior Citizens and Aged Care; Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, Finance; and Small Business.

Alan is married to Judy, a teacher by profession, and they live at Galston.  Alan and Judy have three sons, Stephen, Phillip and Andrew and two grandchildren.Interests:  surfing, painting and tennis.

Mr Steve Kelton

Steve Kelton was appointed Chairperson of Life Education South Australia in November 2007. Steve brings to Life Education a wealth of experience and expertise in Education and Management (formerly Director of Regency and Onkaparinga TAFEs in SA and Executive Director of Human Resources for the then SA Department of Education, Employment and Training.)  In retirement Steve works on a consultancy basis with Austraining International and Australian Volunteers International on a number of international projects.

Steve's interests and involvement in the community are extensive. He and wife Liz volunteer with Fred's Van (St Vincent de Paul). Steve is also President of the Brighton Tennis Club and is a JP.

Mr Charlie King

Charlie has been a sport broadcaster with the ABC since 1994. Based in Darwin, he commentates local Australian Rules, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Netball, Hockey and cricket.

He presents 'Territory Sport' on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television in the Northern Territory and each Saturday he hosts, as a part of Grandstand, Sport talk on ABC Darwin and Territory Radio.

Territorians are renowned for their love of sport; both as players and spectators. Football, Sepak Takraw, netball, you name it, they play it. Charlie King is in the thick of it all, Northern Territory style.

Charlie was born in Alice Springs and moved to Darwin in 1966. He has tried his hand at most sports. He currently coaches Australian Rules in Darwin and is the coach of the NT Women's Australian Rules team. He is also a football umpire, plays tennis, cricket, golf and is an avid runner.

Mr John Landerer CBE AM HON LLD (Macq.)

Mr Landerer is the Senior Partner and founder of Landerer & Company. He is a senior legal practitioner who has specialised in corporate and commercial advisory work for over 30 years.

Mr Landerer is also a professional company director. He has served on many public and large private company boards such as Terrace Tower Group, Goldsearch Limited, National Hire, TNT, Goodman Fielder, Bridge Oil, Australian National Industries Limited, Advance Bank of Australia and Bank of America (Australia) Limited.

Mr Landerer has been an Honorary Fellow of Sydney University since 1990 and has been actively involved in the affairs of that University.

In 1993, Mr Landerer became a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to law. Mr Landerer has received a Medal from the Victor Chang Institute in recognition of his assistance to this important medical centre and is a Director of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children.

Mr Chris Morton B.Com.,LLB,LLM,MAICD

For the last decade, Chris was the Managing Director of Property Funds Australia Limited (PFA), a pioneering property fund management business which he co-founded and subsequently sold in late 2007.
Prior to setting up PFA, Chris was head of the property division of international legal firm Phillips Fox based in Brisbane.

He has sat on numerous boards, including as past president of both the Property Council of Australia (Qld) and the Australian Direct Property Investment Association, and as committee member of the Queensland Heritage Council, Brisbane City Council Urban Renewal Taskforce and the Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor’s Business Advisory body.

Chris is a current member of the Board of Trustees of Brisbane Grammar School.  He holds degrees in commerce and law from the University of Queensland and Cambridge University.He is married with four sons.
Chris has been recently appointed to the position of Chairman of Life Education Queensland.

Clare Payne

Clare completed a double degree in Communications and Law at Macquarie University. Upon Graduation Clare specialised in Employment Law working for a large commercial law firm. Clare then moved to an in-house legal position for an Australian Investment Bank. Clare now manages the Integrity Office of Macquarie Bank.

Whilst Clare has been a lawyer by profession, she has always been a swimmer by passion. She is an accomplished marathon swimmer having crossed the Rottnest Channel, Western Australia. Clare was the 11th Australian to swim around Manhattan, New York and is the only person to have swum solo from Coogee Beach to the Sydney Opera House. Through her swimming Clare has raised money for Life Education Australia and is genuine Healthy Harold graduate!
Clare is a current Vincent Fairfax Fellow. The Vincent Fairfax Fellowship provides young Australians with an opportunity to develop practices and habits of ethical leadership. Clare joined the National Board of Life Education in 2005.

Professor Alan Rice

Currently Alan is Dean of the Australian Centre for Educational Studies at Macquarie University, responsible for the provision of initial Teacher Education preparation programs in early childhood, primary and secondary education.  His teaching role is within the postgraduate program in Educational Leadership.

He has had extensive experience in working with school communities through his previous role as Executive Director, Early Childhood and Primary Education in the NSW Department of Education and Training.  Through his special interest in community development, he assisted communities and agencies to collaborate in providing positive learning environments that enable children to be healthy and safe.

Alan became a member of the Order of Australia in 2004 for his service to education, particularly in the area of literacy development, and to the community.  He has experience as Director with the not-for-profit sector and has been involved in church and cricket administration for over 40 years.

Ms Lyn Thurnham AIMM

Lyn started her career in Public Relations in Covent Garden, London for Rank Strand Electric. Her role broadened to a Marketing position that encompassed the UK and Internationally for the organisation. On her return to

Australia and her home town of Newcastle, Lyn worked as Assistant Manager/Acting Manager for the Civic Theatre Newcastle and then onto a role as Sales and Marketing Executive for NBN Television. Lyn with husband Warwick Teece established Thurnham Teece Pty Ltd. Advertising Agency in 1988. The agency now has two locations: Newcastle (head office) and Sydney.

In 1984 Lyn worked with a group of local business people to set up Life Education in the Hunter. In 1987, Life Education was named recipient of the NBN Telethon funds. These funds realised the Board and Community's dream to build a four classroom static centre on land donated by the State Government in Edgeworth.

Lyn was appointed to the State Board of Life Education from 1997-2001. Lyn is also a Board Member of the Hunter Valley Theatre Company and Community Radio Station 2NUR FM and was appointed to the National Board of Life Education in 2005.

Mr John Waterhouse

Retired Chairman and Managing Director of:
Faberge Australia Pty Ltd
Max Factor Australia Pty Ltd
Yves Rocher Australia Pty Ltd

John was a ‘Founding Member of Variety Tent 56’ and is a retired Variety Board member. Numerous positions were held during John’s era with Variety such as: Bash and Sunshine Coach, Grants/ Appeals Chairman. John has been involved in many charitable associations over the years; including his participation on the board of the Spastic Centre in the 1980`s Re MISS AUSTRALIA, and his most recent appointment to the National Board of Life Education Australia in 2005.

John is currently Chairman Newcastle Pinnacle Pty Ltd (Grand Mercure Apartments Newcastle) and his Directorships include Miss World Australia Holdings Pty Ltd. He has 3 children and 1 grandchild.