GOVERNANCE
MEET OUR COLLEGE BOARD
Rosemary Merrin
BA (Hons) GAICD
Rosie Merrin is the Board Chair, she joined the Board in 2017. Rosie and her husband David run a beef cattle and fine wool merino business near Penshurst along with a large scale conservation venture in NSW. Rosie has a keen interest in education and the arts, particularly the fields of music, history and literature. She has maintained this interest through board and other voluntary positions with a number of educational and cultural organisations.
Rosie is an Old Collegian and her three children William, Sophie and Rupert, attend the College.
Bill Hamill
BBus; MEd, Dip Vet, FAICD
Bill joined the Board 2012. He is currently Deputy Chair, Chairman of the Finance Committee and is the former Chairman of the College Foundation. Bill is Chief Executive Officer of Rural Industries Skill Training (RIST), a leading national agricultural training organisation based in Hamilton. Bill grew up in rural Australia and has maintained this connection with the agricultural sector through senior management and board positions with a range of national organisations servicing country Australia.
Bill and Kathryn’s three children, Calder (2008), Conrad (2010) and Anastasia (2012) all attended the College.
David Dyer
M.Phil (Economics), BCom(Hons), LLB(Hons)
David joined the Board in 2021. Originally from Digby, David now lives in Melbourne. He is a Partner with McKinsey & Company, where he leads the Melbourne Office and serves resources, finance and public sector clients in Australia and Asia. He has studied at both Melbourne University and Oxford University in England and brings expertise in strategy, organisation, reputation and sustainability.
David has a strong interest in education and mental health, and also serves on the Steering Committee for Beyond Blue’s ‘Be You’ mental health initiative for schools and early learning services. David is an Old Collegian (1992) and has a niece and nephew in the Junior School.
Roslyn Law
BArts(EnglLangSt) (Pol); Dip Ed.
Roslyn joined the Board in 2017 and is Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. She has a degree in English and Politics from University of Melbourne and a Diploma in Education. Roslyn taught senior English and History in country Victoria, Melbourne and Sydney, and lived in Perth for a number of years. In between teaching appointments, Roslyn worked in the airline and beef cattle industries.
Roslyn has a son (James) and daughter (Sarah), and the family retains farming interests at Mortlake.
Nigel Paulet
MPharm
Nigel joined the College Board in 2012 and is a member of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee. With a background in retail pharmacy ownership and management he is now a farmer with a commercial beef herd. His farming interests also include some cropping activities and several conservation projects to provide habitat and retard degradation.
Nigel and his wife Elizabeth have two children who attended the College, Henry (2015) and Claire (Year 2017)
Sam Roberts
BBus (Ag Commerce); LLB
Sam joined the Board in 2017 and is a farmer in Harrow specialising in wool, sheepmeat and cropping. He is a member of the local CFA, and has held the role of Secretary/Treasurer for 15 years. Sam has a strong interest in local education, having served on the Harrow local school council for 10 years. He has also been involved in many roles in the local sporting clubs and associations, having a particular interest in Cricket, playing at both College and Pigeon Ponds.
Sam and his wife Sarah have three children that have attended College - Claudia graduated in 2018, Fergus in 2021 and Lucy will finish in 2022.
James Castley
BCom (Acc), BEc, Chartered Accountant CA, Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia (FTIA)
James joined the Board in 2024 and is a Principal at Sinclair Wilson. James has worked as an Accountant, providing industry best standard Taxation and Business Advice, for more than 10 years. James’s role oversees teams in Hamilton, Mount Gambier, and Warrnambool and his passion is working with family businesses across a large range of industries, helping them navigate the modern, fast-paced business environment.
James lives in Port Fairy with his wife Fiona and two children, where they play an active role in the local community. From a patrolling surf club member to the Port Fairy the annual “Dachshund Dash” and a member of the Finance and Risk committee of the Port Fairy Community Bendigo Bank.
Neil MacLean
B.A., Dip Ed. M.A.C.E., M.A.C.E.L
Neil MacLean joined the Board in 2024. He is a retired teacher who commenced his teaching career at the College in 1978. In subsequent years, he had experience in a range of curricular and co-curricular roles and was Deputy to four Principals. At times, he was Acting Principal. Neil’s knowledge of the College community gained through these experiences and his care of the College Archives and authorship of the sesquicentenary history of the College give him a sound awareness of the opportunities for, and challenges and needs of, a school like the College.
Neil’s two daughters, Catherine (2009) and Annie (2012) completed all their school education at the College.
Freya Hawker
BSc, MSc(Ag)
Freya joined the Board in 2024. Freya is involved in running a commercial sheep enterprise with her husband Richard on their farm near Apsley. Previously, Freya worked as an agricultural research scientist with the South Australian Research and Development Institute.
Freya has a strong interest in education and served on their local school’s council where she was involved in implementing new programs to enhance the school’s education program.
Freya and her husband Richard have three children at the College, Sidney, Scarlett and Frederick.
Annual Report
GOVERNANCE OPPORTUNITIES
The Hamilton and Alexandra College is an independent co-educational day and boarding school located in Hamilton, regional Victoria, Australia. We have a team of excellent staff and thrive on our strong community, and student and staff wellbeing. Our regional lifestyle contributes to strong academic results and well-balanced students.
Appointments to the
College Board
The College Board invites Expressions of Interest from individuals to become a member of the Board and/or its Sub-Committees.
The College is proud of its reputation as a prime educational institution in the local and regional community. A long history, values and innovative education programs are the hallmarks of The Hamilton and Alexandra College.
Participation at Board level provides opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the College and the broader College community. The Board plays a pivotal role in supporting and advising the Principal through the Finance and Risk Committees, Governance and Strategic Planning Committees.
Successful candidates will join a team of individuals with a diversity of skills, professional qualifications and experience who are committed to upholding the values of the College.
Board commitment includes eight general meetings throughout the school year and additional sub-committee meetings each term.
For further information, download the EOI or contact the Board Secretary, Mr Jason Bourke via jbourke@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au.
