2021 Notables Inductees

The Gallery of Notable Old Collegians was inaugurated in 2011 by the Old Geelong Collegians’ Association (OGCA) to recognise and honour those former students of The Geelong College who became outstanding in their fields.

James Balfour CBE

OGC 1929

Raised in a family with a long tradition of public service, James Balfour was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Morwell District in 1955, representing the Liberal and Country Party. He served as Government Whip and Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet. In 1964, Premier Harold Bolte appointed Balfour as Commissioner of Crown Lands and Survey, President of the Board of Land and Works, Minister of Soldier Settlement and Minister for Conservation. He retired in 1983.

Commodore Nicole Curtis

OGC 1988

Commodore Dr Nicole Curtis has risen through the ranks of the Royal Australian Navy, now serving as Director of Naval Health. Curtis studied Medicine at Monash University, graduating in 1995 and joining the RAN as a final year student. She served as Medical Officer on HMAS Arunta in the Royal Australian Navy in East Timor in 1999, and in Operation Catalyst (Middle East) in 2005. She was awarded a FRACGP 2004.

Major General Adam Findlay AO

OGC 1983

In 2021 Major General Adam Findlay rose through the ranks of the Australian Army, having served in Iraq, TimorLeste and Afghanistan. His most recent appointment was Special Operations Commander – Australia. Prior to that he successfully commanded Coalition Special Operations during the Battle to liberate Mosul in 2016/2017 for which he was awarded the US Legion of Merit. In 2021 he was awarded the French Legion d’Honneur for establishing formal relations between French and Australian Special Forces.

Gideon Haigh

OGC 1983

Writer Gideon Haigh has cemented himself in the Australian journalism and sports fields. When starting out at The Age and The Australian, Haigh wrote extensively on sports and business topics. Haigh’s move to freelance journalism has seen him publish many books and articles. Haigh has received accolades including multiple Jack Pollard Trophies for best Australian cricket book; John Curtin Prize for Journalism in Victoria; Ned Kelly Award for True Crime; Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction.

David Lamont

OGC 1982

David Lamont has worked in financial management for multinational companies for many years. His track record as a global CFO led to his appointment at CSL in 2016, a position he held before re-joining BHP in 2020. His community mindset had seen Lamont strive to be leader in his field and mentor to others. Lamont has been a Director at the Financial Executives Institute of Australia since 2013.

Chong Lim AM

OGC 1977

Chong Lim, musical director, keyboardist, producer, and session musician is a prominent and talented member of the music industry in Australia and internationally. Lim’s music career has included being the musical director for Dancing with the Stars and the Sydney Olympics. He has also played with the John Farnham Band, Olivia Newton-John and Kylie Minogue, and worked with Sir George Martin and Sir Barry Gibb, among others.

Rebecca Maddern

OGC 1995

TV presenter and journalist Rebecca Maddern’s rise as a TV personality has featured ground-breaking moments such as being the first female presenter of The Footy Show and the 2019 Australian Open men’s final. Maddern built her career to become a regular contributor on programs such as Sunrise, The Morning Show, Seven News, AFL Brownlow Medal, and Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. In 2020, Maddern was appointed cohost of the Weekend Today morning show.

Richard Morris

OGC 1963

Richard Morris is a stalwart of the College community. After studying Economics at LaTrobe University he returned in 1971 to teach at Senior School. Morris became Master in Charge of Economics, then Head of the Business Studies Department. Since 1978 Morris has written many VCE U1-4 Economics textbooks. In the last decade he has also taken on the role of VET Coordinator. He was Head of Wettenhall House (1979-1992) and involved in the Rowing program.

Dr Reginald (Reggie) Morrison

OGC 1881

Dr Reggie Morrison was a medical practitioner, athlete and rugby player. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and while there represented Scotland in Rugby. Returning to Melbourne in 1890, he became a GP. Morrison’s interest in obstetrics and gynaecology led him to join the honorary staff of the Royal Women’s Hospital in 1899. By 1910 he was solely practising obstetrics and gynaecology and lectured in the subjects at the University of Melbourne.

Lyndsay Sharp

OGC 1979

Sharp Group Co-owner and Director Lyndsay Sharp is passionate about local tourism for Geelong and the Bellarine. The Sharp Group now owns and runs Leura Park Estate, Flying Brick Cider Company, Yes said the Seal, Jack Rabbit and Curlewis Golf Club. With a background in marketing and PR, Sharp works closely with Tourism Geelong and the Bellarine, the Chamber of Commerce and Visit Victoria, and other operators.

John Wardle

OGC 1971

John Wardle is a leader in architecture and design in Australia and internationally. From founding his own practice in the 1980s, it has grown to incredible success and received many accolades. In 2001 Wardle completed a Masters in Architecture at RMIT. He is now Adjunct Professor at Creative UniSA (formerly School of Art, Architecture and Design). In 2020 Wardle was awarded the Gold Medal in Architecture by the AIA, the highest accolade in Australian Architecture.

Anthony (Tony) Strahan OAM FCA

OGC 1956

Champion swimmer Tony Strahan was a team member of the 4x220 yds Freestyle Relay Team which won the Gold Medal at the 1962 Commonwealth Games and set a world record. He is an advocate of the World Life Saving Association, winning 14 individual masters surf life saving titles and a world masters title. Strahan is a dedicated volunteer, having held roles at the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club, Surf Life Saving Victoria and Swimming Victoria.

Peter Wade

OGC 1967

Entrepreneur Peter Wade has worked for many years in the Tourism industry and, through his passion for the future of Australian business, co-founded the University of Melbourne Wade institute of Entrepreneurship in 2015. Wade started his first business, Travelbag a specialist travel company, in 1979. After selling the business, Wade returned to Australia working in a number of directorships of leading organisations such as Tourism Queensland, APT in Melbourne and Quicksilver in Far North Queensland.

Angus Widdicombe

OGC 2012

Rower Angus Widdicombe has represented Australia on the world stage and Victoria in national competitions. Widdicombe became an Olympian for the 2020 Tokyo games. In the men’s eight Widdicombe and the Australians placed 6th in the final medal race. He has had a successful international rowing career, representing Australia since 2016. Widdicombe, in Victorian colours, has rowed in the eights for the King’s Cup, winning 2015 and 2021.

View the full Notables Gallery, with extended biographies, by scanning the QR code.

*New inductees not yet included