As reward for excellent attendance, engagement and performance at both school and Clontarf, four boys from Chatham (Taree, NSW), Coonamble (NSW), Trinity Bay (Cairns, QLD) and Mildura (VIC) Academies were selected to attend the NRL Indigenous Youth Leadership Summit in Melbourne in February. The week-long experience saw the boys take part in an intensive programme […]
East Coast Achievers Shine at NRL Youth Summit Read More »
When his hometown of Tingha was threatened by horrific bushfires in February this year, Inverell Academy alumnus Quentin ‘Quinny’ Williams immediately sprang into action. As a long-time volunteer at both the Tingha State Emergency Service and the NSW Rural Fire Service, Quinny knew he would best serve his community on the front line, and even
Quinny Defends His Community Read More »
The start to the year was undoubtedly one of the most significant in our 20 year history and saw many momentous milestones reached and important projects completed. Firstly, I’m excited to announce that our Term 1 enrolment exceeded boys, up from 6,125 at the conclusion of 2018. This number includes more than 700 Year 12
Message from the CEO – April Read More »
Cricket is a major part of the Clontarf programme during the summer months and one of the biggest events on the calendar is the Imparja Cup held annually in Alice Springs. To celebrate this encouraging outcome, the academy invited 10 students who had recently gained part-time employment as well as members of the school teaching
Broome Boys Commit to Part-Time Employment Read More »
Zac Cattlin is flying – literally. The Swan Hill Academy alumni graduated from Year 12 and completed a school based carpentry apprenticeship in 2016. During the year he was awarded the Caltex Best All Rounder Award which recognised his excellence in academic, leadership, sporting and community service activities. He thoroughly enjoyed the trade industry at
The Sky Is The Limit For Zac Read More »
Boys from the Endeavour (Caringbah), Mount Druitt and Dubbo Academies rubbed (very tall) shoulders with some of the NBLs best in February, thanks to Clontarf partner Gilead Sciences. The boys joined 10,000 other cheering fans at Qudos Bank Arena as the Kings took on the Cairns Taipans in the final regular game of the season.
A Basketball Experience Fit for Kings Read More »
Cricket is a major part of the Clontarf programme during the summer months and one of the biggest events on the calendar is the Imparja Cup held annually in Alice Springs. Budding cricketers from Centralian Middle, Yirara and Tennant Creek Academies padded up for the Clontarf Schools Division which saw teams battle it out over
Alice Springs Hosts Imparja Cup Read More »
45 young men from Trinity Bay Academy in Cairns, QLD completed their Year 12 studies in 2018 – shattering the previous record of 32 held by Casuarina Academy (Darwin, NT) since 2015. Cairns Regional Manager Chris McDonald said the boys made the commitment to finish the year during the Far North Queensland Region Year 12
Trinity Bay Breaks Record Read More »
Welcome to the final Clontarf Quarterly for 2018. Term 4 is always an especially busy time of the year as our boys work towards completion of their studies, celebrate their successes at awards nights and let off steam during end of year camps. While our full year results are not yet final, early indications suggest
Message from the CEO – December Read More »
The young men from Katherine Academy were recently asked what they wanted to do for work when they completed school. Needless to say, firefighter was a popular choice for many. So when the boys had the opportunity to visit the local Fire and Rescue station in November, they started asking questions such as ‘Can we
Firefighting Hard Work For Katherine Boys Read More »
Joel is a proud Yuin man from the NSW South Coast and commenced employment with the Clontarf Foundation in 2016, following a 10-year career with the NSW Police Force. Since Joining the Foundation Joel has held a multitude of roles which includes, Academy Director, Development Officer, Regional Manager and NSW Operations Manager. Joel was appointed to the General Manager – Development position in 2025.
General Manager – Partnerships & Communications
Nick was appointed as General Manager – Partnerships and Communications in December 2024. Prior to this, Nick’ s roles included National Partnerships Manager, National Recruitment Manager and Academy Director at Coodanup Academy. Nick has an education management background with a Bachelor of Education degree.
Ms Collard is a highly experienced executive with strong leadership skills and deep commitment to Indigenous communities. She has over 25 years of senior executive experience in government policy, strategy, and operational management. As a descendant of the Yadhiagana/Wuthathi and Guringji peoples and married to a Noongar Man with four children and three grandchildren, Ms Collard have a deep connection to Indigenous communities and has dedicated her career to advocating for equal opportunities for all Aboriginal people, from access to services to employment and cultural understanding. As a senior executive in both state and federal governments, she have a proven track record of making a positive impact in the lives of Indigenous communities. As a General Manager for Rio Tinto, she continues to put her leadership skills and passion for equality into practice, supporting the company’s performance through Group Internal Audits while staying true to your commitment to Indigenous communities.
Mr Gibbs is a proud Yuwalaraay man from Goodooga in North Western NSW. Mr Gibbs is the General Counsel & Company Secretary of Volkswagen Group Australia Pty Ltd, and is responsible for the legal affairs of the VW, AUDI, SKODA and CUPRA brands in Australia. Prior to working in the motor industry, Mr Gibbs worked as a practising lawyer for top tier law firms in Sydney and Perth. In that time, Mr Gibbs has also devoted his time to helping pro bono clients on a range of legal issues. Mr Gibbs is passionate about helping to deliver better educational and life outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Lee was appointed as GM – Human Resources in September 2020. Prior to this, Lee was the Foundation’s HR Manager, an Employment Officer in Cairns, Queensland and an Academy Director at Gunbalanya in the Northern Territory. Lee has a degree in Human Resources and has extensive experience working in remote communities.
Mr McCormack’s career has been in energy infrastructure, having led ASX listed APA Group between 2005-2019. During this time, enterprise value grew from $1b to over $24b, which included investments in gas pipelines and distribution, gas processing and storage, gas fi red power generation,
renewables (wind and solar) and electricity transmission across Australia. Mr McCormack is a Director of Austal Limited, Origin Energy and the Chair of Central Petroleum Limited. He is also Chair of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra Foundation and has been a long term supporter of the Clontarf Foundation.
Zone Manager – Victoria & South Australia
Chief Operations Officer
Brad was appointed Zone Manager – Western Australian in January 2024. He was previously Regional Manager for the South-Central Region and the North-West Region in Western Australia. Prior to that, Brad was an Academy Director in Karratha and Perth. Brad is a qualified teacher who taught in a number of schools across Western Australia, China and the United Kingdom.
Mr Gillam is a professional Company Director, serving currently as Chairman of CSR Limited, Chairman of Nufarm Limited and Chairman of Bluefit Pty Ltd, as well as a Board Member of the Heartwell Foundation. He worked for 20 years within the Wesfarmers Group where he was the CEO of Bunnings from 2004 to 2016 and the Chairman of Officeworks from 2008 to 2016. Other roles during Mr Gillam’s Wesfarmers career included Managing Director of CSBP and Company Secretary. Prior to Wesfarmers, Mr Gillam was General Manager of Medical Corporation Australia Ltd and he started his career working in KPMG’s corporate recovery and corporate finance areas.
Mr Tyson is the Managing Partner of SEC Newgate Australia and the Deputy CEO of SEC Newgate Global. Mr Tyson is one of Australia’s leading communications practitioners with expertise in strategic issues management, government relations, media management, financial transactions and community campaigning. Mr Tyson is also Director of the Sydney Swans AFL club, SEC Newgate Global (UK) and the Committee for Sydney. Prior to his career in consultancy, Brian was a school teacher, journalist for The Land newspaper and a media adviser to the Greiner and Fahey Governments in New South Wales.
Chris is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Poynton Stavrianou, an independent corporate advisory firm based in Western Australia. Chris has over twenty years of experience in mergers and acquisitions with Macquarie Capital in London and UBS in Sydney. As a member of the Australian Treasury senior executive, Chris established and led Treasury’s Western Australian office,
which advises the Australian Government on Western Australian trade and investment and the domestic economy. Chris is an Adjunct Professor at the Business School of the University of Western Australia and is a member of council of Christ Church Grammar School. Chris received his BSc from the University of Western Australia, his MBA with Distinction from INSEAD, and his MPA from Harvard University where he was a fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government.
Karen Jones is a proud Anaiwin woman who was born and raised in Sydney. She has built a life, surrounded by her family on the traditional lands of the Darkinjung people (Central Coast of NSW).
Karen worked for the NSW Department of Education since she commenced teaching in the area of special education in 1982 in south-western Sydney. She has a strong passion and commitment to the importance of public education as the single most powerful vehicle to deliver a socially just Australian society. Karen was awarded the inaugural Central Coast Pathways Award for Leadership in Aboriginal education” in 2004 whilst Principal at Wyoming Public School. Complementing this she was also named the NSW P&C Association’s Primary Principal of the Year, also in 2004. Karen has also been Principal at Terrigal Public School and Director, Educational Leadership for the Maitland, Cessnock and Kurri Kurri area as well as across the Central Coast.
In 2019 Karen was appointed as the Executive Director, Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships (previously Aboriginal Education and Communities) for the NSW Department of Education. She embraces working in partnership with the broader Department including our more 2200 public schools, the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Incorporated (NSWAECG), the NSW Secondary Principals Council, the NSW Primary Principals Association, the NSW Public Service Association and the NSW Teachers Federation., Karen greatly enjoyed working with a broad range of community groups to promote equitable life opportunities for Aboriginal people across NSW through our strong Public Education family.
In 2021 Karen was awarded a Public Service Medal and was named the Central Coast Ambassador for 2022.
At the start of 2024 Karen retired from full time work and is now a volunteer for many groups on the Central Coast including Kuriwa Local AECG and Brooke Avenue Public School’s P&C as well as a Board member for the Clontarf Foundation.
