Mr Derek Murphy, Chairman
BA, LLB (UQ), LLM (London), FAIM, FAICD, FHKloD, SF Fin

Council Chairman - July 2005
Building and Grounds Committee
Mr Murphy was appointed to Council in 1998 and became chairman in July 2005. He is an Old Boy of the School attending from 1958 to 1964. He was Vice Captain of McKinley House, a School Prefect, Senior Cadet Under Officer, and a member of the A debating team and Athletics team, and winner of the Chelmsford Cup. He attended St John’s College while studying Arts and Law at the University of Queensland and gained his Masters degree at University College, London. He was admitted as a barrister to the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Federal and High Courts of Australia. Mr Murphy spent 20 years in Hong Kong where he was Crown Counsel, Deputy Commissioner for Securities and Commodities Trading, managing director for HSBC Asset Management and group vice president for First Pacific Company. He is a Visiting Fellow of the Institute for Corporate Governance at Bond University, a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Securities Institute of Australia; a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management; a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; and 2004 “Non Executive Director of the Year” awarded by the Hong Kong Institute of Directors.

Finance Committee
Mr Steer was appointed to Council in 2003. He is the managing partner of KPMG on the Gold Coast and currently chairs the Finance Committee of the School Council. Mr Steer specialises in the provision of audit services to listed public companies and medium size business enterprises including audit, strategic planning, risk management assessment, capital raisings and due diligence investigations. Mr Steer holds a Bachelor or Business and is a qualified accountant and his specialist areas of practice are property, hospitality, retail and the ICE sector. He also acts for a variety of clients from listed public companies to emerging businesses. He is currently an advisory board member of the Gold Coast IT inQbator and a director of the non-profit organisation, Founders Forum Limited.

Mr Fraser Perrin
LLB (QIT)

Mr Perrin was appointed to Council in 2003. He is a qualified solicitor (Queensland Institute of Technology) and the principal partner of Perrin Partners Solicitors. A second generation Old Boy of the School, Mr Perrin attended The Southport School from 1978 to 1984 and was School Captain in his final year. A keen sportsman and a member of Radcliffe House, Mr Perrin was captain of the 1st XV as well as a Senior CUO with Cadets. He maintained his sporting career during tertiary studies playing with the Gold Coast Eagles and captaining the premiership side in 1988 before joining Souths in Brisbane and playing with the club from 1991 to 1993, again captaining the team when it won the premiership in 1993.
Mr Perrin also has represented Queensland in Rugby Union between 1989 and 1992 and today is Chairman of the Gold Coast Rugby Union Academy.

Mr Bruce Wright

Mr. Wright was appointed to the School Council in 2005 and is Chairman of the Fundraising Steering Committee, member of the Building & Grounds Committee and Council member coordinating the TSS River Centre. A TSS Old Boy attending from 1976 to 1985 he achieved Best Oarsman (Stroke of the 1985 winning HOR crew) and Rugby Best & Fairest. After school he represented Queensland in the Youth Eights, playing 1st Grade Rugby for Wests (Brisbane) and as a foundation player for the Gold Coast Breakers. Mr. Wright became a resident master for six years in Biddle House, coaching rowing and rugby at the School. He became a member of the TSS Foundation in 1989 while on the Old Southportonians’ Association (OSA) Council and its Executive for 13 years, is President of the Young Old Boys, OSA Gold Coast Branch and a Director of Hidden Creek. He has been a Director of several companies for almost two decades involved in marketing, events and property investment, and has consulted to organizations such as the Australian Rugby Union with their Rugby World Cup programs (1999-2003) on marketing & strategy. Mr. Wright is continuing studies for professional development specializing in Marketing and Business Management. He has been a member of a number of Boards & Executives including the Australasian Sponsorship and Marketing Association, GC Breakers Rugby Club and the GCDRU where, as VP, he also Chaired the Committee assigned to put forward recommendations in association with the QRU, for the recently launched Gold Coast Rugby Inc. Mr. Wright has recently taken a position as a member of the Board of the GC International Rugby Academy and is a Fellow of the Institute of Sport Management.

The Reverend Canon Bruce Maughan OAM
RFD, BA, DipEd (UQ), ThDip (ACT), MACE, GCSJ

Canon Maughan was appointed to Council as the Archbishop’s nominee in 1998. Formerly a member of the School’s academic staff (1959 -1988), he was Delpratt Housemaster for 22 years (1966-1988) and Master of the Senior Secondary School (Years 11 and 12) from 1979 to 1986. Other School positions included Master-in-Charge of Debating and Public Speaking (1959-1976), Officer of Cadets (Officer Commanding 1973-1976), coach of the 3rd XV for 20 seasons and a referee, and School Librarian. At the time of his appointment, he also was, and is, Chairman of Cannon Hill Anglican College Council (from 1996), and a member of the Diocesan Council. A member of the Cathedral Chapter as a Residentiary Canon from 1992, Canon Maughan also is the Queensland Priory Chaplain of the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller (Knight Grand Cross of Justice), a member of King’s College Council, University of Queensland (since 1972), and a Fellow of that College. A member of the Army Reserve for 28 years, reaching the rank of Major, he was ordained deacon in 1979 and a priest in 1989, and is currently the Rector of the Anglican Parish of Camp Hill with Norman Park.

Mrs Deborah Laidley
B.Pharm

Mrs Laidley was appointed to Council in 2005. Mrs Laidley was born in Sydney and attended Kambala Girls School at Rose Bay. She attended Sydney University where she completed a degree in pharmacy. During her pre-registration year she was a graduate pharmacist at Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick.
On completion of her degree she travelled extensively overseas visiting Asia, India and Europe. Mrs Laidley then practised pharmacy in London, England where she lived for 18 months. On her return to Australia Mrs Laidley resumed her pharmacy position with the Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick. She is a specialist in oncology pharmacy. Mrs Laidley moved to Queensland in 1998 and returned to her pharmacy career where she is currently practising at the Gold Coast Hospital. She is the mother of two sons currently in the Senior School at TSS.

Mr Duncan Brown
Licenced Builder

Mr Brown was appointed to Council in 2005. A construction manager and registered builder, he has been involved in the industry for more than 30 years holding the position of construction manager and associate director of DCA Project Services for the past nine years. He also has been involved with the TSS community as a past parent and various support groups. Mr Brown has worked for a number of major local and international construction companies. He is experienced in multi-million dollar educational, commercial, government, sporting, multi-storey, aged care and residential facilities with some of these projects located in New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia. Among his most notable local projects have been the TSS Science Centre, All Saints Performing Arts Complex, Robina Library and Community Centre and the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre, all of which have won Queensland Master Builders’ Construction awards.

Mr Peter Graham

Mr Graham was appointed to Council in 2005 and is the General Manager’s nominee. He is an Old Boy of the School and the CEO of ASX-listed company Allied Brands Limited which operates a franchise network of more than 80 retail stores nationally. Mr Graham is a long-time resident of the Gold Coast since 1953 and has been strongly involved in a variety of commercial activities in the region. He is currently a board member of the Gold Coast Indy car race and has served as a board member of Gold Coast Tourism, the Sea World Property Trust, Flag Inns Limited and Quality Pacific Hotels Limited. He was appointed by the Federal Government for two terms as a Commissioner of the Australian Tourist Commission and by the State Government to the Board of Tourism Queensland fulfilling positions over 10 years as director, deputy chairman and chairman.

Mr Greg Wain, Headmaster
MBA(UNE), MEd Admin(UNSW), BEd(UNE), DipTeach(WASTC), MACE, FAIM, KSJ

Mr Wain was appointed to Council at the same time as his appointment as Headmaster to The Southport School in 2004. Mr Greg Wain was born in Perth, Western Australia. After leaving School, Mr Wain spent two years as a jackeroo on a large sheep station in the North West before completing a Diploma of Teaching. He taught Mathematics and Science at Scotch College in Perth for several years before moving to Sydney to teach at The Scots College, a GPS boys’ boarding school. During his 14 years at Scots, where at various times he held the positions of Senior Day Housemaster, Boarding Housemaster and Head of Mathematics, Mr Wain studied part-time for three degrees; a Bachelor of Education (UNE) a Master of Educational Administration (UNSW) and a Master of Business Administration (UNE). In 1995 Mr Wain moved to Brisbane with his wife, Katrina, and daughter, Sophie, to take up the position of Deputy Headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School. Mr Wain was Principal of Cannon Hill Anglican College in Brisbane for four years before taking up appointment as Headmaster at The Southport School.

Mr Roeland Weisfelt, Secretary
BFinAdm (UNE), MAcc (UNE), FCPA, AAIMM, MACEA, JP(Qual)

Mr Weisfelt was educated at All Saints College, Bathurst, NSW and The Hague, the Netherlands. He attended Sydney University and University of New England obtaining a Bachelor of Financial Administration and Masters of Accounting. He joined TSS as Business Manager in 1993. He was Business Manager at Ballarat Grammar School, Bursar at Fairholme College and first Budget Officer at Armidale College of Advanced Education. Mr Weisfelt is responsible to the Headmaster for the non-academic activities of the School and preparation and administration of the School’s recurrent and capital budgets. He is the Executive Director (Treasurer) of The Southport School Foundation Limited, Director of the Anglican Church Master Superannuation fund Board, Director of the Diocese of Brisbane Insurance Fund, member of the Anglican Schools Office Workplace Relations Committee and a Finance Member of the Independent Schools of Queensland, Block Grant Authority (Allocation of Commonwealth and State Grants per Capita Projects in Independent Schools). He is a member of the Anglican Schools Commission (Bursars Group).

Dr Ray McNamara
FCPA, BBus(QUT), MBA (UQ), PhD (UQ)

Dr McNamara was appointed to Council in 2006.  He is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Bond University.  Dr McNamara is an academic with extensive experience in accounting, audit and finance in the private and public sectors. His industry experience covers retailing, efficiency auditing, project evaluation, share valuation, finance, manufacturing, with consultancies to a range of enterprises in the private and public sectors.

Mrs Amanda Lobwein

Mrs Amanda Lobwein was appointed to Council in 2008. She lives in Toowoomba with her husband Shayne. Amanda’s children attended Toowoomba Preparatory School as day students but were privileged to spend time as boarders at TSS during their primary years. Her eldest son graduated from TSS in 2006 and her other two sons are presently boarding in Delpratt House. She also has a daughter who attends St Hilda’s. Amanda has been involved with the Boarder Parent Support Group (BPSG) since 2002 when she took on the role as Delpratt representative. She also held the position of Boarding Coordinator for the BPSG for two years.

Dr Michael Blumenstein
BSc, BIT(Hons), PhD, MACS, MIEEE

Dr Michael Blumenstein is Senior Lecturer and Head of the School of Information and Communication Technology at Griffith University.

Michael is a nationally and internationally recognised expert in the areas of Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence. He has published 69 papers in refereed conferences and journals. His research spans such topics as automated handwriting recognition, the analysis of video imagery for automatic object detection (surveillance) and numerous applications of Artificial Intelligence to the fields of Engineering, Environmental Science and Coastal Management. Michael has secured a number of internal/nationally competitive research grants to undertake these projects. Components of his research into the predictive assessment of beach conditions have been developed for use by local government agencies, coastal management authorities and in commercial applications.

Michael has been invited to serve as Organising Chair, Program Chair and Committee member for a number of national/international conferences in his areas of expertise. He is also the Gold Coast Chapter Convener of the Australian Computer Society.