Hutchinson to Farewell HMS Trust After 50 Years

After a 50-year stewardship, Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Chairman Darvell Hutchinson will be stepping down from the top board position in November.

Hutchinson was appointed a trustee to the independent perpetual philanthropic trust in 1964 and Chairman in 1969.

Darvell Hutchinson (left) and his successor Dr Philip Moors

According to the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust (HMSTrust), he oversaw the transformation of the bequest of £275,000 to a high profile philanthropic trust with total assets of more than $100 million.

The Trust said more than $100 million had been distributed to Victorian charities since it was created in 1951, following the death of Helen Macpherson Smith.

Hutchinson said it had been a great privilege to steer HMSTrust and to lead an outstanding team of trustees and executives.

“It gives me an enormous amount of satisfaction, pride and honour to have progressed Helen’s trust to a level that enabled us to give back so much to the community over these years, and will continue to give for generations to come,” he said.

“I take great pleasure in passing the baton for Helen’s benefaction to a very fine professional board of trustees who I know will do a magnificent job for Helen.

“However, I won’t be idle. I am a trustee of other philanthropic funders, and will give a year or two of strategic advice before I pass the baton for all such involvements in the sector.”

Hutchinson has held corporate directorships and community board positions in more than 20 major organisations, including Bank of Melbourne, Fairfield Hospital, National Gallery of Victoria and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund.

He was President and a member of the Council of the forerunner to Philanthropy Australia.

He has been honoured as a Member of The Order of Australia for service to the community, and has received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Monash University for his contribution to the Victorian community and to Melbourne’s role as the major centre of philanthropy in Australia.

Hutchinson will be succeeded as Chairman by Dr Philip Moors, the former Chief Executive of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, who was appointed a Trustee in 2010.

“It is indeed an honour to succeed Darvell Hutchinson who has led HMSTrust with such distinction over the past 50 years. His achievement is truly extraordinary,” Dr Moors said.

“The Trust is in excellent shape with a strong board and highly capable staff. Much work has gone into reviewing the Trust’s grant-giving strategy in recent years and my immediate priority will be to ensure we continue to implement this strategy effectively.

“Since the Trust was established 1951, countless Victorians have been touched by Helen Macpherson Smith’s altruistic vision. My colleagues and I are committed to seeing Helen’s marvellous legacy flourish, and for her Trust to make an even stronger contribution to Victoria in the decades to come.”

Dr Moors was Chief Executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne from 1992 to 2012, during which time he led the creation of the multi-award-winning Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.

In 2013 he became a member of the Council of La Trobe University, and in that year was also appointed an Officer of The Order of Australia for distinguished service to conservation and the environment.