The Qantas Foundation Memorial Ltd.
Qantas Foundation Memorial Ltd (QFM) is a Trustee Company responsible for the administration of the Qantas Foundation Memorial Trust. QFM was incorporated on 20 February 1990, with the goal:
To preserve the history and innovatively present the story of Qantas and its Founders.
It operates Qantas Founders Museum which is a project owned by Qantas Foundation Memorial Ltd (QFM). QFM is independent of Qantas Airways and is a not for profit trust company established by the people of Western Queensland to honour the men who founded Qantas and to preserve the heritage of Qantas Airways. Even though wholly independent, QFM has been formed with the full support of Qantas Airways. QFM is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as a deductible gift recipient and donations over $2 are tax deductible. An Annual General meeting is held annually in May.
To view the current Qantas Foundation Memorial Constitution please click here.
Board of Directors
Kalair McArthur
Chair
Kalair McArthur has a background in marketing and economic development with skills in grant-writing, project management, project due diligence, communication, risk analysis and political and stakeholder liaising. She is a previous Executive Officer of Regional Development Australia, Fitzroy and Central West where her role was to facilitate economic development opportunities across the region.
Kalair also operates her own business supporting projects in rural and remote areas.
Having completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course, Kalair is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kalair has previously served on the Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network Board, holding the Communications Portfolio and has also served on the Capricornia Chamber of Commerce. This is not all though, she has advised multiple boards on a regular basis regarding project investments and project due diligence.
Don Hill
Deputy Chair & Qantas Appointed Director
Don Hill has been a career airline pilot since 1981, beginning as a First Officer on Fokker Friendships flying regional operations throughout Western Queensland. Don remembers parking in front of the now Heritage Listed Qantas Hangar in Longreach in the early 1980’s and being fascinated by the aviation history it had seen.
In 1995 he was employed by Qantas as a pilot and is currently an A380 First Officer with a great passion for the heritage of the airline and its western Queensland routes.
Don has had a close association with the museum since 2008 when he organised, and led, the recreation drive in ‘Molly’ the Model T from Longreach to Darwin. The documentary of this re-enactment has since been broadcast and the re-enactment is available for guests to enjoy at the Museum. The DVD of the re-enactment can also be found in the Founders Store.
Don has been involved in several small museum projects including most recently the reclamation of aircraft parts from the Qantas Constellation aircraft abandoned in the Kuwaiti desert.
Peter O'Regan
Treasurer
Peter is the senior partner in O’Regan & Partners, a Chartered Accountancy Practice providing professional services to regional and remote Queensland.
He commenced his career with Deloitte in Brisbane and later established O’Regan & Partners in Longreach in 1992, with the firm expanding in subsequent years to now have offices in Mount Isa, Winton, Emerald, Townsville, St George, and Brisbane, as well as a visiting office in Cloncurry.
Peter is a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in the beef production sector, having been raised on a cattle property in the Marlborough district of Central Queensland, and worked on the family properties for a number of years before moving to Longreach.
In addition he also owned, operated, and developed two cattle and sheep properties South West of Longreach for a period of 12 years.
The agricultural sector is a significant part of the firm’s client base, ranging from large pastoral operations in Western Queensland to irrigated cropping operations in the Queensland Central Highlands.
With over 25 years experience in advising businesses, Peter offers expertise in business structures and taxation strategies, business growth and succession, as well as finance and restructuring.
In addition, Peter has significant expertise in Local Government, having for many years been a contract auditor with the Queensland Audit Office, with the firm now providing consulting and internal audit services to many local authorities in Western and South Western Queensland
Anthony Penney
Qantas Appointed Director
Anthony is the Qantas Regional Manager for Queensland, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, responsible for commercial activity in the state, as well as, government, industry and tourism relations. He has considerable commercial experience, having led sales teams across the airline and has held management roles in customer experience, operational and learning and development areas.
Anthony has a Bachelor of Sports Science and a Masters of International Business and has lectured in Management, Organisational Behaviour and Business Communication at universities in Perth and Sydney.Originally from Canada, he has lived and worked in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Graeme Wills
Director
Graeme Wills lives in Barcaldine, Central Western Queensland, and has lived in central western Queensland since 1983. In July 2018, Graeme retired from his role as a partner with a local consulting engineering firm.
He has practiced as a Civil Engineer since graduating from the University of NSW in the late 1970’s. After graduating, he worked on the waterfront on Sydney Harbour assisting with the construction and maintenance of marine infrastructure. He then worked for several years in northwest NSW in irrigation development before moving to Barcaldine.
For over 35 years, Graeme’s work took him over the vast expanses of inland Queensland where he provided many clients with the design, project management, construction and maintenance of critical infrastructure. He held a private pilot’s license which enabled him to work from Burketown in the north to Birdsville in the southwest and Blackwater in the east.
Having been born and raised on the far south coast of NSW, Graeme is passionate about rural regions. Graeme was elected to the QFM Board of Directors at the QFM Annual General Meeting in November 2014. He severed as the Deputy Chairman of the QFM Board of Directors from May 2017 to June 2021.
Graeme believes there must be a sustainable future for rural Australia based around a diverse range of industries. He also feels central and western Queensland offer a unique, safe and rewarding lifestyle for those who make this region their home. He is a strong advocator that QFM and similar tourist attractions in the central west will help strengthen and diversify the region thus making it an even more attractive area in which to live and to holiday.
David Miles
Director
David Miles is the eldest Son of Wendy Miles (nee Fysh), daughter of Sir Hudson Fysh. As the eldest grandson, David developed a special relationship and shared a common love of the Australian bush with Sir Hudson. Some of his happiest childhood memories involved trout fishing trips down to the Snowy Mountains and visits to Sir Hudson’s farm at Dural in NSW.
David trained as a Chartered Accountant and spent 13 years working in Toronto and Sydney with Price Waterhouse before joining JPMorgan where he spent a total of 16 years in roles which included Finance Director in Sydney and Jakarta, CEO of Chase Trust Bank in Tokyo, CEO of Austrapay Ltd (a Joint Venture between JPMorgan and Australia Post) and COO of JPMorgan Investment bank based in Sydney.
In the latter part of his career, David helped setup Moelis and Company in Australia, acting as COO for the new investment banking startup, now an $800million company listed on the ASX.
David now runs a small Angus cattle breeding operation on the Fish River at Duckmaloi, 3 hours West of Sydney. He is also Director and Treasurer of Australian Doctors International, a not for profit which provides volunteer medical aid to the people of Papua New Guinea.
David has a keen interest in the history of QANTAS and in respecting and preserving the legacy of the Founders.
Darren Moor
Director
Darren Moor joined the Board in 2022 bringing further corporate governance, risk management, organisational development and leadership skills.
Darren has been a regionally based Senior Executive with the Queensland Government for over 10 years where he continues to work with communities, companies, landholders and stakeholders to shape, advocate for and resolve large scale and complex mining, petroleum and natural resource challenges. He describes himself as being consciously biased for regional Queensland while others say he is a leader of people, strategic and loves to tell a story to make his point. This role provides him with opportunities to engage with communities across Queensland and as such he understands the value of having world class tourism attractions in regional Queensland and the special place that Qantas holds in the hearts of those who live there.
Alastair Fysh
Alastair has a background in media and film production. He has worked at leading creative and media agencies in both London and Sydney. He was previously Head of Media & Sponsorship for McDonalds Australia.
Alastair then became General Manager of Sales at oOh Media, Australia’s leading outdoor media advertising company, and oversaw an Australia wide team which delivered significant and sustainable revenue growth.
More recently Alastair started his own video production business producing TV commercials for companies such as CommBank, Glenfiddich, Bayer and New Holland Tractors.
Alastair’s experience and expertise will assist QFM with advice on marketing & media, including digital video production, and with corporate fund raising.
Alastair is passionate about Qantas and its history. Qantas has always been part of his life. His Grandfather was Sir Hudson Fysh, one of the founders, Managing Director and finally Chairman until his retirement in 1966 (46 years). Alastair’s father John Fysh was born in Longreach and was also with Qantas as a senior Executive for 33 years.
Alastair lives in Sydney with his wife Pippa and has 3 adult children.
