Trustees
Darvell M Hutchinson AM - Chairman of Trustees
Darvell is a founding trustee of The John Villiers Trust. His initial career was a professional Chartered Accountant and Company Director. He is a former National Chairman and International Representative of PKF, Chartered Accountants, and held numerous public company directorships over the years. Darvell retired early as a partner of PKF in 1987 to give more time to the development of the philanthropic trust sector, and to his former community involvements which included National Gallery of Victoria (Trustee and Treasurer), Vice-President of Lord Mayor’s Charitable Fund and President of Australian Association of Philanthropy (now Philanthropy Australia Inc) amongst others.
His current community involvements are as a director of The Order of Australia Association Foundation, the Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation Ltd, and the National Institute of Circus Arts, and a member of the Patrons’ Council of Royal District Nursing Service. He is Chairman of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and a trustee of the L.E.W. Carty Charitable Fund. In 1994, Darvell was honoured as Member of The Order of Australia for service to the community, and Monash University conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa for his contribution to the Victorian community and “to Melbourne’s role as the major centre of philanthropy in Australia”.
Marcus P. Langdon - Trustee
Marcus was appointed a trustee of The John Villiers Trust in August 2007. His involvement with the Trust maintains a family association as he is a first cousin (twice removed) to the late John Villiers. Both John and Marcus are descendants of George Porter, who arrived in Australia in 1837 having made his fortune in Penang, Malaysia, and whose family became significant property owners in Melbourne.
Marcus currently lives in Melbourne however he spent much of his life on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He has travelled extensively and has a wide interest and appreciation of history and culture. In recent years he has thoroughly researched the genealogy of families associated with both The John Villiers Trust and the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust. He is currently preparing for publication a number of volumes on the early history of Penang under British control.