Sir Peter John Derham (21 August 1925 – 24 September 2008) was an Australian business executive and philanthropist who was

Managing Director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of conglomerate, Nylex Plastics. Derham graduated from

Melbourne Grammar School Melbourne Grammar School is an Australian private school, private Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Day school, day and boarding school. It comprises a co-educational preparatory school from Prep to Year 6 and a middle school and senior s ...

in 1943, followed by his completion of a BSc at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

in 1959. He is a former resident of

Ormond College Ormond College is the largest of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne located in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is home to around 350 undergraduates, 90 graduates and 35 professorial and academic residents. H ...

and International House. In 1940 he joined the forces and served as a member of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

from 1945 to 1946. In 1980, Derham was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

for his service to industry, including tourism and science. He has been heavily involved in the preservation and restoration of heritage sites, including Mawson's Huts, in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

and sat on a number of prominent charity boards including

the Alfred Hospital The Alfred Hospital, (also known as The Alfred or Alfred Hospital) is a leading tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. It is the second oldest hospital in Victoria after Melbourne Hospital which is still operating on its original site. The ...

, Breast Cancer Network, Australian Koala Foundation and the Australian Childhood Foundation. In 1989 Derham and his wife Lady Derham established the renowned Red Hill Estate winery on the

Mornington Peninsula The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located in the south of Greater Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to ...

. In 2001, Derham was awarded the

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AC) for service as an innovator in tourism development, commerce and science, to the community and to the preservation of heritage sites in the Antarctic. At 80 years of age and after 21 years, Derham stood down from Circadian Technologies (ASX:CIR) as the founding chairman. He died at Cabrini Hospital following a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

, aged 83.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Derham, Peter 1925 births 2008 deaths People educated at Melbourne Grammar School University of Melbourne alumni 20th-century Australian businesspeople Australian philanthropists Australian Knights Bachelor Companions of the Order of Australia Businesspeople awarded knighthoods