Peter Bunworth

Peter Bunworth spent 21 years with the Royal Children’s Hospital before retiring in August 2023. Prior to this, he served as CEO or Executive Director of a number of member- based industry and professional associations as detailed below. He has significant experience in the management and governance of NFP organisations, award winning communication skills, an engaging and collaborative management style and great attention to detail.

Career Summary

 2001-2004 – Board Secretary, Women’s & Children’s Health.

Peter  was the first incumbent appointed to this newly created role by Board Chair, Peter Bartels AO and CEO Dr Kathy Alexander. He was responsible for servicing the Women’s & Children’s Health Board which at the time governed both the Royal Children’s Hospital and The Royal Women’s Hospital until the disaggregation of Women’s & Children’s Health on 30 June 2004. Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO was Acting Chair of Women’s & Children’s Health at the time having succeeded Peter Bartels as Chairman.

Separate new Boards were appointed respectively to RCH under the leadership of Tony Beddison AC and The Royal Women’s under the leadership of Rhonda Galbally AC from 1 July 2004.

Peter helped establish and serviced each Board for three months before re-locating full-time to RCH in October 2004.

2004 – 2023 - Board Secretary, The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH)

In this role, Peter was responsible for servicing the RCH Board (agendas, minutes etc) and nine Board sub-committees as well as statutory compliance & reporting, legislative compliance (154 Commonwealth & State Acts and Regulations) and the co-ordination / oversight of more than 500 policies and procedures which each had to be reviewed and if necessary, updated every two years.

During this time, he worked closely with Hon Rob Knowles AO who succeeded Tony Beddison as Chair of RCH; Dr Rowena Coutts who succeeded Rob Knowles as Chair, and the following RCH CEOs:- Dr Tony Cull, Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO, John Stanway and Bernadette McDonald.

2008 - 2023 – Secretariat, Campus Council, Melbourne Children’s

In addition to the above, Peter serviced the Campus Council of Melbourne Children’s established in 2008 under an independent chair and comprising representatives from the four campus partners of Melbourne Children’s:- The Royal Children’s Hospital, the RCH Foundation, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

During this time, Peter worked closely with the following independent Chairs: Elizabeth Proust AO, Hon Rob Knowles AO, Prof Richard Smallwood AO and Professor James Angus AO. Of particular note was the International Review of the Campus undertaken in 2017 by a panel of five international experts under the leadership of Prof Dame Sally Davies DBE GCB then CMO of the UK, a role she held from 2010 to 2019. One of the key recommendations from the International Review inter alia led to the development of the Melbourne Children’s Centre for Health Analytics.

1999-2000 – General Manager, Inner Eastern Melbourne Division of General Practice, now Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network. This was a Commonwealth funded peak body servicing 322 GPs in the City of Boroondara and parts of Manningham and Whitehorse municipalities.

1990 – 1998 – Executive Director, Aged Care Victoria, now Aged & Community Services Australia – the peak body for more than 300 NFP residential aged & community care providers across Victoria.

During this time, Peter was also Executive Director of the AFL Umpires Association with most of his role there occurring after hours (e.g. umpires training) or of a weekend. Peter’s wife Jenny ran a home office which liaised with the AFL during business hours.

1988 -1989 – Executive Director, Institute of Personnel Management (Victorian & Tasmanian Division) now Australian Human Resources Institute.

1986 – 1987 – Executive Director, Australian Suburban Newspapers Association (ASNA). At its peak, ASNA represented the interests of around 130 suburban newspapers across Australia, advocating for their needs and promoting the value of local journalism. It hosted an annual conference and organised various awards in journalism, photojournalism, newspaper design and production.  ASNA has been succeeded by the Local and Independent News Association (LINA). LINA serves as the national peak body for local and independent news publishers in Australia, encompassing both print and digital publications.

1980 – 1985 – Educational Services Manager in The Age Marketing Department, managing the Newspapers in Education program across Victoria.

1976 – 1980 – Secondary School Teacher-Librarian at Sunshine North, Melton and Noble Park Technical Colleges respectively.

1972-1975 – Undertook secondary teacher training at Melbourne State College on an Education Department studentship, majoring in History and Librarianship.

Other Interests

Peter was a Field Umpire for the Victorian Football League from 1977 to 1983 officiating primarily in senior country competitions but also 37 VFL Reserve Grade Matches.

He is also an award- winning public speaker having won the Jo Davis Cup, Rostrum’s statewide public speaking competition in 1993.

Having retired to Apollo Bay in December 2023, Peter is currently Honorary Secretary of the University of the Third Age (U3A) Apollo Bay Branch, Honorary Secretary, Apollo Bay Cemetery Trust and is a member of the Committee of The Royal Children’s Hospital Alumni.