Stephen Maitland

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I arrived at Telopea in about May 1964 (2nd Form). We had lived in Perth (and London and Sydney before that) following my father’s career in the Commonwealth Bank. He was responsible for the Canberra region until moving back to Sydney in mid-1968 – my Mother and I stayed in a flat opposite Moira Scollay’s place in National Circuit until the HSC was finished. We lived in the bank residence in Dominion Circuit near Melbourne Avenue (opposite Chris Slater). On my first day I was put under the watchful eye of Richard Swan, and when I reported this to dad that night he said “I went to school (Canterbury Boys High in Sydney) with his father!” Small world.

I started at Sydney University in 1969 and completed the three year Economics degree in 1972 (I discovered rugby, women and parties one year!). Today it would be called Commerce and I came out as an accountant. I am pleased to say that I have never practiced as one since graduation. I always liked learning and have been active in several professional organisations and collected Masters degrees in both business and law.

Following a family tradition, I had joined the CMF (at the old Allara Street Depot, before finishing school) and military service became a big part of my life at University and afterwards. The money was good, the things we got to see and do were pretty amazing, and the uniforms and social life seemed to attract a nice type of girl! I ended up in the Reserve in 1990 as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the infantry - it was an immensely satisfying second career.

On graduating from Uni, I joined the Commonwealth Bank in their graduate scheme and worked in a variety of roles in Sydney until 1980. I then accepted an offer to open the Brisbane office of Australian Industry Development Corporation. We moved to Brisbane ‘for two years’ – and have now celebrated our 30th anniversary of arriving here! In that time I worked for a few banks (Macquarie and Bank of New Zealand) and for 8 years until 1999 was CEO of the Queensland Office of Financial Supervision. We were the prudential regulator of all the Building Societies and Credit Unions and rolled into APRA on its formation. At that stage I decided that I wanted to work for myself and stay in Brisbane.

In the past ten years I have carved out a career as a corporate advisor and as a non-executive company director. I have been fortunate enough to serve on private and public company and government enterprise boards and maintain an active and rewarding career and lifestyle in that field.
One of the ‘nice types of girl’ introduced by my best army mate was his sister-in-law – who became my wife. Fran and I were married in 1975 in Sydney. She was a primary teacher and has morphed into the librarian at a small Catholic primary school not far from us – and has notched up 20 years there! We have two marvellous sons who are chalk and cheese. Both were very good sportsmen and satisfactory students. Peter (born 1981) is a free spirit, is very social, and ‘experimented in a wide range of activities’ before just recently settling into a primary teaching degree. Robert (born 1983) is bigger, a bit quieter, and highly focussed. He has a science degree and is studying an M Comm – while living in Barcelona and playing professional water polo. He has been a fixture in the Australian team since 2005 and plans to make London 2012 his second Olympics – and then possibly retire and get a real job.

When I left the Army the boys were in Nippers at our beach house in Caloundra. I started to get involved and have become very active in Surf Lifesaving – as lifesaver, a masters competitor and in fund raising through the Surf Lifesaving Foundation. It is an immensely rewarding organisation, and offers a great excuse to keep fit. In 2007 I was awarded an OAM for my services to Lifesaving.
Fran and I have a great life – we are both fit and active in our work, we travel quite a bit (usually to Europe), and we have the time and enthusiasm to do different things – like attend school reunions!
 

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