The Reverend Dr Max Wood BA LLB(Macq) BTheol(Hons)(Charles Sturt) PhD(Durham) is a Clerical Fellow and Deputy Chair of the St Paul’s College Council, first taking the position of Clerical Fellow in 2015. Fr Max is also the Rector of St Luke’s, Mosman.
Fr Max grew up in Sydney and was educated at Trinity Grammar School. Before being ordained in 2004 in the Bathurst Diocese, Fr Max was a practising solicitor in Sydney. He undertook his theological studies in Morpeth, Canberra and Durham.
Prior to joining St Luke’s, Mosman, Fr Max was the Rector of St John’s Mudgee. He also had oversight of St Luke’s Gulgong and served in a variety of Diocesan positions throughout Bathurst. Fr Max has also ministered at Holy Trinity Orange, St Augustine’s Merewether in Newcastle Diocese, and St Margaret’s in Durham, UK.
Fr Max was an Honorary Associate Priest at St James King Street in Sydney before leaving Australia to pursue his doctoral thesis in the UK. While at Durham, Fr Max was also a member of the ministry team and a Fellow at St Chad’s College. During this time, he studied for his doctorate in systemic theology and became licensed to officiate in the Province of York.
Fr Max currently serves on the General Synod Mission and Ministry Commission, as well as the Northern Regional Council of the Diocese of Sydney.
He is married to Dr Danielle Firholz and has two children. Fr Max enjoys watching documentaries about activities he would never do in person – such as Alaskan crab fishing – and is a life-long passionate supporter of the St George Illawarra Dragons.
James Bell BA LLB(Syd) has been a Fellow since 1996. During his own studies, he read Arts with majors in Government and Music, as well as Law, during which time he was a resident of the College himself. He undertook many extracurricular roles, including Treasurer of the Students’ Club, Cellar Master, Editor of Pauline and Producer of Victoriana, so is very familiar with the day-to-day life of the St. Paul’s community.
After graduating in 1976, James practised as a lawyer for 20 years at the national law firm of Blake Dawson Waldron. He spent ten years as a partner, with three years as Head of the Banking and Finance Division of the Sydney office.
In 1995, James established his own firm, specialising in commercial, entertainment and media law. His clients ranged from major television networks to established singers, actors, writers and producers, as well as general commercial clients.
James served five years as a board member of an ASX-listed public company, chairing the Audit Committee, Corporate Governance Committee and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee during this time. He has also served as the Director of a start-up company that entered into joint venture arrangements with Chongqing Tianfu Coal Industry Co Ltd in order to commercialise gas extraction technology in Chongqing, China.
He is currently the Chairman of a UK-based company that is seeking to commercialise a domestic waste disposal machine that converts glass, metal and plastic containers into recyclable raw materials.
Alongside James’ professional endeavours, he has carried out a grazing business at Goulburn since the 1970s and a grazing property in New Zealand. He has served as Director of the NSW Polo Association and President of the Goulburn Polo Club. James is currently the Director of multiple charitable and community foundations and associations.
Dr Christine Biscoe BDS(Syd) FADI FPFA was first elected to Council in 2012. Christine is an alumna of the Women’s College and her two sons are Paulines. After graduating she worked in the RAN before entering private practice as a dentist. Christine has run her own dental practice for 32 years. In 2016 she was appointed to the NSW Dental Council.
Rev’d Philip Bradford MA(Syd) MTh has been a Clerical Fellow since 2012. After finishing the Leaving Certificate at James Ruse Agricultural High School, Philip enrolled in an Arts degree at the University of NSW, where he was awarded his B.A. in 1969. Philip then transferred to Sydney University, completing a Master’s degree in Psychology in 1970. During this study, Philip was employed as a resident tutor at New College. In 1971, Philip began work as a psychologist (in a role that would later be called an audiologist) with the National Acoustics Laboratory (NAL). In 1983, Philip felt called to ministry, enrolling as a student at Moore College and beginning a new vocation.
After graduation in 1986, Philip’s first appointment as a curate was at the Parish of Darling Point. This was followed by an appointment to the Parish of Darlinghurst, after which Philip was appointed as a rector to the Parish of St. George’s Paddington. After nine years in this role, Philip was invited to be the Rector of All Saints Hunters Hill.
In 2012, Philip was invited to fill a casual vacancy on the St. Paul’s College Council. This was a significant time to join the council, as the College considered the creation of Graduate House as a co-residential facility.
Philip has now served on the Council for ten years, bringing the same excitement and enthusiasm to the future of St. Paul’s as he has for the past decade. He believes St. Paul’s plays a vital role as an Anglican College in Sydney that offers a place of learning and friendship for young men and women alike.
Philip is married to Rosemary, and they have four children.
Rev’d Dr James Collins OAM, DipTeach(Claremont TC) GradDipRelEd(CathPastInstWA) GradDipRelEdStud BEd(WACAE) BTheol(Murdoch) CPE(RPH) PostGradDipArts MA(ECowan) PhD(Tasm) has been a Clerical Fellow since 2015. James’ career commenced as a music teacher at primary and secondary levels at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth. After this experience, James studied theology whilst residing at St George’s College within the University of Western Australia. He was ordained a Deacon in 1987 and a Priest in 1988.
James served in the Anglican Diocese of Perth between 1987 and 2000 and in the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania from 2000 to 2011. He has also served as the Rector of St Paul’s Anglican Church, Burwood, in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney since 2011.
James has been a Fellow of St Paul’s College since 2015 and also serves as the Vice-President of the New South Wales Ecumenical Council. In 2021, James was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Anglican Church of Australia.
James carries a deep commitment to seeing residents of St Paul’s College flourish in a holistic manner across body, mind and spirit in order to contribute to the wellbeing of society through meaningful and respectful relationships that honour all and seek the good of others.
James states ‘as God is the God of love, and life, and of being, we are called to participate in and share God’s love, life, and being, so that others may love, live, and be who and what God intends them to be (that is, to grow into the fullness of life which God has for all). This call to participate in and share God’s love, life, and being, may, at times, involve a struggle to work for justice and peace, and involves an active engagement with our community and society.’
Matthew Gerber BCom MIntStud(Syd) was first elected as a Fellow of Paul’s College in 2010, Matthew is also a two-time attendee of the College. He first attended as an undergraduate between 1993-1996 and then as a postgraduate in 2001. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and a Master of International Studies (Merit) from the University of Sydney, as well as a Diploma of Investor Relations.
Matthew enjoyed an active residential life during his own years at the College, playing Warden’s Own Rugy, coxing the College Rowing Crew, singing in the Chapel Choir, conveyancing events and tutoring as a postgraduate. He was elected as Treasure of the Students’ Club Committee in 1995 and Senior Student in 1996.
Enjoying a broad-ranging career, Matthew has worked in stockbroking as an equity analyst within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (including a diplomatic posting to Pakistan and a short-term posting to Timor Leste) and as a Singapore-based role as a political and security risk analyst covering the Asia Pacific and China.
After returning to Australia in 2008, Matthew’s career in corporate affairs and investor relations saw him working for several ASX-listed companies in the resources and agribusiness sectors. Here, he gained experience and expertise in stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, risk management and financial planning – skills he brings to his role as an elected Fellow of the College.
Matthew is a member of the congregation at Christ Church St Laurence (Railway Square) and lives in Enmore with his wife Elizabeth and their two children.
Ralph Goninan BCom BE(Civil)(Syd) was a member of St Paul’s College from 2003-2006, culminating as the Senior Student in the College’s sesquicentenary year. During his time at the College, Ralph was an active participant in athletics and rugby, leading and organising the inaugural College Kokoda Trek. Ralph also held positions such as The Intercol Rep and Providore. Ralph joined the Council in March 2017. Ralph’s study of Civil Engineering and Commerce has led him to work primarily on large and complex infrastructure projects across both Australia and Hong Kong since 2006.
Ralph lives on the Northern Beaches with his wife and their four children and enjoys time in the outdoors and in the surf.
Professor Julia Horne PhD(UNSW) is a Professor of History and University Historian at the University of Sydney. In this role, Julia helps promote understanding of the university’s extensive and fascinating history and heritage, as well as contributing to the postgraduate teaching and supervision programs in the School of Humanities and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Julia’s career began in the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums). Her work as a curatorial assistant at the Powerhouse Museum grounded her subsequent work in the development and use of historical collections, first in community outreach in rural New South Wales and later as head of the Oral History Program in the UNSW Archives.
She regularly writes on the history and politics of higher education, women, and war, as well as the history of landscape and travel. Alongside her publication in academic journals, Julia writes occasional opinion pieces, most recently for The Australian Book Review and The Conversation.
She is the author or co-author of six books: The Pursuit of Wonder (Miegunyah, 2005), Sydney: the Making of a Public University (with Geoffrey Sherington, Miegunyah, 2012), Preserving the Past: The University of Sydney and the national unified system 1987-96 (with Stephen Garton, MUP, 2017) and the new co-edited collection (with Matthew Thomas), Australian Universities: A Conversation about Public Good (SUP, 2022).
Julia is the co-director of Beyond 1914 – The University of Sydney and the Great War, a biographical website of men and women who served in the First World War, and co-convenor of History of University Life, a public forum on higher education. Julia also serves on the executive councils of both not-for-profit and government cultural institutions.
The Rev’d Kimberly Sawyer is the Priest in Charge at St John’s Anglican Church Cooks Hill in the Diocese of Newcastle.
Kimberly is the first woman priest in the 160-year-old parish of St John and was ordained in May 2019. Prior to that she was a Deacon for 26 years, her previous ministry was in the Parish of Hunters Hill in the diocese of Sydney. It had been a long and varied ministry in that diocese, as a school chaplain and also within the parish environment.
Kimberly joined the Council at its August 2024 meeting to replace retired Clerical Fellow Rev’d Kate Heath.
David Roberts BEc LLB(Syd) was elected to the College Council in 2015 and serves on the Finance Committee. A resident of St. Paul’s himself from 1981-1984, David was Treasurer of the Students’ Club during his time as a Pauline.
David holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Law from Sydney University and has pursued a 30-year career in banking and corporate finance across Sydney, New York and Hong Kong alike. His son, Hugh, was a student at St. Paul’s, and his daughter, Eloise, attended Women’s College.
David is a firm believer in the value of collegiate life in providing emotional, social and academic support to young people and the role it plays in enriching the university experience. David is also committed to ensuring the College’s financial sustainability, delivering flexibility, independence and confidence for the long-term future of St. Paul’s.
