Vale Peter John Wetherall (1956 - 2018) The Rhodes Scholar community was greatly saddened by the recent passing of Peter Wetherall (Queensland & Balliol 1978) at the age of just 62. Peter was one of nature’s true gentlemen, a kind and considerate person who instinctively listened to and respected others. Behind his understated and self-effacing nature lay a formidable intellect, able to get to the heart of complex issues with laser precision and explain them to the layperson in simple terms. He was loved and admired by those who knew him, which shone through in a memorial service for him at the Athenaeum Club in Melbourne.
opened an opportunity in London with British financial firm Hoare Govett and subsequently McIntosh, where he stayed until returning to Australia to take up the position of Head of Research. In his eight years with McIntosh he became the most highly respected resources sector analyst in the country, ranked #1 by BHP. The entrepreneurship bug eventually got hold of him and in 1995 he founded Wallara Asset Management which enjoyed great success for nearly 20 years, at one point having more than $4bn of assets under management. He was also a Director of the Australian United Investment Company for 17 years. In the finest tradition of Rhodes Scholars, he had a deep commitment to public service and the community which informed his second career after Wallara. In 2013 he joined the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust to take charge of its investments, which he did astutely. He also served as a Councillor of Graduate House at the University of Melbourne, a director of the charity Royal District Nursing Service and a member of the Investment Committees of the Geelong Grammar Foundation and the Royal Australian College of Surgeons. Upon his passing he established the Wetherall Family Foundation. Peter was a generous donor to the recapitalisation campaign for the Rhodes Trust in recent years, which has secured the future of Australia’s nine annual Rhodes scholarships. He was a fitness and outdoors enthusiast who greatly enjoyed bike riding challenges, rowing and riding horses in the Victorian high country.
These personal qualities were the foundation for a stellar career in finance that he enjoyed after gaining a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining Engineering at University of Queensland with First Class Honours and a University Medal, and PPE at Balliol where he majored in economics with a particular expertise in econometrics. His combined knowledge of mining and economics
Peter will be mourned and missed by all who knew him, especially his partner Annie, children Harry, Olivia and Victoria, former wife Deborah, and siblings David and Cecilia. Vale a good and gentle person who gave a lot to others and was a shining example of the values of kindness and decency. Written by Peter’s good friend John Wylie (Queensland & Balliol 1983).
THE AUSTRALIAN RHODES REVIEW // MICHAELMAS TERM 2018
12