4 minute read
PHARMACY AND PHILANTHROPY: A LIFETIME OF IMPACT
Rhonda White AO, 2022
Mr Terry White AO (NC 1951-54) and Mrs Rhonda White AO were recently presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. Their impact on the lives of others through their contributions to the pharmaceutical industry is simply immeasurable. However, this impact has not solely been through their professional careers. They are well known for their widespread philanthropic endeavours, and Nudgee College is proud to have recently been the recipient of such generosity in the founding of the Terry White Family Bursary.
Terry and Rhonda are well known for growing Australia’s largest pharmacy network of more than 500 outlets, and throughout the decades have been applauded for their dedication to the pharmacy profession and their passion for community. Both have been granted numerous significant accolades, including an Order of Australia for their specific contributions in their areas of specialty and Lifetime Membership of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.
Terry’s entrepreneurial spirit has driven the growth of the Terry White Chemist empire. He is also a treasured Old Boy of St Joseph’s Nudgee College – a past Prefect, Barrett House Captain and successful sportsman, having played in the 1st XI Cricket and 1st XV Rugby from 1952 to 1954. Terry was also awarded the W Carlton-Smith Prize for Leadership and Character (now known as the W Carlton-Smith Memorial Award for Leadership, Study and Co-Curricular), which was a clear sign of future successes to come in his career. As well as growing the business with Rhonda, Terry also spent 10 years in state politics, becoming a Minister of the Crown and the Leader of Queensland’s Liberal Party.
Rhonda, a pharmacist and organisational psychologist, has an exceptional eye for business and has been the heart and soul of the brand. She brought a unique vision to the systems and disciplines that have become the template for modern pharmacy practice in Australia. She has served as a director on several boards, including Ergon Energy and Energex Retail; as a Trustee of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust (QPAT); and as a member of the National Gallery of Australia Council. Rhonda was also the Foundation Chair of the Queensland Cancer Fund Volunteers Committee.
These numerous accolades and decades of success in pharmacy and business have been driving forces for Terry and Rhonda, but their love for their family has always been at the forefront. Tragically, they lost their sons Benjamin and William in 2020, which was unspeakably painful for them and their children Anthony, Stephanie and Joseph, as well as nine grandchildren. They were extremely grateful for the support that encircled them in those difficult times from the Nudgee College community; a community well known for its generosity of spirit and sense of shared hardship.
Terry speaks with passion about the impact his time at the College had on his life, and continues to do so. Their hope is that through this bursary, they may honour their sons’ memories and at the same time pass on a precious and lifetime gift – the chance of a Nudgee College education.
Much like that of Terry and Rhonda’s illustrious careers, the impact of this gift is too great to measure. In so generously supporting this bursary, they are not simply educating a young man at Nudgee College, they are allowing that young man and his family a lifetime connection to the Nudgee College family.
On behalf of Principal Mr Peter Fullagar, I extend endless gratitude to Terry and Rhonda, and recognise their tireless devotion to making a positive impact in their community and on the lives of others. For more information about the Terry White Family Bursary, as well as ways to apply and criteria for selection, please visit www.nudgee.com/admissions/ bursaries-and-scholarships or contact me via lkhushal@nudgee.qld.edu.au.
WRITTEN BY FOUNDATION MANAGER MS LINDSAY KHUSHAL
