Introducing Charles Colquhoun, Chair of the Wesley Foundation

Charles grew up in Albury, NSW, where he and his three sisters attended Albury High School.

Moving to Sydney in 1994, Charles embarked on an Arts/Law degree at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1998 with First Class Honours. He went on to complete a Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge in 2001, marking the start of an impressive professional journey.

Following university, Charles worked as a Judge's Associate at the Federal Court of Australia, a solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques in Sydney and as a Senior Associate at Herbert Smith in London. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2000, to the NSW Bar in 2007 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2022.

A Formative Wesley Experience

In the footsteps of his two older sisters, Charles moved to Sydney in 1994, spending three years at Wesley College.  In his final year he was the Treasurer and licensee of the Student’s Club and he played in the winning Rawson Cup soccer team.

Charles’s on William joined Wesley in 2025 before leaving for university overseas, and his daughter Anna is looking forward to joining Wesley in 2028 following a planned gap year.

When reminiscing about his time at Wesley, Charles reflects that ‘Wesley gave me an instant community when I moved to Sydney over 30 years ago.  I’m still good friends with the people I met at Wesley, even though many of us have moved to different parts of the world.  From playing touch on the square, to Rawson Cup and Rosebowl victories and late-night Stanmore Maccas runs during StuVac, I have many happy memories from my time at Wesley.’ 

Chairing the Wesley Foundation

Charles reflects on his time at Wesley as a profoundly formative one, paving the way for an academic journey and a career he may not have otherwise enjoyed. He is also mindful that this opportunity is not within reach for many who might benefit from it, and he’s inspired to ensure that a Wesley experience might be feasible for others who are deserving and excited for that same opportunity.

This prompted Charles to put his hand up to spearhead the Wesley Foundation in 2025, supporting the College through scholarships, fundraising and engagement with its network of Old Collegians.

‘Wesley played an important part in my life, so I saw the Wesley College Foundation as both an opportunity to reconnect with the College and to give back to it’, Charles said. ‘The Foundation raises important scholarship funds for students who would not otherwise be able to attend Wesley, particularly those from rural and regional backgrounds, and I wanted to do all that I could to support that.’   

Moving Forward

One year into his role as Chair, having only recently reconnected with the College, Charles is struck by the enduring strength of Wesley’s culture.

‘It was great to see that the community and culture that I remembered remains as strong as ever. I want to ensure that this continues.’

Wesley is excited to have Charles and his fellow Foundation members onboard to engage with our college community, driving support for current and future Wesleyans. For Charles, this commitment is deeply personal:

‘I came to Wesley as a kid from Albury and left three years later with a lot more confidence and direction, and with friendships and connections that have lasted over three decades.’

It is Charles’ hope, as it is the College’s, that as many young adults as possible might be afforded these same opportunities - and that, with his own children now beginning their Wesley journeys, the next generation will come to know the same sense of community that has stayed with Charles for more than three decades.