Lord Hintze Conference Room Unveiled at Formal Hall

Campion College welcomed Lord Michael Hintze AM, Kt., GCSG as guest speaker for the final Formal Hall of the Michaelmas Term on Thursday evening, where he delivered a powerful address on the enduring importance of faith, formation and moral courage in the modern world.

The evening also marked a special occasion for the College community with the unveiling of the Lord Hintze Conference Room. The room was named in recognition of Lord Hintze’s longstanding contributions to education, philanthropy and public life. College President Dr Paul Morrissey led the dedication following the guest address, thanking Lord Hintze for his example of faith and service and his generous support of educational and charitable initiatives around the world.

Speaking to a packed George Cardinal Pell Grand Hall, Lord Hintze – founder and CEO of Deltroit Asset Management and one of Australia’s most distinguished philanthropists – began by expressing his admiration for the college’s mission. “Campion represents something increasingly rare in our time,” he said. “A place dedicated not just to education, but to formation. There is a world of difference between those two things.”

Drawing on his personal journey from Russian Orthodoxy to the Catholic faith, Lord Hintze shared how his belief in Christ has sustained him through life’s challenges. “It’s been my anchor – not just to me personally, but to understand my place in the world,” he reflected. “Every morning I pray for strength – the strength to do what’s right, to get back up when knocked down, and to remain faithful when everything around you seems to be shifting like sand.”

He encouraged students to embrace resilience, quoting Muhammad Ali: “You don’t lose when you hit the ground; you lose when you don’t get back up.” For Lord Hintze, this principle connects deeply with the mission of Catholic education “Formation allows you to have the strength to get up and keep going. You’re called to rise.”

Reflecting on leadership in the Church, Lord Hintze spoke with affection of Cardinal George Pell and the three popes he has met – Benedict XVI, Francis and Leo XIV – remarking on their shared commitment to truth and their distinct gifts of intellect, strength and compassion. His reflections wove together a theme of stewardship, acknowledging the example of Church figures who, in his words, “worked tirelessly for the faith and for the dignity of the Church’s mission.”

Lord Hintze also reflected on the true meaning of freedom, describing it not as the absence of limits but as the ability to live with purpose and integrity. Drawing from his own experiences in the military and in faith, he said genuine freedom is found “in knowing who you are and what you stand for,” rather than simply doing whatever one pleases. He urged students to recognise that boundaries and moral conviction are what give life direction and meaning – principles that, he noted, are nurtured through the kind of formation offered at Campion College.

In closing, he reminded students that their education at Campion College equips them for far more than academic success. “This is what Campion exists to do – to form young people who know their history, who understand the great tradition of Western civilisation and Catholic thought, who can think clearly and argue persuasively, and who have the moral courage to stand for truth even when it’s unpopular,” he said. “You are reclaiming something precious.”

Dr Morrissey concluded the evening by presenting Lord Hintze with a token of appreciation and inviting guests to join in celebrating the dedication of the new Lord Hintze Conference Room – a fitting tribute to a man whose life and work exemplify the values of courage, faith and service that Campion College seeks to instil in its students.

See below for photos from the night.