Meet the Royal Commonwealth Society of Victoria, Council Members

Lloyd is President of Society and Chairman of the RCS (Victoria) Council
- RCS Fellow: 2001
- RCS Councillor: 2003
- RCS Treasurer: 2006 - 2011
- RCS President and Chairman of Council: 2011 - current
- Registered Building Contractor, Qld, NSW, Victoria. With successful Construction business for 40 years specialising in pre 1940 restoration
- Partner, Crane Hire, and Building Equipment Hire
- Partner, Art and Ceramic Studios, in New Zealand and Australia
- Painting, Art, Ancient Architecture, Golf, and student of Chinese and Russian History, Widely travelled, in UK, Europe, North Africa, Russia, Central Asia, Sth. East Asia, China,USA, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and Australia.
Lloyd Byrne

James has been the Vice President since 2016 and a member of the Council since 2015. James has been over seeing the development of our governance structures and working to create an engagement with youth. James is a Social Worker working in the area of palliative care. James also works as a Men’s Behaviour Change Facilitator for Anglicare Victoria. James has extensive experience working with people with disabilities, disadvantaged young people and in the homelessness sector. He has considerable experience in community governance and is currently also the Chairperson of No To Violence, CommUnity Plus and C-Collective (an organisation he co-founded)and has previously been a President of Interchange Victoria.
James has a strong commitment to social justice, community development and accountable governance in community organisations. He enjoys working with the talented people who work hard to ensure the RCS meets its vision and values.
James McCarthy
- 1958- 61 Served with RAF based in Singapore
- 1961 Shipping clerk with Cunard line
- 1962 Sales Representative with British Tobacco & Bensen Hedges Australia
- 1963-64 Traffic Officer Madang Airport PNG
- 1964 Married – 2 daughters / 3 Grand Children
- 1965 Senior crewing officer with Ansett
- 1975- 77 Obtained a private Enquiry Agents License engaged by legal firm
- 1977 Established a property maintenance business and still operating same.
- 2015 Authorised RSL delegate to perform RSL valedictory funeral services
Charles Hulson

RCS Fellow since 1962, currently on the Council as office bearer and Convenor of the Women's Group - Co ordinates aid and donation distribution.
Involved in the Women's movement. Member of the National Council of Women and International Council of Women ( ICW) - Currently co-ordinator for General well being.
A member of the Victorian Immigration and Refugee Women's Coalition.
2004 Co-directed a small Tsunami project in Kiranda.
Work in a casula capacity in Aged Care as a community Nurse/Care Manager.
English by birth, presently living in Australia.
Hobbies are craft/Art orientated and include gardening, currently responsible for a large Heritage listed Church Garden.
Elisabeth Newman

Ken is a Councillor of 15 years and the Hon.Treasurer of the Society since 2011. Ken in his professional life as an
accountant has been, and is now a former member of the Certified Practicing Accountants for over thirty years. During that time he has been a partner of a Public Accounting Practice, a partner of a Chartered Accounting Practice involved in accounting, taxation and superannuation
matters and has owned small businesses in the commercial area.
He is a family man having assisted in raising two children.
In his youth he spent around eight years travelling the world working in the travel industry, living on a kibbutz, working in an office and backpacking from London to Australia by public transport.
His main interests are sport, travel (now a pretend grey nomad) grandchildren and writing.
He is also a published author in crime fiction and fantasy fiction having published two books in each genre.
Ken Spargo