Nigel Peck Centre

Nigel Peck

Nigel Hugh Peck AM, was the great-great-grandson of the original Thomas Archer of Woolmers.

Nigel, with the support of his wife Patricia, provided $3.65 million in a public/private partnership funding with the State Government which provided the balance of the $1.75 million to construct the Nigel Peck Centre at Woolmers Estate.

Without the vision of Nigel and Patricia Peck and without the support of heritage, tourism and State Government led by Will Hodgman, this exceptionally good and versatile facility would not exist.

Our Chairman’s Contribution

“Nigel Peck AM, the great-great-grandson of Thomas Archer, the founder of Woolmers, died on 1st April 2017 at his Mt Eliza home.

Like Thomas, Nigel was a very intelligent and successful man who played a very significant role in making Woolmers what it is today.

Nigel and his wonderful wife Patricia took Woolmers to their hearts with frequent visits and the funding so urgently needed to support the preservation of the Estate.

Not only did the Peck Foundation pay for the very expensive restoration of Woolmers Cottage but also underwrote the publication of the book “The Archer Heritage” which has been recently published and is available for sale.

He also provided the funds for an expert business study to plan the future of Woolmers. This is the business plan which we have been following.

The plan included the construction of a Visitor Centre, first planned in 1996 but for which funds were not available until Nigel said we would provide half the cost if I could get the government to provide the other half.

Fortunately Premier Will Hodgman’s Government took up his proposed public/private partnership and the Visitor Centre is now in its fit-out stage of development.

As it turned out Nigel thought it needed to be bigger than at first proposed and he and Patricia finished up providing two thirds of the funding.

Altogether, with other donations for maintenance and operations, the Peck Foundation has donated nearly $5,000,000 to Woolmers. What a wonderful friend and what a sad loss is his death!

Nigel was a remarkable man - eight times world champion sailor in the Flying Fifteens class - a polar explorer in having visited both North and South Poles, a man who funded the development of a private spacecraft with the ambition of being the first space tourist.

Having built a very successful electrical engineering business (NHP) with branches throughout Australia and New Zealand, Nigel, supported by Patricia, became a very generous donor to many good causes - varying from establishing the “Nigel Peck Centre for Learning and Leadership” at Melbourne through to schools, hospitals and the local yacht club. Nigel and Patricia have made the world a better place.

I regard it as one of life’s privileges to have come to know the Pecks as friends as well as the greatest benefactors of Woolmers since Thomas the First established the estate.

So, the Nigel Peck Centre at Woolmers will provide a lasting memorial to a man who was an outstanding business man with a vision for Woolmers. He was prepared to put his money up to back his vision. With a twinkle in his eye and an impish sense of humour he certainly left his mark but also some delightful memories - thank you Nigel.”