Governor-General Sam Mostyn with Maxeme Tall and Roger Tall, recipient of the Canberra Philanthropy Award. Photo: Photox.
Canberra businessman and philanthropist Roger Tall has never sought the limelight.
But decades of quiet generosity to the Canberra community were recognised this week when the Hands Across Canberra Philanthropy Award was bestowed on him in front of a capacity crowd at the National Gallery.
The Award recognises Mr Tall’s philanthropy through the Tall Foundation and Capital Chemist Community Program.
Hands Across Canberra board chair Greg Boorer cited decades of support for the Canberra community totalling millions of dollars when announcing the award, which was presented to Mr Tall by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
“Despite all this generosity, some of you may not know his name. His giving has been consistent, generous and low key, but today we recognise, celebrate and thank him,” Mr Boorer said.
The Philanthropy Award has been made to just three other individuals – the late Terry Snow, the late John Hindmarsh and Jo Farrell. It recognises kindness, initiative and leadership, embodying the ethos of giving where you live.
“The board believes this is a major honour and should recognise people whose contribution over many years is genuinely outstanding,” Mr Boorer said.
Mr Tall’s philanthropy has always been directed locally, towards small to medium organisations that receive little or no government support. Larger organisations receive assistance on the condition that the money can only be spent here in Canberra.
“I will probably get into trouble for saying this, but because the funds now stay in our community, I find this far preferable to having my tax dollars spent on some very expensive submarines,” he said of his decision to create a foundation.
“It’s pretty simple stuff and not that hard to achieve. With a bit of forethought and planning, anybody can set up their own giving while living program and tailor it according to their means.”
He thanked his wife, Maxeme, who has been an active and engaged donor, and Melita Flynn, who manages the Capital Chemist Community Program and has worked with him for 25 years to develop a community network.
Mr Tall arrived from Tasmania in the early 1970s. After a couple of years travelling with Maxeme, they returned to Canberra where an opportunity arose to open his own pharmacy.
His personal philanthropy journey began when he witnessed the bond between a parent and a severely disabled child and was inspired to donate to the Malkara School.
As the Capital Chemist group grew, the partners decided they’d rather fund community programs than plough profits into advertising. He describes the decision as “a win-win situation for all parties” and a key part of the Capital Chemist ethos.
Some years later, Mr Tall established the Tall Foundation to ensure worthy causes had consistent funding. Increasingly, giving became a core part of his business and personal life, and he describes it as “an immensely satisfying habit”.
Today, the Tall Foundation and Capital Chemist are keystones of Canberra’s not-for-profit world, funding dozens of Canberra charities and not-for-profit groups. That funding delivers hundreds of thousands of dollars into the community annually and totals many millions over the decades.
Mr Tall is particularly passionate about the transformative power of education. The Tall Foundation awards scholarships for academic excellence, community involvement and special needs to Canberra college students.
He supports the Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge, Year 10 Excellence Awards and tertiary honours-level scholarships here and in Tasmania, where he grew up.
Mr Tall said he had accepted the Canberra Philanthropy Award in the hope it might encourage others to give more regularly.
“Hopefully the example of the Tall Foundation can encourage them to take that first step towards starting their good fortune … and experience the joy of giving while living as I do, often overlooked, but very real”.
