David Hill

David Hill (born 1946) is an English-born Australian business leader and author. He is best known for his role as chairman and managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 1987 to 1995. He has also been head of Soccer Australia and chair of Sydney Water. He stood as a Labor candidate in the 1998 federal election, but was not elected.

Early life and education Born out of wedlock in Eastbourne in 1946, into an impoverished family of four boys, David Hill and his twin brother spent time in Barnardo's children's home in Barkingside.

Career Prior to his rise to prominence in business circles, Hill was variously a hardware shop assistant, a sandwich cutter, a labourer on building sites, a refuse collector and gardener; he sold tennis coaching courses, worked as a barman, waiter, pub bouncer, delivery agent, tutor at the University of Sydney, journalist, investment bank worker, an accountant, and was in charge of the NSW Government Ministerial Advisory Unit. He remained as a director of the State Rail Authority until 1997. head of Soccer Australia, chairman of Sydney Water, director of the Australian National Airlines Commission and Chairman of CREATE, a national organisation responsible for representing the interests of young people and children in institutional care. A former North Sydney rugby league junior, Hill was president of the North Sydney Bears Rugby League Football Club between 1989 and 1992. He was instrumental in the eventual ban on cigarette sponsorship of the game.

Hill is strongly in favour of the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece. As well as being a member of the British Marbles Reunited campaign, he is the founder and current chairman of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures.

He was an unsuccessful political candidate representing Labor for the Division of Hughes at the 1998 federal election.

Hill has written a number of non-fiction books on Australian history, including histories of the First Fleet, early colonial New South Wales, and the Australian gold rushes.

Personal life Hill married Stergitsa Zamagias in 1998, and together they have a son.

Selected published works