Giving back to the community

A strong proponent of contributing to community and social initiatives, Melvin has a long history supporting a range of interests in roles such as an honorary director, board and committee member for more than 10 not-for-profit organisations over the last 18 years.

Melvin founded a multi-year scholarship for a financially disadvantaged student member of the University of Western Australia’s Law School Jessup Moot Team.

Melvin is a Trustee of the Western Australian State Government's Arts and Culture Trust, is a non-executive director of Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), and is also a co-founder of Healthy Mind Menu Inc., an award-winning registered charity devoted to mental health awareness and education in the WA hospitality industry.

He is a long-term supporter of the arts community. This includes being a Medici Donor of the Perth Festival every year since 2004; a donor of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts since 2014; and a Member of the Foundation of the Art Gallery of Western Australia since 2010.

His past involvement with community organisations includes:

  • A former member of the Murdoch University Art Collection Board (retiring in May 2019), helping to provide governance oversight for Murdoch University’s art collection.

  • A former elected member of the Legal Practice Board where he also sat on its management and professional development committees (retiring in April 2017).

  • Non-executive director on the national board of the Association of Corporate Counsel Australia and chairman of its finance, audit and risk committee (retiring in November 2016), and also a past president of its Western Australian division.

  • Acting as a tasting judge for the Western Australian stage of the international Jeunes Commis (Young Chefs) competition for young chefs in each year from 2012 to 2017, and in the Australian National stage of the competition in 2014.

  • A founding member and board member of Heritage Perth Inc., an independent organisation promoting the understanding and celebration of the diverse heritage of Perth which was absorbed into the City of Perth in 2019 after operating independently for 10 years (retiring in December 2015).

  • Council member of the Araluen Botanic Park Foundation, which manages the unique and beautiful Araluen Botanic Park in Roleystone, Western Australia (retiring in 2010).