Tim Costello - Career History

Career History

Ordained a Baptist Minister in 1987, Tim Costello, along with his wife, Merridie, and a team of others, rebuilt the congregation at the St Kilda Baptist Church and opened a drop-in centre. As part of the church's outreach program, he started a legal office at the church where he practised as a part time solicitor. He also taught urban ministry at Whitley College, a college of the University of Melbourne.

As elected Mayor of St Kilda Council in 1993, he became well known for championing the cause of local democracy and his clashes with Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett. Kennett attacked Costello as being un-Victorian for speaking out against the gaming-led recovery of the state and often referred to him as "that leftist cleric". Costello's political career ended when his mayoral position was abolished with the whole St Kilda Council in Kennett's reforms and consolidation of local government.

From 1995 to 2003 he was a Minister of the Collins Street Baptist Church and the Executive Director of Urban Seed, a Christian not-for-profit organisation created in response to concern about homelessness, drug abuse and the marginalisation of the city’s street people.

Costello was an elected delegate at the Australian Constitutional Convention in Canberra in February 1998.

He served as President of the Baptist Union of Australia from 1999 to 2002. He has been Patron of Baptist World Aid, a member of the Australian Earth Charter Committee, a council member of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, a spokesperson for the Interchurch Gambling Taskforce, a member of the National Advisory Body on Gambling and a member of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation.

Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s he was frequently seen in the Australian national media commenting on gambling and other social problems.

Costello has spoken out in favour of stronger gun control in Australia, acting at times as the co-chairman or spokesman of the National Coalition for Gun Control.

In 2004, Costello was appointed CEO of World Vision Australia. He was awarded Victorian of the Year 2004 in July 2004, in recognition of his public and community service. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in June 2005, and Australian of the Year in 2006. He is the 2008 winner of the Australian Peace Prize awarded by the Peace Organisation of Australia. He is also listed by the National Trust as a "National Living Treasure".