JIM TILLEY, OAM
Sadly, Jim passed away on Wednesday, 28th July 2021.
Jim was a tireless campaigner for the over 225,000 UK pensioners who have retired and live in Australia – he has left a powerful legacy.
Incensed at the UK Government’s arbitrary and unjust frozen pension policy which sees the pensions paid (to the nearly half a million UK pensioners worldwide) frozen at the level first received, Jim established British Pensions in Australia Inc. (BPiA) in 2003.
From small beginnings, BPiA now boasts over 3,600 members. Its membership consists of migrants from the UK and Australians who worked in the UK and returned to Australia.
Over the years, Jim has helped guide many Australians through the labyrinth of British state pension bureaucracy. Thanks to Jim, there are many grateful Australian pensioners today living a less poverty-stricken old age.
Jim was instrumental in driving the Carson case against the UK Government in 2008. While a majority verdict in favour of the government was delivered on appeal at the European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber in 2010, this setback did not deter him. He continued his fight for fair play for UK pensioners living in Australia.
Jim was born in West London on 5th June 1938. A graduate of Latymer Upper School he then read geography at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth followed by time serving in the Royal Navy as part of his National Service. He then qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. After working some years in the UK, he was recruited by BHP subsidiary John Lysaght & Co. and moved to Sydney in 1971. Lysaghts made finished sheet steel product from the raw steel produced at the adjacent BHP works in Port Kembla including Colorbond.
One of Jim’s roles was Chief Cost Accountant at Lysaghts. He was the architect of its elaborate cost algorithms which allowed for precision of up to 10 decimal places of a cent. Jim’s reputation at Lysaghts and subsequently BHP was second to none. Whenever his name was mentioned, it garnered respect.
Jim was a long-time carer for his wife Maggie who suffered from bipolar disorder. He was an active advocate for home carers. Maggie passed away in February 2021.
Jim and Maggie had two sons, one of whom predeceased him.
Patrick Edwards, President of BPiA says:
We are all saddened by Jim’s passing. He has been a champion of the rights of Australians for many years. His enthusiasm for our cause has been an inspiration to all of us and we will continue the campaign that he initiated because we know, thanks to Jim, this is a fight for justice. We have morality on our side. The UK government has only monetary considerations on theirs”.