Rev Dr Hugh Campbell Cairns
1935-2025
The Principal, Council and St Andrew's College community honour the life of former St Andrew's College Principal, Rev Dr Hugh Campbell Cairns, who passed away peacefully on Thursday 6th November 2025.
Born in England to Scottish and Cornish parents in 1935, Hugh was brought up and educated in England before moving to Scotland in his twenties. He attended the Dragon School in Oxford, and later Charterhouse, where he was appointed Head Boy. A gifted all-round sportsman, he represented his schools in rugby, soccer, cricket, fives and hockey, often captaining their top sides.
Hugh read Arts at Worcester College, Oxford, where he continued his outstanding hockey career, eventually captaining Oxford University and later Scotland. He held a Bachelor of Divinity and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, further deepening his scholarship in theology, ancient cultures and religious history. As a young man he spent two years at Princeton University, broadening his academic horizons. He also held a commission in the Royal Greenjackets, and for six months led the Scots Kirk in Paris, experiences that shaped both his leadership and worldview.
After moving to Scotland, Hugh entered parish ministry and worked in schools, weaving together his passions for teaching, pastoral care, scholarship and community leadership. He was ordained in the Church of Scotland, and later served within the former Presbyterian Church of NSW when he moved to Australia.
In 1975, Hugh and Hilary travelled to Australia after he was appointed the 8th Principal of St Andrew’s College within the University of Sydney – a role he went on to hold for 13 years. He came to the College through the encouragement of Professor John McIntyre and alumnus Angus Holland; when he later saw the official advertisement, “all the bells in my head started to ring”.
Hugh’s impact on the College was immediate and enduring. Arriving at a time when change was stirring but not yet normalised, he worked steadily to modernise College life, including appointing the first female tutors and warmly involving Hilary in College events at a time when the Main Building was not always welcoming to women.
Some of Hugh’s favourite memories of his time as Principal involved afternoons playing cricket on the College Oval when he would go out to bat against the students (he was playing for the Senior Common Room team).
Hugh and Hilary remained strong supporters of the College long after his tenure as Principal. They were members of the 1867 Circle, the Highlander Club, and Governors of the Foundation. In 2021, they established the Cairns Indigenous Scholarship to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in accessing university education in Sydney –reflecting Hugh’s belief that educational opportunities could change the course of a young person’s life.
Alongside his leadership of the College, Hugh taught in the BD Course, and delivered occasional lectures and seminars in the French, Religious Studies and Archaeology Departments at the University of Sydney. His intellectual interests were wide-ranging: Classics, Standing Stones, Neolithic tombs, early astronomy, rock art and ancient law. He travelled extensively to study petroglyphs and rock art, presenting academic papers in the USA, UK, Italy, Bolivia, Bulgaria, India, South Africa and Tanzania.
Hugh’s work in Aboriginal astronomy began in childhood after hearing a lecture in Oxford. This interest deepened after visiting sites in Ku-ring-gai Chase in 1975. He first visited Wardaman Country in 1979, but met Senior Elder Bill Yidumduma Harney in 1997 – sparking a lifelong friendship and scholarly collaboration. Bill later said that Hugh was the first white man ever to ask him about the stars. Together, they co-authored two landmark books:
- Dark Sparklers – the first integrated Indigenous astronomy published anywhere in the world; and
- Four Circles – a major work on Wardaman customary law, ceremony, education and cultural life.
Their collaboration reshaped global understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems and ensured the preservation of Wardaman cultural teachings for future generations.
He is remembered by his wife Hilary (née Salvesen), sons Iver (Fr 1979), Niall (Fr 1981), Maryen and Rosalind, along with his many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family.
The College extends its deepest sympathies to Hugh's family and friends. Hugh will be remembered as an athlete, minister, educator, scholar and mentor – a man of wisdom, humour and humanity, whose influence has been felt across continents and generations.
A service will be held at 11.00am, Thursday 20 November, in the South Chapel at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park. More details can be found here.
A memorial celebration of Hugh’s life and work will be held at the College in early 2026.
Former Principals John McIntyre and Alan Dougan (standing), with Principal Hugh Cairns and Vice Principal Dick Spann (seated) in the Senior Common Room.
Hilary Cairns (left) and Mrs Thyne Reid (right of Hugh) were warmly welcomed to the Dining Hall by Hugh.
Hugh with students after the Rawson Cup Dinner in 1976.
L-R - Hugh, Hilary and Niall Cairns at College event in 2019.
St Andrew's College Principals at the 2017 Sesquicentenary Gala: L-R - Wayne Erickson, Bill Porges, Hugh Cairns and Peter Cameron.
L-R - Stephen and Susan Burns, Glenn and Samra Kable, Hilary and Hugh Cairns at former Principal Wayne Erickson's Farewell Dinner.
