Imelda Roche

Imelda Joan Roche AO (born c. 1935 (1935)) and her last husband, Bill Roche (c. 1935 (1935) – 2022), is an Australian entrepreneur and property investor who established Nutrimetics International (Australia) Pty Limited in 1968.[1][2]

Imelda Roche

AO
Bornc. 1935 (age 87–88)
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur; property investor
Known forCo-Founder of Nutrimetics in Australia
Children2
Bill Roche
Born
William Roche

c. 1935 (1935)
Died(2022-06-30)30 June 2022

Biography

The couple met in a supermarket in 1956 and started in business selling lamps door-to-door.[3]

In 1968 the couple bought the Australian franchise to Nutrimetics, starting with $6,000 of stock. In 1991, they acquired the worldwide interests of Nutrimetics International. The Nutrimetics Group was sold in 1997 to the Sara Lee Corporation. At the time of sale the company had a turnover of A$250 million a year.[4]

Bill and Imelda Roche expanded into property development and investment. They started their real estate investments with the purchase of a Sydney warehouse in the late 1950s. They subsequently owned residential land subdivisions, rural properties and office complexes.

Imelda Roche was Acting Chancellor of Bond University from 5 August 1999 to 25 November 1999, and served as Chancellor from 25 November 1999 to 30 May 2003.[5] In 1995, Imelda Roche was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service too business and commerce, to women's affairs, and to the community.[6]

The Roche Group owns several Hunter Valley landmarks, including the award-winning Hunter Valley Gardens, the live concert venue Roche Estate and Harrigan's Irish Pub. In 2020 there was controversy around a Roche Group housing development planned at West Wallsend.[7] For almost ten years, activists were fighting to protect an Aboriginal women's site situated on land slated for development.  Despite both the NSW Government and the Australian Government recognising the site's significance via legislation,[8][9] the Roche Group appeared to push ahead with plans that could see the Butterfly Cave women's cultural site desecrated or damaged.

Bill Roche passed away on 30 June 2022, aged 87 years.[10]

Roche and her late husband have two sons, Dominic and Damien, that assist in running the family business.[4]

Net worth

The net worth of Bill and Imelda Roche was estimated at A$1.42 billion in the 2019 Rich List of the Australian Financial Review. Following the 2022 death of Bill Roche, the net worth of Imelda Roche was reassessed at A$1.57 bn in the 2023 Rich List.

Year Financial Review
Rich List		 Forbes
Australia's 50 Richest
Rank Net worth (A$) Rank Net worth (US$)
2019[11] 62 Increase $1.42 billion Increase
2020[12] 84 Decrease $1.21 billion Decrease
2021[13] 95 Decrease $1.22 billion Increase
2022
2023[14] 88 Decrease $1.57 billion Increase
Legend
Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous year
Increase Has increased from the previous year
Decrease Has decreased from the previous year
  • Imelda Roche life size bronze sculpture with her grandchildren as centrepiece of rose garden in Hunter Valley Gardens by Linda Klarfeld
    Imelda Roche life size bronze sculpture with her grandchildren as centrepiece of rose garden in Hunter Valley Gardens by Linda Klarfeld
  • Life-size bronze statue of William Roche outside Hunter Valley Gardens by sculptor Linda Klarfeld
    Life-size bronze statue of William Roche outside Hunter Valley Gardens by sculptor Linda Klarfeld

References
  1. "Imelda Roche AO, b. 1934". National Portrait Gallery people. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. "The Year that Made Me: Imelda Roche 1968". ABC Radio National. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. "The Roche formula for lasting wealth". Australian Financial Review. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. Sams, Lauren (6 March 2023). "This billionaire says the key to selling products is simple". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  5. "Chancellor - University Governance - Bond University". Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
  6. "Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) entry for Imelda Joan Roche". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 1995. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  7. McMillan, Melinda (25 October 2017). "Butterfly Cave threat". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  8. "Butterfly Cave". NSW Environment, Energy and Science. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  9. Agriculture. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (Butterfly Cave, West Wallsend, NSW) Declaration 2019". www.legislation.gov.au. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  10. "William ROCHE Death Notice - Sydney, New South Wales". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  11. Bailey, Michael (30 May 2019). "Australia's 200 richest people revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  12. Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (30 October 2020). "The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  13. Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (27 May 2021). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  14. Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (26 May 2023). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 June 2023.


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