Seriously invested in performance

Agility is an art. To pivot at the right moment. To move quickly. To know when to evolve and adapt to deliver excellence. This is as true for us as active investors as it is for ballet dancers.

Celebrating 60 years of investing in Australia

For six decades in Australia, our investment expertise and agility has helped us deliver consistent, long-term returns for our local clients.  With one of Australia’s most experienced on-the-ground research teams, backed by over 220 years of compounded knowledge of global financial markets, our clients continue to benefit from our proven investment approach, deep wisdom and focus on investing beyond tomorrow — no matter which way the dance moves.

Discover what partnering with Schroders Australia, and being seriously invested, can do for you and your clients.

Local and global investment experience honed over decades

Schroders has had an investment team on the ground in Australia since 1964.  It's grown considerably since then to cover Australian equities, fixed income and multi-asset investing, and offers a suite of global private markets strategies across private equity, private debt and real estate debt, among others. With many decades of experience under their respective belts, hear from the heads of our investment desks about the market experiences that have shaped them into the investors they are today, and what changes they predict in the years ahead. 

Market reflections on Australian Equities

Head of Australian Equities, Martin Conlon, discusses the future for Western economies, and whether markets are at a point of extrapolation or inflexion.

Market reflections from the CIO

CEO and CIO of Schroders Australia, Simon Doyle, turns back the clock to discuss the market crises that have bookmarked his career, and what they taught him about managing risk.

Market reflections on Private Equity

Global Head of Private Equity, Rainer Ender, discusses the healthy outlook for private equity – especially at the smaller end of the market. 

Explore our corporate timeline

Schroders has enjoyed its fair share of proud moments over the years. This timeline traces some of the more memorable ones, from our origins in England through to the past 60 years of investing in Australia. 

  • 1804

    Johann Heinrich Schröder goes into partnership in London with his elder brother.

  • 1817

    Australia’s first bank – the Bank of New South Wales – opens in Sydney.

  • 1818

    JH Schröder opens his own firm, J. Henry Schröder & Co, building a thriving commercial credit business.

  • 1851

    Miners strike gold in Ballarat, starting the Victorian gold rush.

  • 1853

    J. Henry Schröder & Co issues its first railway bond and goes on to raise capital for governments, major infrastructure projects and businesses across the world.

  • 1893

    Start of the Australian banking crisis and depression.

  • 1890-1896

    Schroders’ first financial interests in Australia are by way of debenture issues for the Bank of New Zealand Estates Co. Ltd and property acquisition financing in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji for Australian Estates and Mortgage Co Ltd.

  • 1901

    Australia celebrates federation.

  • 1920

    QANTAS is registered and in 1922 makes its first scheduled flight from Longreach to Cloncurry.

  • 1924

    Schroders launches its first investment product, an investment trust called the Continental and Industrial Trust Ltd.

  • 1929

    Stock market crash and start of the global Great Depression.

  • 1955

    Vietnam War starts.

  • 1960

    Schroders Limited acquires Helbert Wagg & Co Ltd, a pre-eminent UK firm and pioneers of institutional fund management in the 1920s. The new entity operates as an investment manager and merchant bank in the corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions field.

  • 1960

    Reserve Bank building commences.

  • 1961

    Schroders establishes a joint venture in Australia with John Darling, a prominent businessman whose family is connected with BHP. Schroders holds a 23.5% interest in Darling and Company Ltd – one of Australia’s first merchant banks.

  • 1963

    Stage 1 of Sydney Opera House is completed.

  • 1963

    Darling Management Ltd is registered as a company for the operation of the funds management business. This entity is known as Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited.

  • 1964

    The Darling Fund is launched in Australia. This fund subsequently changes its name to the Schroder Australian Equity Fund and to this day remains one of Australia’s oldest running managed funds.

  • 1964

    It was during this year that Australians were first able to invest in a managed fund with Schroders, and why 1964 is the year we celebrate our establishment in Australia.

  • 1964

    The Beatles tour Australia.

  • 1964

    National Service is reintroduced.

  • 1964

    The Australian newspaper is first published.

  • 1969

    Darling Dual Fund Limited launches and lists on the Australian Stock Exchange.

  • 1969

    Australia withdraws troops from Vietnam.

  • 1970

    Darling Superannuation Fund for pension schemes launches.

  • 1971

    Australia joins the OECD.

  • 1972

    Darling Property Fund Limited launches and lists on the Australian Stock Exchange.

  • 1973

    The Global Oil Crisis starts.

  • 1980

    The Darling Dual Fund is renamed the Schroder Darling Dual Fund and the Darling Property Fund becomes the Schroder Darling Property Fund.

  • 1983

    The Aussie Dollar is floated.

  • 1985

    Schroder Darling becomes Schroders Australia following the acquisition of all the interests of other shareholders. At the same time, Schroders Australia sells its commercial banking book, thereafter focusing on corporate finance, capital markets, treasury, real estate and investment management activities.

  • 1987

    The Australian Stock Exchange is formed.

  • 1987

    Black Monday strikes in October. Australia’s stock market drops by 40% on the Tuesday.

  • 1988

    Australia celebrates its bicentenary.

  • 1991

    The first Commonwealth Bank share offer is made.

  • 1992

    Compulsory superannuation is introduced.

  • 1993

    The Native Title Act is passed.

  • 1997

    Schroders establishes its first institutional mandate in Australia for Sisters of Mercy Super.

  • 1999

    Schroder Property Fund Limited is sold to AMP Diversified Property Trust.

  • 2000

    Schroders' investment banking business is sold to Citigroup. The business direction is refocused on asset management. The majority of funds under management are invested in Australian equities.

  • 7 new funds are launched, providing Australians further opportunities to invest across Australian, Global and Sustainable Equities.

  • Schroders scoops 4 major awards including the Australian Fund Manager Awards Golden Bull, Morningstar’s Fund Manager of the Year and the Money Management | Lonsec Awards Fund Manager of the Year.

  • 2000

    Australia hosts the Olympic games in Sydney.

  • 2003

    Australia signs a 30-billion dollar gas agreement with China, our single biggest export deal.

  • 2007

    The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) emerges.

  • 4 new funds are launched across Multi-Asset, Australian and Global Equities, including 2 active ETFs, making investing with Schroders even more flexible and accessible.

  • 8 major awards won, including Morningstar’s Fund Manager of the Year, the Money Management | Lonsec Awards Fund Manager of the Year, Professional Planner | Zenith Fund Awards Fund Manager of the Year and the Australian Fund Manager Awards Golden Bull.

  • 2010

    Julia Gillard becomes the first female Prime Minister of Australia.

  • 2012

    A controversial carbon price is introduced by the Gillard government.

  • 2017

    The Financial Services Royal Commission is established.

  • 3 new products are launched — Schroder Specialist Private Equity Fund, Schroder Sustainable Growth Fund and Schroder Australian Equity Separately Managed Account.

    Schroders takes out another Golden Bull Award at the Australian Fund Manager Awards and a Sustainable Investing award from Morningstar.

  • 2020

    Australia endures lockdowns and social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • 2021

    Schroders RF is formed –
a joint venture between Schroders and RF Group which was founded by Australian property industry veteran, Andrew Roberts.

  • 2022

    Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in Australian history, passes aged 96 after a reign of 70 years.

  • 2024

    Schroders celebrates 60 years of being seriously invested in Australia.

  • 2024

    The value of the Australian housing market reaches $10.4 trillion, more than three times the value of Australians’ superannuation savings at $3.5 trillion.

1800s-1850s
19th century engraving of the Royal Exchange and Bank of England.
1890s-1920s
Preparing to board the first scheduled QANTAS flight.
1955-1965
Construction of the Sydney Opera House.
1964
Beatlemania, Adelaide. Photo: Courtesy of Vic Grimmett and the State Library of South Australia.
1969-1972
Welcome home parade, Brisbane. Photo: © Education Services Australia Limited and the National Archives of Australia 2010.
1980s
The ASX trading floor on Black Tuesday.
1990s
Paul Keating shares a joke with Bill Kelty. Photo: Greg Porteous/Newspix.
2000s
Fireworks to mark the end of the Sydney Olympics. Photo: DOD via pingnews. TSGT Robert A Whitehead, USAF
2010s
Protesters lobbying Julia Gillard in Melbourne. Photo: Julia Gillard don't cave in to pressure from big polluters. John Englart. flickr.com/photos/takver/5798870851
2020s
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing in NSW.

Schroders' global history – two centuries of investing for the future

Founded in London in 1800 as J.F.Schröder & Co, our first 100 years saw us building a client base around the world. We were busy financing trade between America and Europe and funding major infrastructure projects like railways, ports and power stations. And moving into new areas such as bonds and corporate finance. 

In 1924, we formed our first investment trust and started managing investments for clients. Our listing on the London Stock Exchange followed in 1959.  

By the start of the 20th century, we had clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia. Come the 1970s, we had a presence in the major financial markets, including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland and many more. 

In 2000, we sold our investment banking arm to specialise in asset and wealth management. Today, we’ve also expanded into private markets, opening up a new dimension to our clients.  

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