Cr Adrian Schonfelder is a sixth generation resident of Surf Coast Shire whose great great grandfather James Anderson first settled in Barrabool in 1848. His great grandfather William Anderson and his grandfather Douglas Anderson were Councillors at the Shire of Barrabool who served for 31 and 45 years respectively.
Cr Schonfelder was elected as the youngest councillor in Victoria’s history at the Shire of Barrabool in 1993 prior to council amalgamations. He was first elected to Surf Coast Shire Council in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.
He has worked in the government and not-for-profit sector as a data adjudicator at the Australian Bureau of Statistics and as a policy analyst at the Victorian Farmers Federation.
Cr Schonfelder currently breeds a small herd of cattle and is involved in a family business; Barrabool Hills Retreat, which is a guesthouse and gallery. He is a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Geelong Football Club.