‘My Kid’s Future Is Gone’: Peter Phelps Devastated After Losing $400K in Super Scam
Australian TV veteran Peter Phelps has revealed he is facing financial ruin after falling victim to a devastating scam, losing over $400,000 in retirement savings. The actor, whose long career includes roles on Baywatch, Stingers, and Wonderland, says the loss has destroyed not just his finances — but his family’s future.
A Farmer, a Father… and Now a Victim
In a raw and emotional Facebook post, Phelps wrote:
“Superannuation stolen by bankrupt ‘financial adviser’ Brad Sherwin. Kids’ future. Farm. Gone.”
The 54-year-old actor had placed his faith — and his life savings — into what appeared to be a legitimate property investment through Wickham Securities, a mortgage finance lender run by adviser Brad Sherwin. That trust came at an unbearable cost.
Wickham collapsed in December 2012, owing millions to investors. More than 300 self-funded retirees, including Phelps, were left empty-handed. Not long after, Sherwin’s related businesses — including DIY Superannuation Service and Sherwin Financial Planners — also collapsed, leaving a further $30 million unaccounted for.
The Fallout: No Farm, No Future
Phelps didn’t hold back in sharing how deeply the loss had affected his family. The farm he once hoped would provide security is now gone. The future he envisioned for his daughter, Polly, has vanished with it.
Photos from just a year earlier showed Phelps smiling with Polly in Sydney. Today, that picture carries a heavier emotional weight. “It’s not just about money,” said one family friend. “It’s about everything that money represented — safety, legacy, stability.”
Who Is Brad Sherwin?
Brad Sherwin, the disgraced Queensland adviser at the center of the scandal, has been banned from working in the financial services industry for 31 months by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Sherwin denied any wrongdoing through his lawyer, even as authorities froze his assets — including private companies and his wife’s share in a racehorse.
Sherwin was later hospitalized, and legal proceedings continued. But for victims like Phelps, no explanation or apology will bring back the years of work and sacrifice now reduced to nothing.
What’s Next for Phelps?
Despite the heartbreak, Peter Phelps continues to work. At the time of the scandal, he was starring as Warwick Wilcox in Wonderland on Network Ten. Fans remember him not only for his work in Point Break and Underbelly, but also as a director on All Saints and Home and Away.
Still, the question remains: how does someone rebuild after such devastation?
“He’s trying to move forward,” said a colleague. “But it’s not easy when everything you’ve worked for gets stolen in silence.”