Book Details

Ian Potter

A Biography

Peter Yule

In 1952 John Sumner, manager of the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, put forward plans to form Australia's first professional drama company.

Opinion

“As Peter Ule shows in this solidly founded authorised biography, much pf the dynamism we take for granted in the world of fbuisiness and finance in this country was pioneered by Sir Ian.” The Age 10/06/06

“This big study of his private as well as his public life is a revelation” The Examiner 29/04/06

About this Title

Few individuals were directly involved in as many facets of Australia's post-war transformation as Ian Potter. Not only did he play a crucial role in this country's economic moderisation, but his influence can be seen in politics, the arts, education and science—negotiating, persuading and gently smoothing the path of progress.

In 1952 John Sumner was appointed manager of the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne and put forward plans to form Australia's first professional drama company. He approached a sceptical University Council—of which Ian Potter was a member—to ask for a small grant of perhaps a thousand pounds to get the company started. The council was hesitating when, as Sumner recalled, words to the effect of 'Oh for goodness sake, give them ten thousand pounds to shut them up!' came from Ian Potter. The money was given and the Union Theatre Repertory Company—now the Melbourne Theatre Company—was born.

This was typical of Ian Potter. A self-made man, he rose from humble beginnings to be Australia's leading financier, dominating the business world from the 1940s to the 1970s. From his early thirties when he went to Canberra, he was involved in politics as an adviser and fundraiser, and built up an extraordinary network of friends at the highest levels of politics and the bureaucracy. He had a genuine passion for the arts, and supported and helped develop some of Australia's key cultural institutions. His fascination with science and medical research led him to found the world-class Howard Florey Institute. Potter's lasting legacy, 'to give something back to Australia', is the Ian Potter Foundation, now the largest philanthropic trust in Australia, which has given many millions of dollars to support projects in the fields of education, the arts, the environment, sciences, medicine and health.

Peter Yule's biography is an absorbing insight into a man who to this day remains an enigma. The book charts both his personal and business successes and failures and examines the contrast between the measured control of his public life and his often chaotic private life.

About the Author

Peter Yule is a Research Fellow of the History Department of the University of Melbourne. He has written widely on Australian economic and social history. Among his books are The Forgotten Giant of Australian Aviation: A History of Australian National Airways, The Royal Children's Hospital: A History of Faith, Science and Love (winner of best print publication, 2000 Victorian Community History Awards) and Carlton: A History (winner of best collaborative/community work, 2005 Victorian Community History Awards). He is currently working on a history of Australia's Collins Class submarines.

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978-0-522-85252-3