Sir Ian Potter (1902-1994), company director, stockbroker, merchant banker and philanthropist, was the founder of the Ian Potter Foundation, one of Australia's major philanthropic bodies. Potter was born into a family of English wool merchants trading in Australia. After studying economics at Sydney University, in 1936 he moved to Melbourne to found the stockbroking firm Ian Potter & Co. Over his career he served on the boards of some 25 companies, travelling often to the USA and Europe. He retired from Potter and Co in 1967, three years after creating the Ian Potter Foundation. During his lifetime alone, its grants amounted to more than $22 million, and he himself made large donations to the arts, hospitals, universities, sciences, social welfare and environment and heritage conservation until he died. Knighted in 1962, Potter was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Science in 1978 for his 'conspicuous service to the cause of science'.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Sir Roderick Carnegie 2003
© Estate of Mark Strizic
Sir Roderick Carnegie AC (5 portraits supported)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Gael Newton looks at Australian photography, film and the sixties through the novel lens of Mark Strizic.
Portraits of philanthropists in the collection honour their contributions to Australia and acknowledge their support of the National Portrait Gallery.
