NEIL BALNAVES AO
In 2006, Neil Balnaves AO founded The Balnaves Foundation to create a pathway for intergenerational giving, bringing his family together to help create a better Australia through the arts, education and medicine.
Prior to establishing the Foundation, Neil had a long and successful career in the media industry, beginning in PR and advertising at Hamlyn Group and later as the head of the Australian arm of American animation house Hanna-Barbera, before going on to be Chief Executive of the publishing and leisure division of Taft-Hardie Group. In 1988, Neil led a management buyout of the Taft-Hardie Group, rebranding it as Southern Star Group.
Throughout his life Neil held many directorships in both commercial and not-for-profit sectors and was a well-regarded philanthropist in his own right.
“I give because I’ve been lucky in this country. I’ve been fortunate to make more money than I can use.”
Following the sale of his stake in Southern Star Group, Neil decided to put a significant proportion of his wealth into a family foundation. In addition to the core areas of arts, education and medicine, it was important to Neil that the Foundation also focused on projects that support young people, those facing disadvantage and First Nations people.
“What was I going to do with it? There was that quite weird stage where you think a bigger boat would be nice, or a plane would be lovely, or a bigger house. [But] that was pretty false, and then that brought into existence the Foundation. I really came to the conclusion … that it was good to give something back to the country that has been good to me.”
Through The Balnaves Foundation, Neil worked tirelessly to support causes that strongly aligned to his vision of a better Australia.
His well-known enthusiasm for the arts combined with his desire to ensure that everyone could have access to a broad range of arts.
“When I was growing up in Adelaide, art was a distant concept. You had to keep your hands in your pockets, you could look but not touch… We are trying to bring about a sea change in Australia’s attitude to art. It should not be on a pedestal; it should be something for everybody and something everyone could have a view about.”
“I’ve always been a firm believer that everyone should have the right to access the arts, regardless of their background.”
Some of the earliest grants the Foundation supported were in pursuit of his dream of accessible arts for all, including Sculpture by the Sea, GenerationNext at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Kaldor Public Art Projects and as a Major Partner of the Australian exhibition at the Venice Biennale.
“The best way to create a groundswell of change about arts right across this country [is]to get young people involved earlier. The aim is to expose a new generation of young Australians to the arts world, so it is not regarded as an area of an elite few, it has a very broad franchise across the country. That people can be exposed to art.”
Supporting the next generation of First Nations doctors in the pursuit of their degree was an area of particular passion and pride for Neil. Establishing the Balnaves Indigenous Medical Scholarship at the University of NSW in 2009 was the beginning of a concerted effort to empower First Nations young people to support their communities.
“I spoke to a number of [Indigenous people], they found it hard to deal with a white doctor. We thought if we can bring Indigenous medical students through [university], their ability to deal with their communities might go a long way to giving equal respect.”Neil greatly enjoyed getting to know the scholarship recipients as they progressed through their degrees “you get really excited watching these kids progress from first year through to graduation … It’s like [watching] your own children growing up.”
For Neil, talking about the Foundation and his philanthropy was just as important as giving the money away.
“I don’t think people realise how enormously gratifying it [giving away money] can be. I was in business for 44 years and I have had more fun in the last 5 years running my foundation, giving my money away and using my business skills to do so.”
In 2010 Neil was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), for his services to the community through philanthropic support for the arts, education, medical research and Indigenous programs, and to business, an honour he was immensely proud of.
“I’m a great believer in doing by example, and I hope hundreds will follow what I do.”
Neil sadly died in a boating accident in February 2022 and is greatly missed by his family who honour his legacy, ensuring Neil’s vision for the Foundation, to create a better Australia, will continue.
“We are talking about the soul of the country, the essence of this country… We have such a great history of wonderful writers, brilliant actors… great artists and we’ve got to keep that growing. We got to keep the soul of this country moving forward.”
