Ian Potter: Financier, Philanthropist and Patron of the Arts

Australian History Biography Art History Cultural Studies Business History Philanthropy Finance

First-edition hardback of the 2006 Miegunyah Press biography Ian Potter: Financier, Philanthropist and Patron of the Arts is the definitive portrait of the man who turned a small Melbourne stockbroking firm into one of Australia’s great fortunes and then gave much of it away. In 429 meticulously researched pages, historian Peter Yule traces Potter’s journey from modest beginnings to becoming the country’s most influential stockbroker, art collector and cultural benefactor. The book is packed with never-before-published family papers, ASX archives and interviews that show how Potter’s Midas touch shaped BHP, Alcoa and Rupert Murdoch’s early expansions while his quiet philanthropy built the Victorian College of the Arts, the Australian Ballet School and the Potter Museum at the University of Melbourne.

Collectors value this first printing because it is the only edition that carries the full colour plate section of Potter’s iconic art collection—Brett Whiteley, Sidney Nolan, Fred Williams—plus the original dust-jacket artwork that was dropped in later reprints. The binding is solid, pages are crisp and unmarked, and the only wear is light shelf rub to the jacket edges, making it presentable on shelf or coffee table. With no inscriptions, ex-libris plates or dog-ears, it satisfies the condition standards of both bibliophiles and institutional libraries.

For readers fascinated by Australian business history, arts patronage or Melbourne society, this biography explains how one man’s vision linked the stock exchange floor to the opera house stage. It is the key reference cited by every subsequent article on Australian cultural philanthropy and is already scarce in commerce-grade condition, ensuring its long-term collectability.

Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.

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