EMINENT Bowral resident James Fairfax was thrilled to be presented with the country’s highest civil award after being appointed a Companion of Australia (AC) in the general division of the order of Australia.
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It would come as no surprise that the former media boss found out about the honour well ahead of yesterday’s announcement, and it will also sit very nicely alongside the Officer of the Order (AO) award he received in the 1993 Queen’s Birthday list.
“I am absolutely delighted and very flattered. I didn’t expect it but inevitably whispers got through,” he told the News.
The 76-year-old was appointed an AC for his service to the community through support and philanthropy for the visual arts, conservation organisations and building programs for medical research and educational facilities.
Mr Fairfax’s long list of work for the arts, environment, medicine and education since his AO include:
n National Gallery of Australia: Ongoing program of donations of art works by renowned Australian artists as well as financial assistance towards the acquisition of specific works of art for the collection.
n World Wildlife Fund for Nature: A longstanding commitment to various environmental and endangered species projects.
n Children’s Hospital Westmead: Since 1993 donations have supported the work of the James Fairfax Institute of Paediatric Clinical Nutrition which, in 2000, was endowed by the University of Sydney as the James Fairfax Chair of Paediatric Nutrition.
n Women’s College, University of Sydney: Contribution towards the restoration of the Miss Mary Fairfax Rooms.
The former chairman of the publishing company that bears his name announced last year he would bequeath his $35 million mansion, Retford Park, on Old South Road, Bowral, to the public after his death.
The 120-hectare property is the country home of the arts patron. He brought the four-hectare property for £15,000 in 1964.
He said the park was an important piece of heritage in the Wingecarribee Shire and he has made provision for money to be invested and the income to fund the maintenance of Retford Park.
A keen art lover, Mr Fairfax said his art collection started as a child when he bought his first painting, an Eric Wilson, at the age of eight or nine.
“I began buying art in the 1960s, which was a good time to buy,” he said.
“But I have not bought anything for a number of years.”
While he has property in Woollahra, Bilgola and Dorset in south-west England, Mr Fairfax said he still regards Bowral as his true home.
