Ken Myer

Kenneth Baillieu Myer, (1 March 1921 – 30 July 1992) was an American-born Australian patron of the arts, humanities and sciences; diplomat, administrator, businessman and philanthropist. He was a member of the notable Melbourne retailing Myer family. Myer made significant philanthropic and personal contributions to the development of major national institutions, most notably the Howard Florey Laboratories of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, the School of Oriental Studies at the University of Melbourne, the Victorian Arts Centre and the National Library of Australia. In 1959, he became Benefactor and Co-Founder of The Myer Foundation with his brother Baillieu Myer AC. He was also the founding chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Early life and Second World War Ken Myer was born in San Francisco, California, United States in 1921, the eldest son of Sidney Myer, who migrated to Australia from Russia in 1899, then moved to the United States to make his fortune. Sidney Myer had divorced his first wife in Reno, Nevada, but this divorce was not recognised under Australian law. His second wife, (later Dame) Merlyn Myer, travelled to San Francisco for the birth of each of her four children to ensure they would be considered legitimate. He was also mentioned in despatches in 1944. Later he served in the occupation forces in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

In 1972, Myer surprised and to a degree alienated his family by publicly supporting the Australian Labor Party led by Gough Whitlam during the federal election campaign. Labor won government in December 1972 and Whitlam became prime minister. In early 1974, Whitlam offered Ken Myer the opportunity of succeeding Sir Paul Hasluck as Governor-General. He declined, and the post went to Sir John Kerr.

Myer's other activities were extensive and varied. He was: Honorary Secretary of the National Gallery Society of Victoria 1948–53

Myer successfully fostered new research in organisations such as the Division of Plant Industry of the CSIRO and helped build the Oriental Collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Honours and awards Myer won the International Retailers Award in 1970.

In 1989 the Australian Libraries and Information Association gave Myer its Redmond Barry Award, which goes to a lay person not employed in a library who has rendered outstanding service to the promotion of a library and to the promotion of a library and the practice of librarianship. Kim Williams, Laura Tingle and Professor Megan Davis.

Kenneth Myer Medallion for the Performing Arts

The Kenneth Myer Medallion for the Performing Arts was awarded by the Arts Centre Melbourne between 1991 and 2010. Jenny Kemp and Daniel Keene (1998); Shirley McKechnie and John Romeril; Malcolm Robertson and Mary Kenneally (2000); and theatre maker and teacher Robert Draffin (2010).

Personal life In 1947, Myer married Prudence Boyd (1925–2005) and they had five children: Joanna, Michael, Philip, Martyn and Andrew. Ken and Prudence were divorced in 1977. Ken married Yasuko Hiraoka

Martyn Myer is a Life Governor of the Myer Foundation. Andrew Myer is a property developer and film producer. Andrew is Chairman of Sidney Myer Fund and for five years held the position of Director and Co-Vice-President of The Myer Foundation. Joanna Baevsky is a psychologist, and she and Michael Myer were producers, with Andrew Myer, of the 1988 film Radiance.