James Fairfax

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Oswald Fairfax, AO (b. 27 March 1933) company director and arts patron was born in Sydney, eldest son of Sir Warwick Oswald Fairfax. Educated at Cranbrook School, Geelong Grammar and Oxford, he became a director of John Fairfax & Sons Ltd in 1957 and took over from his father in 1977. He resigned in 1987 and sold his shares to his half brother Warwick Geoffrey Oswald Fairfax, during 'young Warwick's' ultimately disastrous takeover bid.

A prominent art collector, initially of Australian art, but from the 1960s increasingly of european old masters, he was a generous supporter of the Art Gallery of NSW and the National Gallery of Australia.