Ian Potter

For the rugby league footballer, see Ian Potter (rugby league). For the British writer and broadcaster, see Ian Potter (writer). For the English cricketer, see Ian Potter (cricketer).

Potter at the conferring of his honorary doctorate. 15 December 1973.

Sir Ian Potter (25 August 1902 – 24 October 1994) was an influential Australian businessman and philanthropist. The Ian Potter Foundation, which he established in 1964, has made large grants to dozens of research institutes, charities, universities and arts organisations. The Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square (part of the National Gallery of Victoria), the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne and the Ian Potter Children's Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens are but a few of his legacies in Melbourne today.

In 1962 he was knighted. In 1973 he received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Melbourne.

In the cultural sphere, Potter was the chairman of many boards including the Australian Ballet, the Australian Opera and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1978.

He was a dedicated clubman and belonged to the Melbourne Club, the Australian Club in Sydney and the Links Club in New York.

He was survived by his fourth wife Lady (Primrose) Potter^[1] (he had divorced his first three wives). His daughter Caroly is married to Simon Humphrey Parker Bowles, brother of Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, former husband of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

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