Obituaries for February 27, 2021: SAJC saviour Bill Spear and Dr Des Hoffmann

Today we pay tribute to Bill Spear - the man who blew the whistle on a vote-stacking scandal in the SAJC.

Bill Spear blew the whistle on a vote-stacking scandal in the SAJC.

The Advertiser obituaries for February 27, 2021

WILLIAM (BILL) ALISTAIR SPEAR, OAM

SAJC vice-chairman and chartered accountant

Born: October 5, 1934, Adelaide

Died: February 11, 2021, Bedford Park

Bill Spear was the man who stood up to the might of the South Australian Jockey Club board and won.

He became an outspoken critic about the sale of Cheltenham racecourse in 2004 and nominated for a position on the board in response to what he saw as mismanagement within the club hierarchy. To his surprise, he was backed by the membership and won a seat.

Following further allegations of election vote-rigging, he took the fight all the way to the Supreme Court and won.

This led to an inquiry in 2008, which resulted in the sacking of SAJC chief executive Steven Ploubidis and the resignation of the entire board.

After a new election, seven of the nine board members who were voted in were on Bill’s ticket.

“I had no idea of exactly what had gone on but I knew that something was not right,” he told The Advertiser in 2011.

After this, Bill became widely regarded as the saviour of the SAJC who blew the whistle on a vote-stacking scandal.

In 2009, another board member was also forced to issue a public apology on radio and pay Bill $75,000 as part of the settlement of a defamation case. Bill went on to serve as vice-chairman and was a long-time board member. In 2011, he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to the community.

But it turned out the fight was not over. In September, 2019, Bill was one of four people sued by the SAJC in the District Court in relation to the club’s handling of a new $400m residential and retail development planned for Morphettville.

He had told The Advertiser in July, 2019: “It’s absolutely garbage that club members know nothing about these secret plans because we own the club – no one else.”

Sensitivity over The Advertiser report was understood to have been one of the catalysts for the court action.

In court documents, fellow defendant Kevin Harrison claimed SAJC chief executive Grant Mayer had failed to provide “sufficient and accurate information” to all board members and also that board meetings had not been recorded accurately.

Last August, the case was settled out of court and the details of that settlement remain secret.

But the ongoing battles took a toll on Bill’s health. He was hospitalised in May last year and remained in poor health after that. His son, Glenn, a former Mitcham mayor, said the whole family was proud of how his father faced up to the SAJC board on many occasions.

“We had a strong respect for his sense of honour and integrity,” Glenn said. “He stood up for the members. That’s what Dad was all about.”

Born during the Great Depression, Bill was a battler from early on. He had to be – his parents separated early and he was raised by his grandparents.

Bill went to the former Adelaide Boy’s High School and, upon leaving, found work for the government-owned Electricity Trust of SA. But he was determined to improve his lot, studying accounting at night while working.

He married Pat in 1955 after they turned 21 – Pat says they weren’t allowed to marry any earlier in those days. She worked as a hairdresser at home in the laundry to help make ends meet. The hard work paid off.

After graduating from night school, Bill worked for 55 years as a chartered accountant, only finishing up in December.

Also a gifted sportsman, Bill was a life member of the Squash Rackets Association of SA, the West Adelaide Bearcats Basketball Club and the SAJC. He played for the state in basketball, squash and tennis.

The SAJC paid tribute to Bill following his death.

“Bill was a superb athlete excelling at many sports before embracing horseracing,” the tribute read.

“(He) was at all times committed and passionate.”

Bill displayed his trademark humility after receiving his 2011 OAM.

“My feet haven’t touched the ground since I got the letter,” he said. “I can’t stress too much that there are a lot of people that I have to thank for receiving this honour.’’

Bill is survived by Pat, children Glenn, Ann and David and five grandchildren.

DR DESMOND HOFFMANN, OAM

Surgeon

Born: November 8, 1936, Adelaide

Died: September 9, 2020, Mission Beach, Queensland

Dr Des Hoffmann

A globally respected surgeon, Hoffmann served as the president of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia in the 1990s.

Born not long before World War II, Hoffmann was the youngest of three siblings.

He went to Adelaide Technical High and won a scholarship to study dentistry. But he soon changed to a medical degree at the University of Adelaide. He married Margaret, a nurse, in 1961.

Finishing his degree in 1963, Hoffmann became a registrar in 1964. He became a research fellow at Adelaide, publishing papers on the nervous system and blood flow. In 1967, with three young children, the family moved to London, where he worked at St George’s Hospital under gastroenterology specialist Lloyd Davies.

St Georges Hospital Professor B. N. Brooke wrote at the time Hoffmann was “a mature person who has assimilated much knowledge and developed very sound clinical judgment. Moreover he is an excellent surgeon who has acquired considerable technical experience.”

After a year, Hoffmann took a position in Leeds under Professor J. C. Goligher.

“It has quickly become apparent that the eloquent praises that they have bestowed on him are justified, for he has proved to be easily one of the brightest, most pleasant and promising young man I have ever had in my department,” Prof Goligher wrote.

He returned to Adelaide to work at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, becoming a senior surgeon in 1971, then an emeritus surgeon in 1999.

He developed many commitments to national and international groups. These included president of the CSSA from 1993-6 and an executive member of the World Council of Colon Proctology.

In 1978 Hoffmann went to an international gastroenterological meeting featuring the use of a Russian bowel stapler. At the time trade between Russia and the western world was restricted. Hoffmann is said to have bought the gun for $1500 in a dark alley in London and it was smuggled back to Australia. This created controversy in the surgical fraternity. The instrument is now housed in the Calvary Hospital museum.

Hoffmann played in the SANFL for Norwood in the late 1950s during an era of strong rivalry with Port Adelaide. He was described as a hard player. Fishing and boating at his Mission Beach, Queensland, holiday home was a favourite pastime.

Hoffmann also had an intense interest in sporting cars and this included annual holidays driving around Europe.

He was awarded an OAM in 2018 for services to medicine and colorectal surgery.

Hoffman was remembered as tactful, but firm, always punctual, and not given to wasting time.

He is survived by Margaret, children Mark, Anna, Rebecca and Ben and eight grandchildren.