John Bannon to be honoured with state funeral on Monday
JOHN Bannon made a “superhuman effort” two days before his death to honour the work of his late father, printmaker Charles Bannon. The former SA premier will be honoured with a state funeral on Monday.
- ECONOMY: Is the State Bank collapse to blame for SA’s current state?
- STATE BANK: Inside the collapse that crippled the state
- FAMILY: Stepson’s touching tribute to John Bannon
- SPEAKING OUT: ‘The best I could do was not good enough’
- FINAL DAYS: John Bannon’s last ‘superhuman effort’ for his father
JOHN Bannon made a “superhuman effort” two days before his death to honour the life’s work of his late father printmaker and painter Charles Bannon.
The former premier made his final public appearance to open and speak at an exhibition of a collection of his father’s works at St Peter’s Town Hall on Friday, before his own death on Sunday following a long illness.
“It really was John’s final wish to honour his father in that way,’’ said auctioneer James Bruce, of Theodore Bruce.
“He made a superhuman effort to make the Friday night opening ... by sheer willpower he attended.’’
A personal friend of Mr Bannon former Advertiser journalist Samela Harris was among 80 guests at Friday’s opening.
Others included his brother Andrew, widow Angela, first wife retired Supreme Court Justice Robyn Layton and former Attorney-General Chris Sumner. Ms Harris said Mr Bannon attended the event for about an hour.
“He spoke powerfully and he spoke long,” she said of his speech. “He spent the evening with a glass of wine in his hand mingling with people chatting with everyone ... as if he was a well man.”
“I gave him a hug and my comment to him was ‘You look wonderfully dapper, but you’re very gaunt’ ... he did not look like a well man.”
Works by Charles Bannon, who died in 1993, and fellow artists from his private archive sold for more than $8700 at auction on Sunday.
While most of the prints sold for between $50 and $380 each, one of Bannon’s works sold for $550 and the final work offered, Blue Tailed Shimmeras — Kanyaka, from the series Ghost Town Birds of the Flinders Ranges, fetched double its estimate at $1000.
“Charles Bannon really has never, ever fetched the sort of money that he should and to have a sellout sale, as we have, speaks volumes for the artist,” Mr Bruce said.
There are still almost 350 other works from the Bannon collection which Mr Bruce hopes will be sold through a gallery or framing studio.
Jory: The rare politician who cared little for self-interest
Penberthy: Bannon became a prisoner of the State Bank’s legacy
State funeral for ‘marathon man’
Mr Bannon will be farewelled on Monday in a state funeral at St Peter’s Cathedral, where his successor as Labor leader, who is now an Anglican priest, hopes to play a role in the ceremony.
Tributes for the state’s longest-serving Labor premier took on a personal tone on Monday as the Bannon family released a statement reminiscing about a man they recall for conveying wise and witty stories, songs and poetry and who will be especially missed at Christmas time.
Another former premier, Lynn Arnold, has been an assistant priest at the grand North Adelaide Cathedral, which will host Mr Bannon’s state funeral, since his ordination in 2013.
Dr Arnold assumed charge of the Labor Party, and became premier, in 1992 when Mr Bannon resigned under immense political pressure created by the State Bank collapse.
Dr Arnold told The Advertiser he hoped to play a part in Monday’s ceremony, but would be led by the wishes of the Bannon family and colleagues in the church.
“That will be up to the family and those discussions are taking place at the moment,” he said.
“I’m also a member of the Cathedral team. I’m hoping I will be playing a part.”
While details of the event are still to be finalised, there were suggestions in Labor circles that former premier Mike Rann may return from Italy to attend.
Former political rival and ex-Liberal premier John Olsen spoke of how he and Mr Bannon became allies later in life, united over a shared love for sport and the Adelaide Oval.
Fittingly, the venue will host a wake between 3pm and 5pm following the 1pm funeral.
Premier Jay Weatherill remembered Mr Bannon as a sage adviser and public servant and made a foray into the history wars swirling around a man best known for the State Bank collapse, saying time will bring greater credit and breadth to Mr Bannon’s legacy.
In a statement, the family said Mr Bannon, 72, died in hospital on Sunday surrounded by family.
“A marathon runner to the last, John was determined to see through a number of milestones in his final weeks including the first Australian day-night Test cricket (match) at the new Adelaide Oval and presentation to the Prime Minister as an expert on federation,” they said.
“John will be remembered for his commitment to public life in SA as one of the nation’s longest-serving premiers, his academic passion and excellence, contributions to the sporting and arts worlds and as a mentor to many.
“For his family, he will always be cherished as a husband, a brother, a father, a grandfather and dear friend. We will miss his wise and witty stories, songs and poetry readings at family gatherings, especially at this time of year.”
They said the outpouring of love and support from friends and acquaintances since the death “has been an incredible source of strength and made this difficult time easier to bear”.
Stepson Dylan Lewis, a Nova Radio broadcaster also known for presenting ABC’s Recovery, said Mr Bannon taught him about “integrity, honour, humour, modesty, wine and culture”.
“He also taught me about the power of the mind, especially over the last few years when he refused to give up living despite his illness,” Mr Lewis wrote.
“I feel very blessed to have had him in my life.
“Thank you John for your wisdom and beautiful heart. I love you. I’m raising a glass of the finest scotch to you with my mum, you bloody great man.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Bannon was contributing to public life right up until his death, as chair of an expert advisory panel on reform of the federation.
“It was only on Thursday that we met to discuss those issues,” Mr Turnbull said.
“He spoke with the wisdom of experience and the clarity and enthusiasm of someone totally committed to the issues of today and the challenges of tomorrow.”
Mr Weatherill said Mr Bannon encountered many issues during the near decade he spent leading the state which had continuing resonance today, especially the task of transforming a largely manufacturing-based economy that was struggling with the effects of globalisation.
Mr Weatherill said the state would not even be in a position to bid for the future submarines program without Mr Bannon’s intervention to help bring construction of the Collins Class fleet to Adelaide, and credited him with promoting Adelaide as a world city through the Grand Prix.
He also remembered Mr Bannon as a “source of calm and wise advice” during a 14-year relationship, struck up when Mr Weatherill was a lowly minister after Labor’s return to power.
“If it is true to say that a good life is one that was led with purpose, John Bannon was all purpose, and that purpose was public service through the whole of his life,” he said.
“He epitomised what most people would like to think about politics, and politicians.
“That is that they firmly have their eyes on the public interest and ... day-to-day political manouverings ... cannot be allowed to overwhelm the fundamental public purpose.”
Mr Weatherill defended Mr Bannon against claims he should have detected and moved to stop the $3 billion collapse of the State Bank, which left SA with a debt level twice what it is today.
“Really, our institutions weren’t up to the new environment in which we were working,” he said.
“We had some pretty sleepy old financial institutions which were suddenly flung into an international marketplace, and we were fleeced. We weren’t worldly enough to know that.
“He wished he could have foreseen events and allowed him to take steps that could have prevented such a thing. To some degree I think that he was probably too harsh on himself.
“I think that he would have needed the Wisdom of Solomon to have intervened in a way which was politically acceptable. The idea that a politician would march in and seek to wrest control of an arm’s-length statutory corporation ... would have been very brave.
“I think, as we reflect on his time and as the years recede from that event, I think his place in the history of the state will be given a much fairer judgment.”
Blood, sweat and beers for subs’ sake
JOHN Bannon shed blood — literally — to help win submarine-building work for South Australia.
In the 1980s, the former premier was in London to talk up the state’s prospects — and to run in the London Marathon while he was there.
His submarine chief Jim Duncan — who is now a director for German shipbuilders TKMS — told The Advertiser the marathon was part of a mammoth public relations effort.
“The night before, he said ‘I don’t think I can run it; I feel crook’. I told him he couldn’t pull out. So he ran the marathon,” Mr Duncan said.
Later that night, Mr Duncan went to have a beer with Mr Bannon and discovered him mopping up blood from his damaged feet with a towel.
“As I walked in he jumped out of the chair to get me a beer. He was that sort of a guy … a totally humble guy,” Mr Duncan said.
Mr Duncan and Mr Bannon continued to lobby for Australian-built naval vessels and SA eventually won the Collins Class project.
The Federal Government is currently assessing three bids including one from TKMS to replace that submarine fleet.
John White was another member of the group that, 30 years ago, pushed for the submarines to be built in SA. He is now TKMS Australia’s chairman. He said Mr Bannon was a “remarkable advocate” who ensured a national supply chain to support building submarines and ships, including the ANZAC Frigates program.
“(He) helped the Australian Government make the decision to build the submarines in Australia at the time, which obviously provided great industrial capacity,” he said.
Dr White said that Mr Bannon also wanted the community to understand the state’s capacity to build boats and ships. That is a mission he and Mr Duncan continued yesterday, demonstrating that it was possible to digitally stream the design for a submarine hull from Germany to Australia and build one more cheaply than in Europe.
They unveiled the hull in Perth on Monday.
— Tory Shepherd