Off the Record: Trouble in the hills for Heysen Foundation
Resignations rock the Heysen Foundation, a battle over who will run the Australian Education Union, the connection between Heston Blumenthal and Alexander Downer and the big gun QC fighting the energy regulator.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
In this week’s Off the Record, resignations rock the Heysen Foundation, a battle over who will run the Australian Education Union, the connection between Heston Blumenthal and Alexander Downer and the big gun QC fighting the energy regulator.
THERE’S TROUBLE IN THEM THERE HILLS
There’s been a lot of movement in recent times at the old home of celebrated artist Hans Heysen, just outside Hahndorf, with a swag of big names walking away from the organisation that runs the place.
In 2016, control of the Heysen estate, including the family home known as The Cedars and a multitude of artwork passed from the artist’s descendants, including Peter Heysen, to the Hans Heysen Foundation.
The Foundation paid the family $5 million for The Cedars and the art, the money coming from various levels of government.
Heysen was one of South Australia’s best-known artists and died in 1968.
Under a somewhat complicated governance structure the trustee that runs the Foundation is advised by a special committee.
The Foundation’s constitution says the committee should be made up of 10 members, three family representatives, plus nominations from others including the Arts Minister, the Tourism Commission, History Trust and the Art Gallery.
In recent months all those representatives have quit and not been replaced. Art Gallery member Lisa Slade told Off the Record she resigned because of a “significant lack of clarity regarding the role of the committee’’.
Others to have left include History Trust chief executive Greg Mackie, the Arts Ministers nominee Jane Hylton and the SATC’s Peter Cahalan.
The sudden rush for the exits has left some observers uneasy as the Foundation is due to receive $9 million in federal money as part of its push to raise $22 million and build a 20m high “cube’’ that will serve as a visitors’ centre to promote the work of Hans and daughter Nora Heysen.
Foundation chairman James Sexton said the four had resigned for “various reasons’’ and a “legal review of our governance’’ had been undertaken. He said the business plan was being reviewed and once complete, new members would be appointed to committee and the board. Sexton also said more money was being sought from the state government. A government spokesperson said it was working with the Foundation to develop “appropriate controls’’ to guide the development of the project.
TEACHERS’ UNION BOSS CHALLENGED FOR HIS JOB
Australian Education Union state president Howard Spreadbury finds himself fighting on two fronts.
Not only is he engaged in industrial trench warfare with the State Government over the next enterprise deal, in which each side has dug in their positions for 15 months.
Now he also finds himself in a battle to keep his own job.
One of the current vice-presidents Lara Golding, who achieved a small swing toward Labor when she ran against David Pisoni in the blue-ribbon Liberal seat of Unley in 2014, is contesting the union presidency.
She’s on a ticket called ‘Progressive Educators SA’, along with current VP Dash Taylor Johnson, who wants to keep his role, and Jan Murphy, who wants to be a VP again (she was from 2012-17).
While it’s not an easy job against as wily an opponent as Treasurer Rob Lucas, it’s fair to say that not everyone in the labour movement has been impressed with how Spreadbury, pictured, has prosecuted the union case for better pay and conditions.
He’s running alongside Lucindale Area School principal Adrian Maywald and longtime Mt Barker Primary teacher Marika Marlow, who want the male and female VP spots, on the ‘Independent for a Strong AEU’ ticket.
Branch secretary Leah York faces a challenge from Brahma Lodge Primary principal Graham Wood, who’s with Progressive Educators SA.
The ballot will run from October 11 to November 1.
— Tim Williams
GOOD CAUSE
Premier Steven Marshall’s media and comms director Ashton Hurn has taken a few days off for a good cause — raising funds for mental health group Beyond Blue.
Hurn, the sister of West Coast Eagles captain Shannon Hurn, today is participating in Adelaide Coastrek along the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Hurn, pictured during a training break, is walking 60km from Parsons Beach to Goolwa, having already raised more than $3000. Marshall is said to have been very supportive of her trek.
JET SETTER
Just days after chatting with Tony Blair in London, Alexander Downer has jetted to Australia for a guest speaking role at Melbourne’s Dinner by Heston Blumenthal restaurant.
Downer, whose multiple former roles include federal Liberal leader and High Commissioner to the UK, then returned home to Adelaide for a few days.
Today, he is speaking at the funeral of Robin Ashwin, a long-serving diplomat and former Ambassador to the Soviet Union who was St Mark’s College Master from 1990-99.
SHOCK & ORR
The statewide blackout in 2016 sent shockwaves through the nation.
Given the stakes involved, big guns lined up yesterday when court action began with the energy regulator seeking penalties against four wind farms. Among silks fronting Chief Justice James Allsop was none other that Rowena Orr, QC — acting for the Hornsdale wind farm — who goes by the moniker “Shock & Orr” for the devastating job she did questioning bank bosses in the royal commission.