They were all there – members of the South Australian business establishment; stockbrokers, Labor premier John Bannon, eastern states blow-ins – walking tall in dinner suits and bow ties.
No one stood taller at the 1990 Back to Business dinner in Adelaide than Janis Gunars (John) Spalvins, the 192cm Latvian migrant with piercing blue eyes and a commanding presence. At the time, he controlled Adelaide Steamship, the biggest corporate empire in Australia.
Andrew ClarkSenior writerAndrew Clark is a former editor of The Sun-Herald and Australian Business. He was a correspondent in Europe and North America, a political correspondent in Canberra and has been a journalist for more than 55 years. Email Andrew at aclark@afr.com.au
