Baillieu ‘Bails’ Myer, businessman and philanthropist, dies at 96
The son of retailing tycoon Sidney Myer, and a major philanthropist, Baillieu Myer led the family business through its acquisition of Grace Brothers and merger with Coles.
Prominent businessman and philanthropist Baillieu “Bails” Myer, the son of a department store pioneer who went on to hold prominent retail and charity positions, has died aged 96.
The son of the founder of the Myer retailing dynasty Sidney Myer, Bails Myer was a well-known businessman who had a long career in retail and other industries, and also was a philanthropic pioneer.
His son, Rupert Myer, said he always thought of his father “as the epitome of a doing verb”.
“He took pleasure in picking grapes and pruning vines, he loved the agricultural life, riding horses, selecting bulls and heifers, attending cattle sales,” Mr Myer, now the chairman of The Myer Foundation, told The Australian.
“He loved playing the violin and skiing. He never acted his age, which was good. He was a great conversationalist and very good at interrogating someone who he had just met, but in a charming and disarming manner.
“He was about spreading light, not heat – but if it was heat you’d probably know about it quickly. He liked to say he would hold advisers on tap, not on top.
“He led a very disciplined life but always had time for fun. He was calm but busy, always organised and energetic and he seemed to maximise the most out of every day.”
Myer joined the family business in 1946 and was its managing director and later chairman of what was by then Myer Emporium from 1978 to 1986.
In that time, the business, which had primarily been Victorian based, expanded interstate with the acquisition of NSW chain Grace Brothers.
He was also chairman when Myer merged with Coles in 1985 to former Coles Myer in a deal worth more than $1bn.
Myer held several prominent philanthropic roles, including co-founded the Myer Foundation and was director and president of the Howard Florey Institute and Chairman of the Victorian Arts Centre.
His son, however, told The Australian that his father always “thought philanthropy sounded a bit self aggrandising”. “He preferred the simpler term ‘giving’,” Mr Myer said.
During the Second World War Myer served in the Royal Australian Navy as a Sub-Lieutenant on HMAS Arunta. In 1944 he received the Distinguished Service Cross after his ship attacked a Japanese submarine.
Myer also owned the Elgee Park winery and sculpture park on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, planting 400 vines in 1972 to establish a vineyard that would grow to cover 4.5 hectares. He would oversee the harvests every year, and also bought and commissioned a collection of arts and sculpture on the grounds.
Myer chief executive John King, in a statement on Monday, said Myer was, for generations, “been much loved and highly respected by everyone at Myer and beyond”.
“He was a driving force with his brother Ken, shaping the Myer we have today,” Mr King said. “In the various executive and leadership roles he had in the company, he was ahead of his time recognising the future of retail.
“I appreciate the many conversations we had, as well as his continuing sage advice and counsel.”
He passed away at the family home at Merricks nearby on the Mornington Peninsula, and is survived by wife Sarah and three children.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout