Baillieu Myer: Entrepreneur who turned Myer store into a phenomenon

A businessman and philanthropist with a flair for investment, Baillieu Myer took the Myer Emporium nationwide and played a significant role in business outside the family retailer.

Baillieu and Sarah Myer in Melbourne, 2011.

Sidney Baillieu (“Bails”) Myer, businessman, social investor, agriculturalist and viticulturist, has died aged 96.

He was born in San Francisco on January 11, 1926 to Sidney Myer, retail entrepreneur and founder of the Myer Emporium, and his wife Merlyn Baillieu.

Sidney and Merlyn married in the United States in 1920 and lived between San Francisco and Melbourne until 1932. While there, they had four children, the second youngest of whom was Bails.

Returning to Australia permanently, the Myer family settled at Cranlana in Toorak, where Bails and his siblings grew up. Bails began his schooling in Melbourne, before boarding at Geelong Grammar where he completed his secondary education.

Baillieu Myer as a sub-lieutenant in 1945.

Baillieu Myer organised an exhibition of the family’s private treasures to go to the Bendigo Gallery.

During World War II, Bails enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy and rose to the rank of sub-lieutenant. He was aboard the HMAS Pirie in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945 when Japanese officials signed the official surrender document on board the US battleship Missouri, marking the end of the war.

Once peace ensued, Bails spent one year studying Commerce at The University of Melbourne. He completed his studies at the University of Cambridge, where he attended Pembroke College, stroking the college’s first eight, and graduated with a Masters of Arts, majoring in Economics.

Sarah and Baillieu Myer sit on the stairs of their property Yulgibar castle. Photo Adam Hourigan / The Daily Examiner

While he had worked as a boy in “the store”, as the family called the Myer Emporium, he began his retailing career in earnest after graduating. He joined the Myer Emporium in 1949 and as part of his apprenticeship he spent time overseas studying retailing methods at Harrods in London and Macy’s in New York. In 1950 he returned to Myer and was made an executive director in 1955.

That year he married Sarah Hordern, a member of the Hordern retailing family from Sydney. The couple had three children, Sidney, Rupert and Samantha, and enjoyed a happy marriage of 66 years.

The Myer family at Sorrento in 1929 [ left to right,] Merlyn and Marigold, Neilma, Kenneth, Sidney Baillieu and Sidney.

An avid sportsman, still skiing into his late 80s, Bails was a keen tennis player, swimmer and lifelong supporter of the Richmond Football Club.

Bails was influential in the Myer business from his earliest days in the organisation. He and his elder brother Ken believed the future for the retailer lay in the opening of suburban shopping centres to serve Melbourne’s sprawling new suburbs. Despite some reluctance from incumbent management, they commissioned research and pushed the idea, which was eventually accepted. The first suburban centre, Chadstone, was opened in 1960.

Baillieu Myer with a portrait of his mother that hangs at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

Through the 1960s, with Ken serving as managing director, the brothers successfully pushed their decentralisation agenda developing more suburban centres and expanding the Myer business nationally. In 1972, following the successful launch of Target, Bails stepped down from his executive position at Myer but remained on the board in a non-executive role. He was appointed non-executive chairman in 1978 following the retirement of his brother Ken.

When the company was hit by a slump during a major recession in 1983, Bails was called back into executive management. He served as executive chairman and was instrumental in negotiating a successful merger with Coles. He then served as deputy chairman of Coles Myer from 1986 to 1994.

Baillieu Myer in front of the Myer Music Bowl, named after his father.

Bails also played a significant role in business outside the family retailer. He served as a director and chairman of National Mutual (1978- 1992) and had board positions with Cadbury Schweppes, Henry Jones, Elders IXL, The Commonwealth Bank, Ten Network Holdings and NM Rothschild and Sons. Those who observed him in business say he had a natural head for figures and a flair for investment.

Inspired by his Russian-born father’s desire to serve the community that had allowed him to prosper, Bails, in conjunction with his family, continued this work throughout his life. Using their philanthropic vehicle, the Sidney Myer Fund, they brought the Sidney Myer Music Bowl into existence in 1959. A landmark architectural work and music venue, it was gifted to the people of Victoria and Australia and accepted on their behalf by Prime Minister Robert Menzies.

Bails preferred to be called a social or community investor rather than a philanthropist and it was an area in which he was very active. From 1958 to 2001, he served as a trustee of the Sidney Myer Fund.

Baillieu Myer in 2006.

With his brother Ken, Bails also established The Myer Foundation in 1959. Collectively, both entities have distributed in excess of $300m (not adjusted to present day dollars) towards social and community initiatives. Bails served as vice chair and chair of The Myer Foundation between 1959 and 1995. He also served on the advisory board of the Salvation Army from 1987 until 1991.

Science was another interest. He served on the executive of CSIRO (1981 to 85), as a director and president of the Howard Florey medical research institute (1971 to 1996) and as director of the National Science & Technology Centre Advisory Committee (1986 to 1988). More recently, Bails sponsored a number of significant research projects into Alzheimer’s disease through The Yulgilbar Foundation, Bails’ and Sarah’s family’s philanthropic arm.

A keen violinist, his passion for the arts saw him serve on a range of arts industry boards, including the Victorian Arts Centre Building Committee. He served as vice president of the National Gallery Society, deputy chairman of the National Gallery of Victoria (1973 to 1983) and councillor and deputy chairman of the Victorian College of the Arts.

Baillieu Myer.

Pursuing his interests in national affairs saw him serve as deputy chair of the Australia-Japan Foundation (1976 to 1981) and as a member of the Australia-China Council (1979 to 1981). He was also closely involved in the formation of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).

With Sarah he shared a passion for rural pursuits, breeding Santa Gertrudis cattle and Quarter horses on their properties at Grafton, NSW and Merricks North, Victoria. They established the first vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula at Elgee Park in 1972, the award-winning Elgee Park Wines. They also supported rural causes such as the Rural Education Program.

Bails is survived by wife Sarah, children Sidney, Rupert and Samantha, daughters-in-law Fiona and Annabel, son-in-law Charles, 12 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Rod Myer is the author of In Full Stride: The Life and Times of Baillieu (Bails) Myer