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Securing the future
About the Opera Australia Capital Fund
The Opera Australia Capital Fund was established in 2000 to build financial reserves to help secure the future of Opera Australia for generations to come.
Donations and bequests to the Opera Australia Capital Fund are invested securely to build a capital reserve, with the income directed to Opera Australia as annual grants. These grants ($1.1m for 2023) assist in cushioning Opera Australia against the financial impact of economic and box office fluctuations and enable it to pursue artistic excellence and expanding community programs.
The Capital Fund’s Board is committed to the principal objectives on which it was founded:
- to raise and invest a capital fund
- to make annual grants to Opera Australia
- to make special purpose grants in exceptional circumstances
Thanks to the generosity of our loyal supporters, the Opera Australia Capital Fund is providing security in today’s challenging times, helping to safeguard the long-term financial viability of our national opera company.
Now more than ever, it is crucial that the Capital Fund continues to grow and we invite you to add your support. You can make a donation now, or you can arrange to leave a gift in your Will.
To find out more about the role you can play in the future of Opera Australia, please call or email for a conversation in confidence.
Donations to the Opera Australia Capital Fund are tax deductible and a receipt will be issued. Donors of at least $1,000 are acknowledged in Opera Australia’s annual report and on this website.
Contact Us
Nicholas Selman
General Manager
Opera Australia Capital Fund
+61 2 9318 8305
nicholas.selman@opera.org.au
Naomi Johnson
Manager
Opera Australia Capital Fund
+61 2 9318 8386
naomi.johnson@opera.org.au
Make a donation to The Capital Fund
Governance
The Opera Australia Capital Fund is a separate entity to Opera Australia with its own Board of Directors. The Directors donate their time and expertise to ensure that the management of the Fund remains aligned with its original charter.
David Armstrong (Chairman)
Fiona Allan
Shaun Kenny
The Hon Justice François Kunc
Roslyn Packer AC
Tania Seary
Rod Sims AO
Our Supporters
Council of Governors
The Council of Governors comprises the Opera Australia Capital Fund’s Board of Directors, plus individuals who have either contributed a significant donation or pledged a specific bequest to the Opera Australia Capital Fund. It provides the Fund with the opportunity to acknowledge formally those supporters who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to its goals.
Members meet at an annual dinner during which the Chief Executive Officer of Opera Australia and the Chairman of the Capital Fund give a briefing on the state of the company and report on the progress of the Fund. Members of the Council are also invited to fundraising events throughout the year including private recitals, exclusive receptions and other bespoke activities.
There are two levels of patronage within the Council of Governors:
Philip Bacon AO
Jane Clarke and David Newby
Susie Dickson and the late Martin Dickson AM
Michael and Helen Gannon
Dr Haruhisa Handa
Shaun Kenny* and Suzanne Kenny
Chris Lynch and Tania Seary*
Helen Meddings in memory of Phil Meddings
Rupert Myer AO and Annabel Myer
Roslyn Packer AC*
Hamish Parker
Anthony Pratt and The Pratt Foundation
Kenneth Reed AM and Leonard Groat
Roy and Gay Woodward
* Denotes Opera Australia Capital Fund Directors
Fiona Allan*
David Armstrong* (Chairman)
Mary-Jane Brodribb
Jennifer Brukner OAM
Kay Bryan OAM
Anthony and Bronny Carroll
Andrew and Jane Clifford
Ken Coles AM
Jennifer Crivelli
Rowena Danziger AM
Ashley Dawson-Damer AM
Gretchen Dechert
Mark Dimmitt
Iphygenia Kallinikos
Judith Kinnear
Wayne N Kratzmann AM
The Hon Justice François Kunc*
Paul Lindwall and Joanne Frederiksen
Susan Maple-Brown AM
Nicholas Moore AO and Helen Moore
David Mortimer AO
Roger Muller
Gary Payne
John Reid AO
Rod Sims AO*
Gary Singer and Geoffrey Smith
Margaret Swanson
Jill Thorpe
Michael Traill AM and Jenny Gage Traill
Barbara van Ernst AM
Ray Wilson OAM
* Denotes Opera Australia Capital Fund Directors
A Community of Supporters
In addition to the support from our Council of Governors, the corpus of the Opera Australia Capital Fund continues to grow thanks to the generosity of many valued individuals, including these donors who have contributed between $1,000 and $150,000.
Anonymous (31)
Russell and Lucinda Aboud
Antoinette Albert
Robert Albert AO RFD RD and Elizabeth Albert
Megan and David Armstrong
(Mrs) Carole Bailey
Jim and Janette Bain
Ballandry (Peter Griffin Family) Fund
Mim and Michael Bartlett
Alasdair Beck and William Brooks
Lewis and Sally Bell
Berg Family Foundation
Alan and Christine Bishop
Allan and Jane Blaikie
Stephen Blamey
Jan Bowen AM
Alix Bradfield
Dr and Mrs P Breidahl
In memory of Lennox Brewer
Dr Roderick Brooks
Dr Catherine Brown-Watt PSM
John Calvert-Jones AM and Janet Calvert-Jones AO
Carolyn Cameron
Louise Christie
Dr Megan Clark AC
Tony and Hellen Clarke
Peter Clemenger AO
Adrian Collette AM and Victoria Watson
Andrew Connolly
Mr Bruce Corlett AM and Mrs Ann Corlett
Alan and Elisabeth Cornell
Robin and Judy Crawford
Michael Crouch AC and Shanny Crouch
Crowe Horwath
Cruise Brokers Australia
Mr Charles P Curran AC and Mrs Eva Curran
Win Danby
Elizabeth Dangar
Mrs David Darling
Marilyn Darling AC
John Dauth AO LVO
Sir Mick and Lady Barbara Davis
Matthew Delasey
Suvan and Shamistha de Soysa
Ian Dickson AM and Reg Holloway
Andy Dinan and Mario Lo Giudice
Jim Dominguez CBE AM and Sue Dominguez OAM
Francis Douglas
Mrs Gordon Douglass AM and the late Mr Gordon Douglass
John and Rose Downer Foundation
Dr William Downey
Shane and Maggie Doyle
Marie Dreux
Jane and David Duncan
Suellen and Ron Enestrom
James Fairfax AO
Lady (Mary) Fairfax AC OBE
Pip and Gordon Fell
Jenny Ferguson
The Hon W K and Mrs M Fisher
Mr Bill Fleming
Cedric Fuchs
Chris and Judy Fullerton
Bunny Gardiner-Hill
Kerry Gardner AM and Andrew Myer AM
Mrs Peter Geddes
Donald and Rosita Gibson
Prudence M Godwin
The Goodman Family
Alexander Gosling AM and Wirat Sukprem
Ian and Ruth Gough
Grant Family Charitable Trust
Robert and Beatrice Gray
Peter Griffin AM
John and Jo Grigg
Deirdre Hall and David Greatorex AO
Mr and Mrs Ian Harper
Dr John Harvey AO and Mrs Yvonne Harvey
In memory of the late Philip Hemstritch
Hans and Petra Henkell
Jennifer Hershon
Hershon Family
Neroli Hobbins OAM
Miss Jennifer Hole
Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM and the late Dr Edward Jackson AM
Major General Michael and Mrs Marlena Jeffery
Reg and Marie Jewell
Stephen and Michele Johns
Mrs Diana Jones AM DSJ and Mr David Jones AM OBE
Noelene Keen-Ward and David Whitfield
The Hon Ros Kelly AO and Dr David Morgan AO
Dr Timothy Keogh
Aron and Helen Kleinlehrer
Kloeden Foundation
The Hon Justice François Kunc and Felicity Rourke
John Lamble AO
Dr Joan M Lawrence AM
Leonard Joel
Glenda and Greg Lewin AM
Liangrove Foundation
Juliet Lockhart
Drs Kathryn Lovric and Roger Allan
Mr Kevin McCann
Tim McFarlane AM and Caroline McFarlane
Peter and Pamela McKee
Judy Mackinnon
Dr Penelope McNulty
Macquarie Group Foundation
David Malouf AO
Maple-Brown Family Charitable Foundation
Peter and Kate Mason
Don and Angela Mercer
Naomi Milgrom Foundation
Robert Morgan
David Mortimer AO and Barbara Mortimer
The Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Charitable Distribution Account
Dr and Mrs Ken Neale
Mark and Louise Nelson
Helen Nicolay
Jim and Shirley Nield
Liz Nield OAM
Michael and Helen Nugent
Justin and Sally O’Day
Conrad and Alice Oppen
Meredith O’Rourke
Richard Owens OAM
Pages Event Equipment
Bruce Parncutt AO
peckvonhartel architects
The Penn Foundation
John and Moya Phillips
Valmai Pidgeon AM
Robin Potter OAM
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Greeba Pritchard
Andrew Thyne Reid Charitable Trust
Thyne Reid Trust No 1
Patricia H Reid Endowment
Renaissance Tours
In memory of Lilian Renard
Michael Rennie
David and Gillian Ritchie
Alex and Brady Scanlon
Juliana Schaeffer
In memory of Clare Scott-Mitchell
Eddie Scuderi
Penelope Seidler AM
Servcorp
The Hon Warwick L Smith AM and Mrs Kathryn Joy Smith
Richard Spencer and Emily Booker
Suzanne and Peter Steigrad
James and Jeanne-Claude Strong
John and Jo Strutt
Antony and Josephine Sukkar
Simon Swaney and Carolyn Kay
Dr Hugh and Mrs Elfie Taylor
Robert Tobias OAM
Caroline Travers OAM
Kevin Troy
Michael Troy
Ann and Larry Turner
Isaac and Susie Wakil
In memory of John O. Ward
Maureen Wheeler AO
A D White
Raymond Wilkinson
Lyn Williams AM
C R Wilshire
Dennis and Tauba Wilson
Jill Wran
The Opera Australia Capital Fund is enormously grateful for the support it has received through bequests from the estates of:
Colin Cameron
Mrs Diana Chapman
David Clarke AO
Ruth Davidson
Dame Joyce Margaretta Daws DBE
Mrs Gretchen Dechert
Mrs Leslie Feather
Ms Wendy Fenson
Dr Charles Frater
Mr Jonathon Greening
Mrs Nola J Hassall
Mrs Elise Herrman
Irwin Imhof
Ian W Jackson
Mr Stefan Kruger
Miss Patricia Lance
Peter Lazar AM
Patricia McEnerny
Barbara McNulty OBE
Ivy Marshall
Phillip James Meddings
Mr Will Noble
Miss Robin Potter OAM
Dimiter Kanev Stantchev
Dr Dawn Thew
Elisabeth Turner
Mrs Nancy Williamson
Dr Donald Wilson
Betty Wright
Mr Gerald Sidney Wronker