P003054 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1998-03-12 human Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn updated 2026-01-15 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003054b.htm person Potter William Ian Kt FAA AACR2 Potter, Ian 25 August 1902 24 October 1994 Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Company director Economist Philanthropist Sir Ian Potter was a stockbroker and financier who was the Principal Partner in Ian Potter & Co. 1935-1967. He was highly influential in financial affairs in a wide range of activities. In the period after WWII he was adept at raising capital for industrial expansion. In the international sphere he was the Commonwealth representative at the Conference on Rural Debt Adjustment (1934 - 1935), Australian Member of the War Reparation Council, and represented Australia at World Bank meetings in the 1950s and 1960s. Philanthropy was a sphere in which Potter was particularly active. In 1964 he established the Ian Potter Foundation which distributes millions of dollars in grants each year. Beneficiaries have included the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, The Australian Academy of Science, CSIRO, the Zoological Board of Victoria, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Birdlife Australia (formerly The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union) and a number of medical institutions. He was instrumental on persuading the Australian Government to allow tax deductibility for charitable donations. In retirement he devoted his time to arts and cultural organisations. 1928 1928 Education - BEc, University of Sydney 1929 1933 Career position - Economist with stockbroker Edward Dyason 1933 1933 Career position - Private Secretary to Richard Casey, Assistant Minister, Australian Department of Treasury 1933 1935 Career position - Economist, Australian Department of Treasury 1934 1935 Career position - Delegate, Conference on Rural Debt Adjustment 1935 1967 Career position - Founder and Principal Partner, Ian Potter & Co. 1940 1943 Career position - Served with the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve 1947 1953 Career position - Inaugural Treasurer, National Gallery Society of Victoria 1951 1971 Career position - Member of Council, University of Melbourne 1962 1962 Award - Knight Bachelor (Kt) - for public service 1963 1971 Career position - Director, Howard Florey Laboratories 1964 1964 Career event - Founded the Ian Potter Foundation 1971 1994 Career position - Director, Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine 1973 1973 Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne 1978 1994 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 1983 1983 Award - Knight First Class, Royal Order of the Polar Star, Sweden 1991 1994 Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Stock Exchange Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Fellow 1978 - 1994

 Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine (1971 - )

Director 1971 - 1994

 Howard Florey Laboratories (1963 - 1971)

Director 1963 - 1971

 The University of Melbourne (1853 - )

Member of Council 1951 - 1971

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Potter, William Ian (19020825-19941022)

Trove

 'Potter, William Ian (Ian)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Potter, William Ian (Ian) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne Honorary degree holders University of Melbourne 2023 Journal Article: William Ian Potter 1902-1994 Denton, D. A.; Ryan, M. H. William Ian Potter 1902-1994 1997 Historical Records of Australian Science 11 4 541-550 Book: The Ian Potter Foundation, 50 years: looking back, reaching forward Vale, Peter; Montagnana-Wallace, Neil; Davies, Matt; and Weir, Avalee The Ian Potter Foundation, 50 years: looking back, reaching forward [Preston, Vic.] Bounce Books 2014 Book: Ian Potter: a biography Yule, Peter Ian Potter: a biography Carlton, Vic. Miegunyah Press 2006 Book Section: Sir Ian Potter and his generation Glezer, Leon Sir Ian Potter and his generation South Melbourne Macmillan 1988 Australian financiers, biographical essays Appleyard, R. T. and Schedvin, C. B. 401-26 William Ian Potter William Ian Potter All rights reserved.

Include in Gallery