Story Added:June 2008

William Bowmore, AO, OBE, 1909-2008

William Bowmore, a bachelor lived in a penthouse at the South Bank in Brisbane. He bequeathed millions of dollars worth of art and other collections to various gallery institutions around the country. He was an art collector and property developer who was regarded as one of Australia’s most generous benefactors.

Born in 1909 as Milhelm Braheim Ibin Yared, he was one of six sons to Lebanese migrant parents who ran a General Store in Dalby. When his mother died he was sent to board at Nudgee which he attended from 1920 to 1924 where he completed his Junior Examination. He was registered at Nudgee, with his brother Victor, under the surname Abraham. He showed a great flair for music and later trained at the Conservatorium in Sydney and taught cello at the Newcastle Conservatorium. While at the University of Newcastle Conservatorium he obtained a Doctor of Music (Hons). He was also listed as an ‘Officiale in the Ordre Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro’.

He had a natural flair for business and at 23 years of age bought his first hotel. At that time, there was a pressing need for Old Age Homes so he turned the hotel into such a home. He served in the RAAF during World War II after which sensing the need for more medical facilities in his area, he turned his aged care home into a hospital, then bought Newcastle’s Lingard Hospital soon after and then sold them both for 12 million pounds in 1965.

His collection of  Auguste Rodin sculpters is thought to be the largest in this part of the world. These works are now housed at the Art Gallery of South Australia along with 45 rare early Middle Eastern ceramics. This collection said to be worth more than $17 million led to the creation of the first dedicated Islamic gallery in Australia.

He was a very reserved man and is survived by nine nephews and nieces, 19 great-nephews and nieces.