Basil Sellers

Basil Sellers AM., (born 1935, India) an Anglo-Indian migrated with his family to Australia in 1948, educated Kings College, Adelaide., businessman and philanthropist. Basil Sellers has made his career breathing life into ailing companies.

He has been described as the 'turnaround king'. He has been chief executive and major shareholder of companies such as the Linter Group Ltd, the largest textiler in Australia; and Gestetner PLC, a UK listed company. Basil Sellers has also held major investments in Elders Ltd (now Fosters Brewery), broadcast media and mineral resources.

In sport, Basil Sellers played Senior Basketball, representing South Australia when the team won the Australian Championship in 1958. During the 1980s Basil was the owner of the Newcastle Basketball team and from 1984–87, he was a Director of the N.S.W. Cricket Association (now Cricket New South Wales). Basil Sellers is a strong supporter of the Sydney Swans whose Football Centre, used by the Club at the Sydney Cricket Ground, is named after him.

His donations to sporting initiatives and scholarships includes the Barassi Scholarship supporting new talent for the Sydney Swans and also initiatives that identify and support emerging talent in Cricket.

Basil is one of the founders of the Bradman Museum in Bowral, New South Wales, and a life member of the Bradman Foundation. He funded a [http://www.bushorchestra.com/Basil%20Sellers.htm respite centre] in Moruya for elite athletes from the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra.

Basil has been recognised as a low key art collector and patron. Collecting for over 35 years, his collection contains Post War Australian art and many of the European modernists, with a particularly interest in the Fauves (1906/7) and the Cubists. Basil has also funded the bi annual Moruya Basil Sellers Art Prize of $10,000 in the South East of New South Wales.

In 2007 Basil Sellers launched a new major art prize to be initiated in 2008 in association with the Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, on Art and Sport: [http://www.sellersartprize.com.au ‘The Basil Sellers Art Prize’] , $100,000 annual prize over 10 years with an initial input of $250,000.

Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Dr Chris McAuliffe and Basil Sellers share a passion for sport and believe artists can bring a fresh and critical eye to contemporary life. This prize is encouraging artists to ask pointed questions and to add another dimension to sporting culture, unchartered but ultimately rewarding territory which will hopefully lead to an engagement that will enhance their enjoyment of each others loves.

The 2008 Basil Sellers Art Prize is the first step in a long term project aiming at changing Australians’ perception and enjoyment of art and sport. Basil Sellers' most recent public donation has been the [http://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/Basil-Sellers-Sports-Sculptures-Project.html Sydney Cricket Ground Trust Basil Sellers Sculpture Project] .

Books

* "‘From India with Love’" by Dr Gloria Jean Moore, PhD 2006 - ISBN

External links

ABC: The World Today [http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s.htm]

Potter Art Museum, Melbourne University [http://www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au/events_Public_detail.aspx?view=66]

References

History of the Sydney Swans [http://sydneyswans.com.au/Swans/TheClub/History/tabid/7210/Default.aspx]

Basil Sellers – Bond University Cinema Complex [http://www.bond.edu.au/news/2004/may-cerumtheatre.htm]

The Messel Endowment [http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/messel/messel_donors.htm]

Sir Roden Cutler Charities [http://www.sirrodencutlercharities.org.au/downloads/SRCCAPWEB.pdf]

Basil Sellers Centre – Chennai, India [http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/18/stories/.htm]

Social Ventures [http://www.socialventures.com.au/news.htm] [http://www.bensoc.org.au/director/whatwedo/olderpeople/homeshare.cfm]

Kokodatrack Foundation [http://www.kokodatrackfoundation.org/]

Steve Waugh Foundation [http://www.stevewaughfoundation.com.au/]

Basil Sellers House [http://www.bushorchestra.com/Basil%20Sellers.htm]

Basil Sellers Art Centre [http://www.bushorchestra.com/Basil%20Sellers_files/page0001.htm]

Basil Sellers I & II Timothy Episcopos Citation Outstanding Christian Leadership in Australia [http://www.bushorchestra.com/Basil%20Sellers_files/page0001.htm]

Basil Sellers Tweed [http://www.bushorchestra.com/Basil%20Sellers_files/page0003.htm]

Basil Sellers on-line Research Study Library [http://www.bushorchestra.com/links/links_jmm.htm]