Ian Potter

Crescent

Sir William Ian

Potter

(1902-1994)

Financier and Philanthropist.

Born in Sydney, Ian Potter, after having worked in Melbourne and with the Federal Treasury in Canberra, established, in 1936, the sharebroking firm of Ian Potter & Company. He later founded Australian United Corporation Ltd, the Australian Capital Fund and the Tricontinental Merchant Bank. He was also chairman of McIlwraith McEacharn, one of Australia's major shipping lines.

Sir Ian played a leading role in financing the country's heavy industry and mining in the 1950s and 1960s.

He was chairman of the boards of the Australian Ballet and the Australian Opera and through the Ian Potter Foundation, distributed over $22m to charity.

Birdseye Lane

Sylvia Jessie

Catherine Birdseye

(1902-1962)

Transport Industry - bus driver.

Sylvia Birdseye was born near Port Augusta, South Australia. Sylvia's friends the Birdseye family purchased the horse-and-coach business of John Hill & Co Ltd converting it to the first motorised country bus service in South Australia.

In 1921 Sylvia joined Gladys Birdseye in driving the tray-top Buick and the Studebaker sedans. They gained their commercial licences two years later. Sylvia was able to fit bearings and piston rings, grind valves, fix a gearbox and in only twenty minutes replace an axle.

Sylvia was dubbed 'Grandmother Queen of the Open Road'. She died while preparing to drive to Port Lincoln.