ABC News | 15 October 2013
Mining billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest has made one of the biggest single philanthropic donations in Australian history, and called on other tycoons to share their wealth.
Forrest will contribute $65 million to higher education in Western Australia. He says he wants the money to attract some of the best minds in the world to West Australian universities.
I expect this to be one of the best, if not the best, investments we ever make.I’d like to see the University of Western Australia and the other four or five universities in Western Australia really excel through having some of the greatest minds in the world attracted to it.
Philanthropy Australia chief executive Louise Walsh confirmed Forrest’s donation was “certainly the biggest single cash gift in Australian history by an Australian”.
Among the largest previous donations was the $102.5 million handed to three Queensland institutions by Irish-American philanthropist Chuck Feeney in 2009.
Philanthropy Australia has compiled a list of 50 great donations and is asking the nation to vote for their top 10. ABC News Online takes a look at some donations that made the list. Click photo to open
