Episode 16
Kym Bonython

Broadcast 6.30pm on 27/5/2002

A profile of the Australian entrepreneur, art and car lover, Kym Bonython. Now in his early eighties, Bonython has done many things in his long life. These include introducing Australia to the likes of Chuck Berry and Dizzy Gillespie; and also premiering the works of eminent Australian Artists, Sydney Nolan and Arthur Boyd. Peter Luck and John Laws reflect on his life and times.

GUY NOBLE: Now to a senior citizen with a need for speed. Adelaide entrepreneur and impresario Kym Bonython has carved an impressive reputation as an art lover, speedway champion, and, some say, playboy. At 80-odd years young, he's looking forward to more fine art and fast cars. Join us as we look back at a life lived to the full.

SIR JACK BRABHAM, 'THIS IS YOUR LIFE', 1977: Tonight's guest of honour is a long-time friend and we have a lot in common. We both love motor racing. In fact, I sold him my old speed car when I moved into road racing and he later became the Australian speed car champion.

JOHN LAWS, 'THIS IS YOUR LIFE', 1977: I'm pleased to be here. They say you can count your friends on one hand. Well, Kym Bonython takes up three fingers on mine.

KYM BONYTHON: Thanks, John. Nice of you to --

JOHN LAWS, BROADCASTER: I mean, he really was the ultimate playboy. He was something that Australia had never seen before. I mean, he had money, he had charm. And he still has. And good looks, still has.

KYM BONYTHON: My name's Kym Bonython. I was born in 1920. I took an early interest in jazz and also in speed. One of the last remaining pleasures of life is riding a motorbike. I was one of the competitors in the early stock-car races where I -- I raced under the nom de plume of 'Bend Hur' (chuckles).

PETER LUCK, BROADCASTER: The fans looked on Kym with a mixture of larrikin disrespect and also underlying deep respect for what he was actually doing because he was one of the few speedway owners that actually drove the car as well. So he was out there with the blokes dicing with death himself. They might have thrown a pie at him but underneath they adored him.

I've been a friend of Kym's for pretty well all my life. We were neighbours for about 20 years and the very first thing I remember about Kym Bonython was he used to go outside at night and vacuum the lawn. Very strange. Very neat, Kym.

TRUDYANNE BROWN, ART DEALER: I met Kym when I would have been six or seven and then I actually started working for him in 1965 as a secretary. So, yes, we do go a long way back. Kym's already on record as being ahead of his time and he had an extraordinary eye.

In the '50s and the '40s he was looking at Boyd, Nolan, Blackman, and Drysdale and Dobell too. Albert Tucker was another one, and then Brett Whiteley. And he found these artists and he simply stuck with them. And he was absolutely vindicated. But many people never coped with it at all.

KYM BONYTHON: So I was able to, er, present in many cases the first exhibitions by, er, artists like Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd. People like that who went on to become famous Australians.

LES PATTERSON, 'THIS IS YOUR LIFE', 1977: Now, I'm going to -- I'm just going to recreate one of the great works of sculpture that Kym had the effrontery -- (laughs) ..to show to the public of Australia. This was in my retrospective exhibition in '68 and I'm going to create it for you now, Kym. This is very good custard from the Channel Seven canteen. And there we are. Now, the exhibit is called 'Pus in Boots', I'm afraid. I'm sorry about that.

TRUDYANNE BROWN: I don't think he made much money out of art, he just loved it. I doubt he made money out of any of his pursuits, even music. He also used to enjoy bringing out jazz acts. He brought out Louis Armstrong, George Shearing, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck. I mean, he even brought out Ray Charles and Chuck Berry.

KYM BONYTHON: The only time I made a financial killing was when I was persuaded by my children to bring Chuck Berry out and it was the biggest nightmare in my entrepreneurial career. He was such a pain to deal with.

JOHN LAWS: I don't know whether he made money out of the concerts or not. But I don't think that'd matter to him. I think he just -- he just wanted to bring jazz to Australia the way he wanted to bring Australian art to the world.

PETER LUCK: Kym's had a very strong effect on the Australian art world but also, particularly so, on the Australian music world. He's brought everyone here from, er, you know, Dave Brubeck to The Beatles, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and a whole litany of great jazz musicians.

KYM BONYTHON: Waiting on my hall table is the tapes for my funeral. As people walk out of the church, I've got Gerry Mulligan playing 'Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone'.