Jeanne Pratt AC

The Victoria Day Award for Public and Community Service is awarded to Jeanne Pratt AC. This award recognises a remarkable life of service to the arts.

Jeanne Pratt is the widow of the successful industrialist, Richard Pratt. She immigrated to Australia in the 1930’s following the onset of Nazism in Germany (her family had originated in Poland). Jeanne was educated at Sydney Girls High School and at Sydney University. She was a career journalist for some years and as well as working in the print media (Consolidated Press, from 1959), she was a journalist in GTV9 current affairs. Later she was a regular in the program “No Man’s Land” from 1975 to 1977. She had maintained her interest in the Arts which stemmed from her background in Europe and her involvement in University theatre.

Jeanne Pratt has been an important beneficiary of the Arts for more than thirty years. Her particular interest has been live theatre but she has also supported non-theatre areas such as fine arts and arts education in schools.

Jeanne has been on the Board of the Arts Victoria for more than twenty five years. She has been a keen promoter, not only of Art Galleries but also of theatre, youth theatre and opera. In the past she and her late husband have personally been involved in amateur dramatics and related activities.

She is a member of the board of Opera Victoria and the benefactor of many galleries, including the National Gallery of Victoria and the Heidi Gallery in Heidelberg.

She has been a member of the artistic advisory board of her Majesty’s Theatre since 2003. A life governor of the Opera Foundation of Australia and was a member of the Opera Council of Australia from 1995 to 2000. She is a member of the Australian War Memorial Advisory Committee and on the Executive Committee for the National Centre for Women and was the inaugural Director Montefiore homes for the Aged (1993-2000). Jeanne was on the Board of the Open Family Foundation from 1992 to 2000 and was a trustee of the Epworth Medical Foundation from 1985 to 1992. She was a Patron of the Lilydale Museum and she is also Patron of the Cat Protection Society of Victoria. Jeanne is also on the National Council for Christians and Jews since 2006.

Jeanne won the Variety International Humanitarian Award in 2004, won the Woodrow Wilson Award, 2004 and in 2002 was made an AC in the Order of Australia.