Hugh Reskymer "Kym" Bonython, (15 September 1920 – 19 March 2011) was an Australian politician, World War Two veteran, musician, gallery owner, and racing driver. He was a prominent and active member of society in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, Australia. He had a distinguished career as a pilot during the Second World War, was a jazz drummer, owned an art gallery, raced speedcars, and served on the Adelaide City Council.

Early life

Hugh Reskymer "Kym" Bonython was born on 15 September 1920 in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, the youngest child of Sir

John Lavington Bonython Sir John Lavington Bonython (10 September 1875 – 6 November 1960) was a prominent public figure in Adelaide, known for his work in journalism, business and politics. In association with his father, he became involved in the management of n ...

and his second wife Jean Lady Bonython, née Constance Jean Warren.Joyce Gibberd
Bonython, Constance Jean (1891–1977)
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, Melbourne University Press, 1993, pp. 215–16. (Sir John's first wife died in childbirth, aged 26). He was named "Hugh Reskymer Bonython" after an ancestor who had served as

High Sheriff of Cornwall Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list: The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council of the United Kingdom, Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriff ...

in 1619. Both his father, John Lavington Bonython, and his grandfather,

John Langdon Bonython Sir John Langdon Bonython (; Charles Earle Funk, ''What's the Name, Please?'' (Funk & Wagnalls, 1936). 15 October 184822 October 1939) was an Australian editor, newspaper proprietor, philanthropist, journalist and politician who served ...

,W.B. Pitcher
Bonython, Sir John Langdon (1848–1939)
''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp. 339–41. had been (among other things) editors of daily Adelaide newspaper '' The Advertiser''. His father had also served as a councillor, alderman, Mayor and Lord Mayor of the

City of Adelaide The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council, is a Local government in Australia, local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia. It is legally defi ...

.W. B. Pitcher
Bonython, Sir John Lavington (1875–1960)
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp 341–342. Kym was the youngest of six children; he had one half-brother ( John Langdon Bonython (1905–1992)), two half-sisters ( Lady Betty Wilson and Ada Heath), a brother (Charles

Warren Bonython Charles Warren Bonython, AO (11 September 1916 – 2 April 2012) was an Australian conservationist, explorer, author, and chemical engineer. A keen bushwalker, he is perhaps best known for his role, spanning many years, of working towards ...

) and a sister ( Katherine Verco).

Wartime pilot

Bonython attended

St Peter's College, Adelaide St Peter's College (officially The Anglican Church of Australia Collegiate School of Saint Peter, but commonly known as Saints) is an Private school, independent Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Primary school, primary and Secondary school ...

, and upon completion entered into accountancy on the recommendation of his older half-brother John. The Second World War interrupted this: in 1940 he began training as a pilot for the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

(RAAF). Bonython served in the (then) Netherlands East Indies and New Guinea, experiencing several "death defying" near misses. He was in hospital in Darwin (with dengue fever) during the 1942 bombing - he had just evacuated and taken cover when the ward he had been in took a direct hit. During his time with the RAAF, Bonython filled the roles of aircraft captain in 1941, and chief flying instructor with the rank of

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

in 1943. On 1 September 1944, Flight Lieutenant Bonython (Aus.280778) was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC),Air Force Cross
Supplement to the London Gazette, 1 September 1944, No.36682, pg.4077It's an Honour: AFC
1 September 1944 and on 22 February 1946, Squadron Leader Bonython AFC was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)Distinguished Flying Cross
Fourth supplement to the London Gazette, 19 February 1946, No.37479, pg.1075It's an Honour: DFC
22 February 1946

Discovering jazz

When Bonython returned from service he chose not to return to accounting, deciding on a very different career path. Initially he took up

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

on his father's Mount Pleasant property, where he introduced artificial breeding of cattle into Australia. In the 1950s his career changed to incorporate music, the arts, and motor racing. As a child Bonython developed a passion for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and this influenced a number of his later pursuits. At the age of 17, in 1937, he entered the media with an

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

radio jazz show. The show continued for 38 years, finishing in 1975. His involvement in the jazz scene also extended to making and selling music; in 1952 he became a member of a jazz band as drummer – a skill he had learned as a child – and he opened his first

record store A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. Per the name, in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records. But over the course of the 20th century, record shops sol ...

in Bowman's Arcade on King William Street in 1954. His passion for music also led him to create his own concert promotion company, Aztec Services, in the 1950s, and as a promoter he brought to Adelaide some of the greats of jazz, including

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

. Later, at the urging of his children, he expanded his range to

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

, bringing the likes of

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

to Adelaide, and he was one of the key people responsible for negotiating the addition of Adelaide to

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

Australian tour 1964.

Passion for art

Along with music, Bonython had a passion for art, and he began his collection in 1945. In 1961 he opened his first gallery, the Bonython Art Gallery in

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct (Australia), precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. Laid out in a grid plan in three section ...

, (which later became the Bonython Meadmore gallery). His first major exhibition was British Art of the 1960s, where he exhibited the first painting of Francis Bacon shown in Australia. He subsequently moved to Sydney to open the Hungry Horse Gallery in

Paddington Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...

in 1966. His time with his Sydney gallery ended in 1976, and he returned to Adelaide to buy back his original gallery, operating it until 1983. From 1988 Bonython managed a Sydney gallery once more, managing the BMG Fine Art for a short time. Bonython's eye for contemporary art saw his galleries promote many Australian and international artists, including

Sidney Nolan Sir Sidney Robert Nolan (22 April 191728 November 1992) was one of the leading Australian artists of the 20th century. Working in a wide variety of media, his oeuvre is among the most diverse and prolific in all of modern art. He is best known ...

Pro Hart Kevin Charles "Pro" Hart, MBE (30 May 192828 March 2006), was an Australian artist, born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, who was considered the father of the Australian Outback painting movement and his works are widely admired for capturin ...

and

William Dobell Sir William Dobell (24 September 189913 May 1970) was an Australian portrait and landscape artist of the 20th century. Dobell won the Archibald Prize, Australia's premier award for portrait artists on three occasions. The Dobell Prize is named ...

, and he is widely acknowledged to have discovered and fostered the work of

Brett Whiteley Brett Whiteley Order of Australia, AO (7 April 1939 – 15 June 1992) was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald Prize, Archibald, Wynne Prize, ...

. Along with the art galleries and his personal collection (much of which was destroyed when the

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of Christian prayer, prayer, Religious fasting#Christianity, fasting and ...

bushfires of 1983 engulfed his

Mount Lofty Mount Lofty (, elevation AHD) is the highest point in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges. It is located about east of the Adelaide city centre, within the Cleland National Park in the Adelaide Hills area of South Australia. The mountain's su ...

property, "Eurilla"), Bonython authored and published a number of art books.

Behind the wheel

Bonython raced Speedcars at the

Rowley Park Speedway Rowley Park Speedway is a former dirt track racing venue that was located on Torrens Road in Brompton, South Australia and supplanted the Kilburn speedway (1946–1951) on Churchill Road, and the earlier Camden motordrome (1935–19 ...

in the Adelaide suburb of

Bowden Bowden may refer to: Places Australia * Bowden Island, one of the Family Islands in Queensland * Bowden, South Australia, northwestern suburb of Adelaide * Bowden railway station Canada * Bowden, Alberta, town in central Alberta England * Bowd ...

, which he also owned the lease on and promoted from 1954 to 1973. Bonython had some major crashes in Speedcars but also some success, winning the South Australian Championship in 1959–60. He competed at venues such as the

Sydney Showground Speedway Sydney Showground Speedway, originally known as the Speedway Royal and later the Speedway Royale but often referred to as just The Royale or The Showground, was a motorcycle speedway track, which was located at the old Sydney Showground (Moor ...

Claremont Speedway The Claremont Speedway was a racing circuit in the grounds of the Claremont Showground in the suburb of Claremont in Western Australia's capital city of Perth. The speedway held its first meeting on 14 May 1927, and its final meeting on 31 M ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

and the

Brisbane Exhibition Ground The Brisbane Showgrounds (formerly known as the Brisbane Exhibition Ground) is a multi-purpose venue located in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Australia. Established in 1875, it hosts more than 250 events each year, the largest being the Royal Queen ...

(Ekka). At one stage he was also the national hydroplane champion. His life in motor sports led to many accidents, the most serious being in 1956 when, racing to defend his Australian hydroplane title at Snowdens Beach, his boat crashed; the injuries that resulted led to Bonython spending the next 14 months on crutches. Amongst his achievements in motor sports was his work to bring

Formula 1 Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

in 1985, in which he has been described as a "catalyst" for the event (along with other prominent locals including then

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...

John Bannon John Charles Bannon (7 May 1943 – 13 December 2015) was an Australian politician and academic. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch), South Australian Branch of the Australia ...

and former F1 driver and

1983 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans was a motor race staged at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France on 18 and 19 June 1983. It was the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 51st Grand Prix of Endurance and was also the fourth round of both the 1983 World Sportsc ...

winner

Vern Schuppan Vernon John Schuppan (born 19 March 1943) is an Australian former motor racing driver. Schuppan drove in various categories, participating in Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 and most successfully in sports car racing. Although he considers ...

). His time in motor sports earned him the title of "the man with 99 lives" and, from Max Harris regarding Rowley Park, the "Cecil B. De Mille of Bowden". In 2007, he was one of 10 inaugural inductees into the Australian Speedway Hall of Fame.

Politics

Bonython was also active in public life. He served on the

Adelaide City Council The City of Adelaide, also known as the Corporation of the City of Adelaide and Adelaide City Council, is a local government area in the metropolitan area of greater Adelaide, South Australia. It is legally defined as the capital city of Sout ...

, as had both his father and grandfather before him, and he was the chairman of the South Australian Jubilee 150 Board. Other boards of which he was a member included the

Adelaide Festival of Arts The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...

Musica Viva Australia Musica Viva, also known as Musica Viva Australia, is a national organisation in Australia dedicated to chamber music. History Music Viva was founded in Sydney in 1945 by Romanian-born Vienna-educated violinist Richard Goldner, who had fled Naz ...

and the

Australia Council Creative Australia, formerly known as the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announ ...

. Bonython was also one of Australia's leading monarchists, chairing the No Republic committee and serving as one of South Australia's delegates to the

1998 Constitutional Convention The 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention, also known as the Con Con, was a constitutional convention which gathered at Old Parliament House, Canberra from 2 to 13 February 1998. It was called by the Howard government to discuss whether A ...

. Other causes to receive his active support included

euthanasia Euthanasia (from : + ) is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different Legality of euthanasia, euthanasia laws. The British House of Lords Select committee (United Kingdom), se ...

and compulsory national service.

Personal life

In 1979 Bonython wrote an autobiography: ''Ladies' Legs and Lemonade'', Kym Bonython, Adelaide: Rigby, 1979. Bonython was married twice and had five children: Robyn and

Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), Nigerian autho ...

from the first marriage, Tim, Michael and Nicole from the second. On his return from Milne Bay after the war he married Jean Adore Paine – they divorced in 1953. In 1957, while still on crutches from his accident at Snowden's beach, he married former Miss South Australia Julianna McClure (Julie)."Kym Bonython interviewed by Rob Linn ound recording, 2004, 3 digital audio tapes (ca. 171 min.) http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3279565. Interview conducted in association with the State Library of South Australia and Mortlock Library of South Australiana. Recorded on 22 September 2004 at North Adelaide, S. Aust. Bonython died on 19 March 2011 at his home in

, aged 90. He was survived by his wife, Julie, his five children, 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was given a state funeral, held on 29 March 2011 at St Peter's Cathedral. It was attended by many of the friends he made in speedway, including former long time Rowley Park track manager Alan Marks, Australian Sidecar champions Rick Munro and Len Bowes, Speedway City promoter Wendy Turner,

Gillman Speedway Gillman Speedway (sometimes called Gillman Speedway Stadium) is a purpose built, long motorcycle speedway located in the Adelaide suburb of Gillman in South Australia. The track opened in 1998 and runs approximately 13 meetings per season fr ...

promoter and former sidecar racer David Parker, flagman Glen Dix, and 15 time World Champion

Ivan Mauger Ivan Gerald Mauger (4 October 1939 – 16 April 2018; last name pronounced "Major") was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships (Finals), a feat equalled only with the inclusion of the Speedway GP Champ ...

who got his first start in Australia in 1960 when Bonython signed the young

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

native to ride at Rowley Park.

Publications

* ''Modern Australian Painting & Sculpture: A Survey of Australian Art from 1950 to 1960'', Rigby, Adelaide, 1960. * ''Modern Australian Painting 1960–70'', Rigby, Adelaide, 1970, . * ''Modern Australian Painting 1970–75'', Rigby, Adelaide, 1976, , Kym Bonython & Elwynn Lynn * ''Modern Australian Painting 1975–80'', Rigby, Adelaide, 1980, . * ''Modern Australian Painting 1950–75'', Rigby, Adelaide, 1980, . * ''Ladies' Legs and Lemonade'', Adelaide: Rigby, 1979, .

Honours and awards

On 1 September 1944 Bonython was awarded the Air Force Cross. On 22 February 1946 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In the 1981 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO), in recognition of service to the arts.Profile
itsanhonour.gov.au, June 1981. In the

1987 Australia Day Honours The 1987 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 1987 by the Governor General of Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen. The Aust ...

, Bonython was appointed

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AC), Australia's highest civilian honour, "in recognition of service to the community, particularly as Chairman of the SA Jubilee 150 Board".Profile
itsanhonour.gov.au, 26 January 1987. Bonython was also appointed a Knight of the

Venerable Order of Saint John The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...

(KStJ), and awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University by the University of Adelaide (DUniv) in recognition of his outstanding service to the arts and the community. Other honours included a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Adelaide Critics Circle in 2007, and the Kym Bonython Fellowship, which provides support to up and coming visual artists and was named in his honour, and was first awarded by the

Adelaide Festival Centre Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first capital city multi-purpose arts centre and the home of South Australia's performing arts, was built in the early 1970s and designed by Hassell (architecture firm), Hassell Architects. The Festival The ...

in 2010. ;Others *2007 – Lifetime Achievement Award by the Adelaide Critics Circle *2008 – Premier's Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008 Ruby Awards2008 AbaF Ruby Awards
Australian Business Arts Foundation (www.abaf.org.au) and Arts SA (www.arts.sa.gov.au), pg.18 *2007 – Inaugural member, Australian Speedway Hall of FameNational Association of Speedway Racing (NASR) National Office (2007
Australian Speedway Hall Of Fame Inductees, 2007
www.speedway.net.au *2010 – Kym Bonython Fellowship named in his honour

References

External links

May 2002, ABC {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonython, Kym 1920 births 2011 deaths Australian broadcasters Australian art dealers Music promoters Australian jazz musicians Australian jazz drummers Royal Australian Air Force officers Companions of the Order of Australia Australian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Australian monarchists Knights of the Order of St John People educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide Kym 20th-century Australian drummers Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II