A stylish central Sydney hotel for under $150 a night? It exists
Inside the room itself features the titular queen-sized bed, two armchairs and a small table (which is too high to sit at comfortably in one of the chairs, as it happens). It's mostly muted tones with grey carpet, white walls and beige cupboards, the exception being the bright art above the bedhead. There's a kitchenette with a sink and microwave, plus crockery, which is standard in all rooms. The bathroom is big enough for one to be comfortable, but two at a time would be a squeeze. The toiletries, in large bottles, are limited to body wash and a shampoo/conditioner combo. Ibis Styles spruiks its 'Sweet Bed' beds, and it is indeed very comfortable.
The food
A restaurant at a budget hotel hardly screams 'must try', but I'm pleased to report the property's Japanese and Korean style eatery, Mee So Bar, dispels any reservations one might have. I indulge in the tasting menu ($65) of six dishes, including peking duck baos, prawn wontons and a spicy pork taco, each beautifully presented. There's also a long and fun Japanese-influenced cocktail list, with detailed descriptions of each concoction. I have a Great Wave of Kanagawa ($21), which 'depicts the pureness of what lies beneath the ocean'. I'm not sure about how pure it is, featuring a mix of vodka, blue curcao, alize bleu and Japanese calpis with nori syrup, but it is quite refreshing. Another thing that defies expectations here is that, for a hotel restaurant, it's busy on a Tuesday night – seemingly with many patrons who are not guests at the hotel. See meeso.com.au
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Stepping out
From the hotel it's a short walk to Hyde Park or head straight up Wentworth Avenue to and on to College Street to visit the Australian Museum, which is particularly appealing for kids with its extensive displays of wildlife, fossils and dinosaurs. See https://australian.museum/
The verdict
It's in a great location, it's clean, it's comfortable and you can get rooms for less than $150 a night – what's not to like? The fact there's a lively, cool bar and restaurant downstairs is a bonus.
Essentials
Rooms from $139 a night. See ibisstylessydneycentral.com.au
Our rating
★★★★
Highlight
Sydney hotels are notoriously expensive so it's got to be that price.
Lowlight
The old-school air-conditioning vent is quite noisy when operating. Lowering the fan setting doesn't seem to make any difference.
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The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Old-school feel': new chapter for historic Islington hotel
The painted black walls and windows are gone, the sticky floors replaced, and potted plants hang from the ceiling. The Newcastle Hotel on Maitland Road is now the Islington Barracks Hotel, and its shift from a nightclub to family-friendly local pub has rendered it almost unrecognisable. Newcastle locals Lukas Thodas, and brothers John and Phil Elsley, wasted no time putting their stamp on the 135-year-old hotel after agreeing to take over the lease earlier this year. "The owners approached us about the hotel and asked if we wanted to have a go, and we're all Newcastle boys, and we'd always look at the pub and go 'Oh, it could be awesome', so we took it on," Thodas said. "I used to go there with work colleagues when I was 18 or 19 and worked at The Exchange, it was the only place open when we finished our shift, so I had a bit of a soft spot for the place." The trio also lease the Lambton Park Hotel and own the Grand Hotel in Newcastle, while the Elsleys own "a bunch of other venues" including Bartholomew's in Newcastle and Good Folk Brewing Co. in Hamilton. "All our pubs are proper pubs. What we've done at the Grand is to restore it back to that traditional style, and with the Islington Barracks, it's got that original old-school feel as well," Thodas said. "We just wanted to make sure we made it a locals' pub, and so far, so good. The feedback has been great from the community." The 139 Maitland Road premises has had various names over the years, including the Criterion, the Barracks, King George Tavern, the Newy and the Gateway. It looked very different, Thodas says, when he was first handed the keys. "All the windows in the bar were blacked out when we took over. There was a DJ set-up in the main bar and in the dining area, there was a DJ set-up in the front room, and then there was the ballroom section which has the full stage set-up as well," he said. "The whole venue was operating as a club. "We've gutted the dining area. Every surface in there is new, there's new booth seating ... there's even a new soundproof ceiling. We put a completely new kitchen in, and we redid the beer garden. There's a totally different feel now. It's come up well." The hotel's new colour palette was inspired by the original tiles in the bar area, some of which feature a lion motif. "I look at this pub as a bit of a mix between the other two pubs. We're going for that community focus - family friendly, dog friendly in the beer garden, the menu is all gluten-free - but we'll also have the live music element in the band room, and lots of different sports on televisions in the front bar," Thodas said. It was certainly a warm and welcoming space to visit for lunch on a cold and rainy day, and the beer garden will no doubt be popular in the summer months. The food offering is a definite point of difference. It's gluten-free and coeliac-friendly, and executive chef Jeremy Fahy cooks on a spit rotisserie which he says is "partly French-influenced, partly classic Aussie '80s bistro" in style. The mixed rotisserie plate for two is a must-try: a flavoursome mix of pork, chicken and lamb with drip-pan potatoes, endive, apple and walnut salad, and sauce. Delicious. So, too, were the rotisserie chicken croquettes (slow-cooked rotisserie chicken with chicken fat bechamel). Fahy says the rotisserie rolls are popular: the Classic Chicken Roll (herb-roasted chicken, butter, gravy and fries), Pork and Apple Roll (salsa verde apple slaw, mustard mayo and crackling lamb), Mint Roll (pulled lamb, minted yoghurt, cucumber and pickled onion) and the Mushroom and Brie Roll (garlic mushrooms, brie, caramelised onion and dijon mayo). All the pub classics are there, too, and in gluten-free form: schniztels, burgers, rump steaks and fries. The wine list has a strong Hunter Valley presence. The upstairs rooms are being refurbished, and a variety of live gigs have already been booked, including I See Stars (US), Justice Crew and comedian Julian Woods. "We're not going to pigeonhole ourselves into a certain style, and we'll have regular non-ticketed events too," Thodas said. "Now that we're open, plus the The Oak, Cross Keys Hotel, The Oriental, you can actually go on a suburban pub crawl on the fringe of the CBD, kind of like Enmore, Surry Hills and Newtown on Sydney's fringe. "It's good for the area, I think, to have these places open up to the community." The painted black walls and windows are gone, the sticky floors replaced, and potted plants hang from the ceiling. The Newcastle Hotel on Maitland Road is now the Islington Barracks Hotel, and its shift from a nightclub to family-friendly local pub has rendered it almost unrecognisable. Newcastle locals Lukas Thodas, and brothers John and Phil Elsley, wasted no time putting their stamp on the 135-year-old hotel after agreeing to take over the lease earlier this year. "The owners approached us about the hotel and asked if we wanted to have a go, and we're all Newcastle boys, and we'd always look at the pub and go 'Oh, it could be awesome', so we took it on," Thodas said. "I used to go there with work colleagues when I was 18 or 19 and worked at The Exchange, it was the only place open when we finished our shift, so I had a bit of a soft spot for the place." The trio also lease the Lambton Park Hotel and own the Grand Hotel in Newcastle, while the Elsleys own "a bunch of other venues" including Bartholomew's in Newcastle and Good Folk Brewing Co. in Hamilton. "All our pubs are proper pubs. What we've done at the Grand is to restore it back to that traditional style, and with the Islington Barracks, it's got that original old-school feel as well," Thodas said. "We just wanted to make sure we made it a locals' pub, and so far, so good. The feedback has been great from the community." The 139 Maitland Road premises has had various names over the years, including the Criterion, the Barracks, King George Tavern, the Newy and the Gateway. It looked very different, Thodas says, when he was first handed the keys. "All the windows in the bar were blacked out when we took over. There was a DJ set-up in the main bar and in the dining area, there was a DJ set-up in the front room, and then there was the ballroom section which has the full stage set-up as well," he said. "The whole venue was operating as a club. "We've gutted the dining area. Every surface in there is new, there's new booth seating ... there's even a new soundproof ceiling. We put a completely new kitchen in, and we redid the beer garden. There's a totally different feel now. It's come up well." The hotel's new colour palette was inspired by the original tiles in the bar area, some of which feature a lion motif. "I look at this pub as a bit of a mix between the other two pubs. We're going for that community focus - family friendly, dog friendly in the beer garden, the menu is all gluten-free - but we'll also have the live music element in the band room, and lots of different sports on televisions in the front bar," Thodas said. It was certainly a warm and welcoming space to visit for lunch on a cold and rainy day, and the beer garden will no doubt be popular in the summer months. The food offering is a definite point of difference. It's gluten-free and coeliac-friendly, and executive chef Jeremy Fahy cooks on a spit rotisserie which he says is "partly French-influenced, partly classic Aussie '80s bistro" in style. The mixed rotisserie plate for two is a must-try: a flavoursome mix of pork, chicken and lamb with drip-pan potatoes, endive, apple and walnut salad, and sauce. Delicious. So, too, were the rotisserie chicken croquettes (slow-cooked rotisserie chicken with chicken fat bechamel). Fahy says the rotisserie rolls are popular: the Classic Chicken Roll (herb-roasted chicken, butter, gravy and fries), Pork and Apple Roll (salsa verde apple slaw, mustard mayo and crackling lamb), Mint Roll (pulled lamb, minted yoghurt, cucumber and pickled onion) and the Mushroom and Brie Roll (garlic mushrooms, brie, caramelised onion and dijon mayo). All the pub classics are there, too, and in gluten-free form: schniztels, burgers, rump steaks and fries. The wine list has a strong Hunter Valley presence. The upstairs rooms are being refurbished, and a variety of live gigs have already been booked, including I See Stars (US), Justice Crew and comedian Julian Woods. "We're not going to pigeonhole ourselves into a certain style, and we'll have regular non-ticketed events too," Thodas said. "Now that we're open, plus the The Oak, Cross Keys Hotel, The Oriental, you can actually go on a suburban pub crawl on the fringe of the CBD, kind of like Enmore, Surry Hills and Newtown on Sydney's fringe. "It's good for the area, I think, to have these places open up to the community." The painted black walls and windows are gone, the sticky floors replaced, and potted plants hang from the ceiling. The Newcastle Hotel on Maitland Road is now the Islington Barracks Hotel, and its shift from a nightclub to family-friendly local pub has rendered it almost unrecognisable. Newcastle locals Lukas Thodas, and brothers John and Phil Elsley, wasted no time putting their stamp on the 135-year-old hotel after agreeing to take over the lease earlier this year. "The owners approached us about the hotel and asked if we wanted to have a go, and we're all Newcastle boys, and we'd always look at the pub and go 'Oh, it could be awesome', so we took it on," Thodas said. "I used to go there with work colleagues when I was 18 or 19 and worked at The Exchange, it was the only place open when we finished our shift, so I had a bit of a soft spot for the place." The trio also lease the Lambton Park Hotel and own the Grand Hotel in Newcastle, while the Elsleys own "a bunch of other venues" including Bartholomew's in Newcastle and Good Folk Brewing Co. in Hamilton. "All our pubs are proper pubs. What we've done at the Grand is to restore it back to that traditional style, and with the Islington Barracks, it's got that original old-school feel as well," Thodas said. "We just wanted to make sure we made it a locals' pub, and so far, so good. The feedback has been great from the community." The 139 Maitland Road premises has had various names over the years, including the Criterion, the Barracks, King George Tavern, the Newy and the Gateway. It looked very different, Thodas says, when he was first handed the keys. "All the windows in the bar were blacked out when we took over. There was a DJ set-up in the main bar and in the dining area, there was a DJ set-up in the front room, and then there was the ballroom section which has the full stage set-up as well," he said. "The whole venue was operating as a club. "We've gutted the dining area. Every surface in there is new, there's new booth seating ... there's even a new soundproof ceiling. We put a completely new kitchen in, and we redid the beer garden. There's a totally different feel now. It's come up well." The hotel's new colour palette was inspired by the original tiles in the bar area, some of which feature a lion motif. "I look at this pub as a bit of a mix between the other two pubs. We're going for that community focus - family friendly, dog friendly in the beer garden, the menu is all gluten-free - but we'll also have the live music element in the band room, and lots of different sports on televisions in the front bar," Thodas said. It was certainly a warm and welcoming space to visit for lunch on a cold and rainy day, and the beer garden will no doubt be popular in the summer months. The food offering is a definite point of difference. It's gluten-free and coeliac-friendly, and executive chef Jeremy Fahy cooks on a spit rotisserie which he says is "partly French-influenced, partly classic Aussie '80s bistro" in style. The mixed rotisserie plate for two is a must-try: a flavoursome mix of pork, chicken and lamb with drip-pan potatoes, endive, apple and walnut salad, and sauce. Delicious. So, too, were the rotisserie chicken croquettes (slow-cooked rotisserie chicken with chicken fat bechamel). Fahy says the rotisserie rolls are popular: the Classic Chicken Roll (herb-roasted chicken, butter, gravy and fries), Pork and Apple Roll (salsa verde apple slaw, mustard mayo and crackling lamb), Mint Roll (pulled lamb, minted yoghurt, cucumber and pickled onion) and the Mushroom and Brie Roll (garlic mushrooms, brie, caramelised onion and dijon mayo). All the pub classics are there, too, and in gluten-free form: schniztels, burgers, rump steaks and fries. The wine list has a strong Hunter Valley presence. The upstairs rooms are being refurbished, and a variety of live gigs have already been booked, including I See Stars (US), Justice Crew and comedian Julian Woods. "We're not going to pigeonhole ourselves into a certain style, and we'll have regular non-ticketed events too," Thodas said. "Now that we're open, plus the The Oak, Cross Keys Hotel, The Oriental, you can actually go on a suburban pub crawl on the fringe of the CBD, kind of like Enmore, Surry Hills and Newtown on Sydney's fringe. "It's good for the area, I think, to have these places open up to the community." The painted black walls and windows are gone, the sticky floors replaced, and potted plants hang from the ceiling. The Newcastle Hotel on Maitland Road is now the Islington Barracks Hotel, and its shift from a nightclub to family-friendly local pub has rendered it almost unrecognisable. Newcastle locals Lukas Thodas, and brothers John and Phil Elsley, wasted no time putting their stamp on the 135-year-old hotel after agreeing to take over the lease earlier this year. "The owners approached us about the hotel and asked if we wanted to have a go, and we're all Newcastle boys, and we'd always look at the pub and go 'Oh, it could be awesome', so we took it on," Thodas said. "I used to go there with work colleagues when I was 18 or 19 and worked at The Exchange, it was the only place open when we finished our shift, so I had a bit of a soft spot for the place." The trio also lease the Lambton Park Hotel and own the Grand Hotel in Newcastle, while the Elsleys own "a bunch of other venues" including Bartholomew's in Newcastle and Good Folk Brewing Co. in Hamilton. "All our pubs are proper pubs. What we've done at the Grand is to restore it back to that traditional style, and with the Islington Barracks, it's got that original old-school feel as well," Thodas said. "We just wanted to make sure we made it a locals' pub, and so far, so good. The feedback has been great from the community." The 139 Maitland Road premises has had various names over the years, including the Criterion, the Barracks, King George Tavern, the Newy and the Gateway. It looked very different, Thodas says, when he was first handed the keys. "All the windows in the bar were blacked out when we took over. There was a DJ set-up in the main bar and in the dining area, there was a DJ set-up in the front room, and then there was the ballroom section which has the full stage set-up as well," he said. "The whole venue was operating as a club. "We've gutted the dining area. Every surface in there is new, there's new booth seating ... there's even a new soundproof ceiling. We put a completely new kitchen in, and we redid the beer garden. There's a totally different feel now. It's come up well." The hotel's new colour palette was inspired by the original tiles in the bar area, some of which feature a lion motif. "I look at this pub as a bit of a mix between the other two pubs. We're going for that community focus - family friendly, dog friendly in the beer garden, the menu is all gluten-free - but we'll also have the live music element in the band room, and lots of different sports on televisions in the front bar," Thodas said. It was certainly a warm and welcoming space to visit for lunch on a cold and rainy day, and the beer garden will no doubt be popular in the summer months. The food offering is a definite point of difference. It's gluten-free and coeliac-friendly, and executive chef Jeremy Fahy cooks on a spit rotisserie which he says is "partly French-influenced, partly classic Aussie '80s bistro" in style. The mixed rotisserie plate for two is a must-try: a flavoursome mix of pork, chicken and lamb with drip-pan potatoes, endive, apple and walnut salad, and sauce. Delicious. So, too, were the rotisserie chicken croquettes (slow-cooked rotisserie chicken with chicken fat bechamel). Fahy says the rotisserie rolls are popular: the Classic Chicken Roll (herb-roasted chicken, butter, gravy and fries), Pork and Apple Roll (salsa verde apple slaw, mustard mayo and crackling lamb), Mint Roll (pulled lamb, minted yoghurt, cucumber and pickled onion) and the Mushroom and Brie Roll (garlic mushrooms, brie, caramelised onion and dijon mayo). All the pub classics are there, too, and in gluten-free form: schniztels, burgers, rump steaks and fries. The wine list has a strong Hunter Valley presence. The upstairs rooms are being refurbished, and a variety of live gigs have already been booked, including I See Stars (US), Justice Crew and comedian Julian Woods. "We're not going to pigeonhole ourselves into a certain style, and we'll have regular non-ticketed events too," Thodas said. "Now that we're open, plus the The Oak, Cross Keys Hotel, The Oriental, you can actually go on a suburban pub crawl on the fringe of the CBD, kind of like Enmore, Surry Hills and Newtown on Sydney's fringe. "It's good for the area, I think, to have these places open up to the community."
Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Jewish billionaire family say they will continue funding NGV amid protests
The family is a long-standing supporter of Israel. The Gandel Foundation funds the Birthright program, which is managed by the Zionist Federation of Australia and provides free tours of Israel, Jerusalem and the occupied Golan Heights for young Jewish adults from around the world. John Gandel told the AFR in the aftermath of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when about 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage, that the country had to go 'all out' in response. 'There's sort of no choice. If they don't go all out it means they withdraw. They can't do it gently,' he said. In the two years since, at least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, which is now in the grip of starvation, prompting a humanitarian outcry and some countries moving towards recognising a Palestinian state. Gandel has made no further remarks about the conflict and is believed to be currently overseas. However, the head of the gallery's council of trustees sought to clarify the belief by gallery protesters that the NGV had held a secret, extravagant party for Pauline Gandel and had renamed its Great Hall in her honour. 'It was a 90th birthday for Pauline Gandel - who already has a gallery named after her,' Janet Whiting said. 'The Gandel family hired out the Great Hall and they had a function - the NGV did not have a function.' The venue and hospitality - provided by an independent caterer - was paid for by the Gandels, she said, and the event was a family celebration. There were hundreds of guests, including the Israeli and Japanese ambassadors. The party's Japanese theme was chosen by Pauline Gandel, who donated $1 million to the NGV for The Pauline Gandel Gallery of Japanese Art, which opened in 2012. Whiting acknowledged the right to protest but not to target the NGV and the Gandels. 'Jewish people are not accountable for the conduct of the Israeli government. We don't hate the Russians because Putin is a nutter doing terrible things.' The NGV has not publicly announced that its Great Hall will be renamed after the family, but The Age understands there are plans to rename the hall after a significant donation from Pauline Gandel. The timeline for this is uncertain. Loading The NGV protest and the targeting of the Gandels has affected Melbourne's billionaire Jewish philanthropists, who say giving to community is embedded in Jewish tradition, religion and custom. 'What has taken place at the NGV and similar institutions, both here and overseas, may not diminish the Jewish community's overall commitment to philanthropy, but it is definitely prompting greater caution,' one Melbourne billionaire, who declined to be publicly identified, told The Age. 'Donors are now much more discerning about where their funds go, and more prepared to reconsider or withdraw support from organisations that become associated with controversy.' But with many funds already allocated, sources say it would be highly unusual for funding to be quickly axed or refunds demanded. Other prominent Melbourne Jewish families have been active for decades, giving their names to hospital wings, research centres and concert venues. They include: The Myers - businessman Sidney Myer founded the department store chain and his philanthropy later paid for the Sidney Myer Music Bowl; Naomi Milgrom, the daughter of Marc and Eva Besen, who acquired outright the Sussan fashion empire in 2003 and funds the annual MPavilion architecture commission in Queen Victoria Gardens. Her parents founded the TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville; The Pratt family, owners of the cardboard packaging empire Visy, who created The Pratt Foundation in 1978; The Smorgon family of industrialists, who have wings named after them at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and the National Gallery of Australia. The NGV march follows nearly two years of tensions over Israel and Gaza involving cultural institutions, pro-Palestine protests, local Zionist support for Israel and debate over anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Flashpoints have included law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler terminating funding for arts precinct Collingwood Yards after a row over the production of allegedly antisemitic material; fallout when the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra cancelled a performance by guest pianist Jayson Gillham following his onstage dedication of a performance to 'the journalists of Gaza'; and a donor and ticketing boycott that erupted at the Sydney Theatre Company after actors wore Palestinian keffiyehs during a curtain call. There was also turmoil at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art board over social media posts that led to a resignation and the State Library of Victoria cancelled workshops by pro-Palestinian writers, leading to accusations of censorship. Last year, Rising Festival said it was no longer receiving money from the Besen Foundation after some artists withdrew, citing the family's support of Israel. Ognall, however, said philanthropy was flourishing in line with ambitious policy goals from Philanthropy Australia to double structured giving to $5 billion by 2030 nationwide, but arts and culture donations had failed to fully recover from a slump during the pandemic. 'In the last period, issue such as rising antisemitism and hate are more prevalent … and the need to respond to them, which we're contributing to, is growing,' he said. 'But at the same time we are still funding in the arts and in health and medical areas, in the Jewish community and more broadly in Australian society.' Ognall also said fundraising for climate change was rising but the arts and culture sector was receiving a lower percentage of donations than in previous decades. Lillian Kline, head of philanthropy for the investment firm Victor Smorgon Group, said recent events hadn't changed their philosophy about supporting the arts but noted people would be 'hard-pressed' to find 'a Jewish community member who hasn't had experience of quite horrific antisemitism'. 'Most Jews would say 'criticise the Israeli government, criticise the Israeli government policy, write letters to the embassy, go and protest outside the embassy',' she said. 'To throw paint at the NGV because one of their donors happens to be a Jewish family, is so well beyond the pale. 'There's distress and disappointment that there is not more vocal opposition to that. There's no Jewish Lives Matter tiles being rolled out on social media. 'We support the arts because we understand the importance of art in a flourishing democracy like Australia, we will continue to support the NGV. We're not backing down.' Moran Dvir, who runs advocacy group Project A, formed after October 7, said she had stopped giving to some women's and children's international charities after they failed to condemn the killings. 'One hundred per cent of my giving is to my community at the moment,' Dvir said.
The Age
17 hours ago
- The Age
Jewish billionaire family say they will continue funding NGV amid protests
The family is a long-standing supporter of Israel. The Gandel Foundation funds the Birthright program, which is managed by the Zionist Federation of Australia and provides free tours of Israel, Jerusalem and the occupied Golan Heights for young Jewish adults from around the world. John Gandel told the AFR in the aftermath of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when about 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage, that the country had to go 'all out' in response. 'There's sort of no choice. If they don't go all out it means they withdraw. They can't do it gently,' he said. In the two years since, at least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, which is now in the grip of starvation, prompting a humanitarian outcry and some countries moving towards recognising a Palestinian state. Gandel has made no further remarks about the conflict and is believed to be currently overseas. However, the head of the gallery's council of trustees sought to clarify the belief by gallery protesters that the NGV had held a secret, extravagant party for Pauline Gandel and had renamed its Great Hall in her honour. 'It was a 90th birthday for Pauline Gandel - who already has a gallery named after her,' Janet Whiting said. 'The Gandel family hired out the Great Hall and they had a function - the NGV did not have a function.' The venue and hospitality - provided by an independent caterer - was paid for by the Gandels, she said, and the event was a family celebration. There were hundreds of guests, including the Israeli and Japanese ambassadors. The party's Japanese theme was chosen by Pauline Gandel, who donated $1 million to the NGV for The Pauline Gandel Gallery of Japanese Art, which opened in 2012. Whiting acknowledged the right to protest but not to target the NGV and the Gandels. 'Jewish people are not accountable for the conduct of the Israeli government. We don't hate the Russians because Putin is a nutter doing terrible things.' The NGV has not publicly announced that its Great Hall will be renamed after the family, but The Age understands there are plans to rename the hall after a significant donation from Pauline Gandel. The timeline for this is uncertain. Loading The NGV protest and the targeting of the Gandels has affected Melbourne's billionaire Jewish philanthropists, who say giving to community is embedded in Jewish tradition, religion and custom. 'What has taken place at the NGV and similar institutions, both here and overseas, may not diminish the Jewish community's overall commitment to philanthropy, but it is definitely prompting greater caution,' one Melbourne billionaire, who declined to be publicly identified, told The Age. 'Donors are now much more discerning about where their funds go, and more prepared to reconsider or withdraw support from organisations that become associated with controversy.' But with many funds already allocated, sources say it would be highly unusual for funding to be quickly axed or refunds demanded. Other prominent Melbourne Jewish families have been active for decades, giving their names to hospital wings, research centres and concert venues. They include: The Myers - businessman Sidney Myer founded the department store chain and his philanthropy later paid for the Sidney Myer Music Bowl; Naomi Milgrom, the daughter of Marc and Eva Besen, who acquired outright the Sussan fashion empire in 2003 and funds the annual MPavilion architecture commission in Queen Victoria Gardens. Her parents founded the TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville; The Pratt family, owners of the cardboard packaging empire Visy, who created The Pratt Foundation in 1978; The Smorgon family of industrialists, who have wings named after them at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and the National Gallery of Australia. The NGV march follows nearly two years of tensions over Israel and Gaza involving cultural institutions, pro-Palestine protests, local Zionist support for Israel and debate over anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Flashpoints have included law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler terminating funding for arts precinct Collingwood Yards after a row over the production of allegedly antisemitic material; fallout when the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra cancelled a performance by guest pianist Jayson Gillham following his onstage dedication of a performance to 'the journalists of Gaza'; and a donor and ticketing boycott that erupted at the Sydney Theatre Company after actors wore Palestinian keffiyehs during a curtain call. There was also turmoil at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art board over social media posts that led to a resignation and the State Library of Victoria cancelled workshops by pro-Palestinian writers, leading to accusations of censorship. Last year, Rising Festival said it was no longer receiving money from the Besen Foundation after some artists withdrew, citing the family's support of Israel. Ognall, however, said philanthropy was flourishing in line with ambitious policy goals from Philanthropy Australia to double structured giving to $5 billion by 2030 nationwide, but arts and culture donations had failed to fully recover from a slump during the pandemic. 'In the last period, issue such as rising antisemitism and hate are more prevalent … and the need to respond to them, which we're contributing to, is growing,' he said. 'But at the same time we are still funding in the arts and in health and medical areas, in the Jewish community and more broadly in Australian society.' Ognall also said fundraising for climate change was rising but the arts and culture sector was receiving a lower percentage of donations than in previous decades. Lillian Kline, head of philanthropy for the investment firm Victor Smorgon Group, said recent events hadn't changed their philosophy about supporting the arts but noted people would be 'hard-pressed' to find 'a Jewish community member who hasn't had experience of quite horrific antisemitism'. 'Most Jews would say 'criticise the Israeli government, criticise the Israeli government policy, write letters to the embassy, go and protest outside the embassy',' she said. 'To throw paint at the NGV because one of their donors happens to be a Jewish family, is so well beyond the pale. 'There's distress and disappointment that there is not more vocal opposition to that. There's no Jewish Lives Matter tiles being rolled out on social media. 'We support the arts because we understand the importance of art in a flourishing democracy like Australia, we will continue to support the NGV. We're not backing down.' Moran Dvir, who runs advocacy group Project A, formed after October 7, said she had stopped giving to some women's and children's international charities after they failed to condemn the killings. 'One hundred per cent of my giving is to my community at the moment,' Dvir said.
