Kevin Parry

Kevin John Parry (1933 – 26 November 2010) was a businessman from Western Australia, most noted for his backing of the Taskforce '87 syndicate which unsuccessfully defended the 1987 America's Cup in Fremantle, Western Australia.[1] The defence cost over $20 million and built and raced three 12-metre class boats: Kookaburra I, Kookaburra II, and Kookaburra III.[2]

In his younger years, Parry had been a noted Australian baseball player.[3][4] He later established the Perth Heat baseball team as well as funding the first purpose-built baseball stadium in Perth, Parry Field at Belmont.[5]

Parry headed the diversified Parry Corporation group (formerly Parry's Esplanade Limited and before that Parry's Department Stores), which included the Perth-based Parry's department stores which he developed from his father's backyard furniture workshop.[3] In 1986, Parry Corporation was ranked 96 in a listing of the top 100 Australian non-financial firms.[6] The Scitech centre in West Perth was supported by Parry until financial difficulties ended his involvement.[7]

Parry was associated with other high-flying Perth entrepreneurs in funding the Australian Labor Party through a structure named the John Curtin Foundation, formed in October 1984 to harvest corporate funding for and facilitate political patronage of the federal Hawke government and the notorious WA Inc state government of Brian Burke.[8] Parry Corporation suffered considerable financial difficulties after the 1987 stock market crash, and in late 1987 Parry lost control of the company.[7] He later headed a small Perth-based homeopathic company Astop Biohealth with his son, Cameron.[9]

Parry was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988.[10] This award was rescinded in 1996 after he was charged with stealing $75,000 from the Western Australian State Superannuation Board.[11]

On 26 November 2010, Parry died in a car accident near his home in Bullsbrook.[12]

References
  1. Fremantle - Wednesday, 4 February 1987, the revenge of the United States
  2. Gary Lester and Richard Sleeman (1986). The America's Cup 1851-1987 : Sailing For Supremacy. Lester-Townsend Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney. ISBN 0-949853-08-9.
  3. Nicholas D. Kristof (5 January 1987). "Fighting for a Lead Position". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
  4. A History of Australian Baseball: Time and Game via Google.com; accessed 13 September 2016.
  5. Baseball Fever on the Rise in Australia
  6. "Top 100 non-financial companies ranked by assets, 1910–1997" (PDF). Cambridge University Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2006. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
  7. "The Western Australian Science Discovery Centrework=Gravity Discovery Centre". Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
  8. Tony Barrass Business and Labor at the birth of WA Inc The Weekend Australian, 8-9 August 2009, p. 4. (The article includes a photograph in which Parry is seated next to Bob Hawke.) Short-term URL
  9. Bird flu inhibitor hope for Kevin Parry's Astop Biohealth, WABusinessNews.com.au; accessed 13 September 2016.(subscription required) Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Parry appointed Officer of the Order of Australia", The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1988; retrieved 20 March 2014.
  11. The 22 Australians stripped of their Orders of Australia", Crikey, 16 January 2006; retrieved 8 January 2018.
  12. Perth businessman Kevin Parry dies in car crash, watoday.com.au; accessed 13 September 2016.
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