Peter Weiss AO (1935–2020), cultural benefactor, was born into a well-to-do family in Vienna, which they fled in the late 1930s. In cramped quarters in Sydney, his mother baked cakes and stitched garments while his father went to work for an apron manufacturer. They both encouraged his love of music. Weiss learned the cello, graduating from the Conservatorium of Music, and then moved to London to further his studies. On return to Australia he launched his eponymous fashion line in 1975 and designed uniforms for Ansett Airlines, Westpac and Medibank Private. His contribution to arts philanthropy was significant, supporting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Opera House and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, among many other organisations. Through the 1990s Weiss sponsored concerts at St James' Church in Sydney. He purchased Peter Sculthorpe's house from the composer's estate and hosted music events in its studio. One of the first members of the AGNSW Foundation, he was made a life governor of the gallery in 2009. His gift of one million dollars established the Instrument Fund of the Australian Chamber Orchestra; in 2016, he bought a 1729 Guarneri cello for the company. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018, he donated four million dollars to the Westmead Institute for Medical Research.
