Victor Smorgon
Encyclopedia
Victor Smorgon AC
(2 January 1913 – 3 July 2009) was an Australia
n industrialist, arts patron and benefactor, who was founder and former head of the Victor Smorgon Group.
Smorgon was born in 1913 in Heidelberg, a German settlement in Ukraine
, then part of the Russian Empire
. His father, Naum (Norman) Smorgon, ran a kosher
butcher shop until the business was nationalized
in 1927, with the Smorgon family emigrating to Australia later that year. Naum Smorgon and his brothers resumed the family's kosher butchery in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton North
, and Victor entered the wholesale meat business. The success of Victor's meat importing business saw the entire family become involved in the company, and soon Smorgon Consolidated Industries expanded its business to cover plastics, glass, steel and recycling.
By 1995, the collective worth of Smorgon Consolidated Industries' interests in steel, paper, plastics, packaging and property had been estimated at between A$
1.2 billion and $1.5 billion. In February of that year, the Smorgon family decided to divest the company (with the exception of the Smorgon Steel
Group, Australia's second-largest steel producer, which was floated publicly). The proceeds of the SCI sale were distributed among the seven branches of the Smorgon family in Australia, and re-invested or used to purchase new holdings under the umbrella of the Victor Smorgon Group.
Smorgon died in Melbourne, Australia on 3 July 2009 aged 96.
(AO) in the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours, for service to art as a benefactor. He was upgraded to a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours, for service to the community as a benefactor and supporter of a wide range of organisations, particularly in the areas of art, education and medicine.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(2 January 1913 – 3 July 2009) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n industrialist, arts patron and benefactor, who was founder and former head of the Victor Smorgon Group.
Smorgon was born in 1913 in Heidelberg, a German settlement in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, then part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. His father, Naum (Norman) Smorgon, ran a kosher
Kosher foods
Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of the Jewish Halakhic law framework, kosher meaning fit or allowed to be eaten. A list of some kosher foods are found in the book of Leviticus 11:1-47. There are also certain kosher rules found there...
butcher shop until the business was nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
in 1927, with the Smorgon family emigrating to Australia later that year. Naum Smorgon and his brothers resumed the family's kosher butchery in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton North
Carlton North, Victoria
Carlton North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Melbourne and Yarra...
, and Victor entered the wholesale meat business. The success of Victor's meat importing business saw the entire family become involved in the company, and soon Smorgon Consolidated Industries expanded its business to cover plastics, glass, steel and recycling.
By 1995, the collective worth of Smorgon Consolidated Industries' interests in steel, paper, plastics, packaging and property had been estimated at between A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
1.2 billion and $1.5 billion. In February of that year, the Smorgon family decided to divest the company (with the exception of the Smorgon Steel
Smorgon Steel
Smorgon Steel was an Australian steel manufacturing business established in the 1980s by the Smorgon family of Melbourne. The chairman of the company board was Graham Smorgon....
Group, Australia's second-largest steel producer, which was floated publicly). The proceeds of the SCI sale were distributed among the seven branches of the Smorgon family in Australia, and re-invested or used to purchase new holdings under the umbrella of the Victor Smorgon Group.
Smorgon died in Melbourne, Australia on 3 July 2009 aged 96.
Honours
Victor Smorgon was made an Officer of the Order of AustraliaOrder of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AO) in the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours, for service to art as a benefactor. He was upgraded to a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours, for service to the community as a benefactor and supporter of a wide range of organisations, particularly in the areas of art, education and medicine.