A thank you to our Patron, David Hammon

Varuna’s inaugural Patron and outgoing Chair David Hammon might not have a lot of books on his office bookshelf, but he loves stories.

“It's been fascinating for me to see all the ways that the stories work, and the incredible way that stories can transcend and pass through generations, from little kids' stories all the way to what your grandparents read,” he says.

David joined the Varuna board in early 2020, just in time for the Covid-19 pandemic to upend everything. Then-Chair Jennifer Scott wanted someone with business nous on the board, and as head of Hammon Holdings – the family business that runs Scenic World Blue Mountains, Bridge Climb and Sydney Zoo – David fit the bill.

Varuna, and the many stories it has nurtured in the Big Yellow House, have captured his heart and imagination. It has prompted David to become the literary organisation’s first Patron, with an incredibly generous donation that secured the new building set to open next month. He’s also particularly keen to see the preservation of First Nations stories that might otherwise be lost to history. 

“Hopefully it changes a lot of other people's lives and gets a lot of other fantastic stories out there,” he says. “You go into every endeavour trying to make sure that you've left something better than when you started - it doesn't always work out, but this has and it's very, very satisfying to say that.”