Ballet chief defends multi-million dollar mansion budget buy

By Mark Hawthorne and Bhakthi Puvanenthiran
Updated June 5 2014 - 7:08am, first published 6:03am
Leigh Johns defends Australian Ballet School's purchase of a $4.7 million Melbourne mansion, which was partly funded by the Federal Budget. Photo: Jesse Marlow
Leigh Johns defends Australian Ballet School's purchase of a $4.7 million Melbourne mansion, which was partly funded by the Federal Budget. Photo: Jesse Marlow
A tweeted photo of George Brandis at the $4.7 million Parkville mansion bought by the Australian Ballet School.
A tweeted photo of George Brandis at the $4.7 million Parkville mansion bought by the Australian Ballet School.

The chairman of the Australian Ballet School says the decision to purchase a $4.7 million Melbourne mansion, part-funded by $1 million in the Federal Budget, was part of the institution's "duty of care" to its students.

Leigh Johns, who posted a photograph of Federal Arts Minister George Brandis standing with Australian Ballet School representatives outside the 'sold' sign in front of the Parkville mansion, said the grant was recognition of years' of hard work.

Mr Johns denied that former Liberal Arts Minister Rod Kemp (now chairman of right-wing lobby group the Institute of Public Affairs), whose wife Daniele is on the Ballet School's board, had anything to do with the funding announced in the budget. 

''We have raised funds for many years and had a $1 million donation from a benefactor," Mr Johns said. "I can assure you that Ms Kemp played no individual role in securing the government funding."

The Queen Anne mansion boasts sweeping views of Royal Park Golf Course, a pool and gardens. 

Mr Brandis was pictured outside the 2025-square metre Parkville mansion in a photo posted to Twitter by Mr Johns on May 30.

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