Sir Frank Lowy AC, Founder of the Lowy Institute

The Lowy Institute was founded by Sir Frank Lowy AC in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his arrival in Australia.

Sir Frank survived the Holocaust on a knife-edge and at the age of 15, as a refugee, crossed the Mediterranean headed for Palestine. His boat was intercepted and he was interned in Cyprus. Once liberated he worked on a farm, trained as a plumber’s apprentice then joined a commando unit fighting in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence.

Sir Frank arrived in Australia in 1952 at the age of 21. In 1960, he co-founded the global shopping centre company Westfield and served as its Executive Chairman for 50 years. He then served as Non-Executive Chairman between 2011 and 2018, when the company was acquired by Unibail-Rodamco. Together with his three sons he led Westfield to become, on some metrics, the largest retail property development company in the world. Observers have described Sir Frank as Australia’s most successful post-war immigrant.

Sir Frank’s early life gave him an unusual understanding of the powerful historical forces that shape the world. This contributed to his decision to establish the Lowy Institute, the missions of which are to deepen the Australian debate about the world and give Australia a greater voice in the world. He serves as Chairman to this day and his sons David and Steven also serve on the Board.

Sir Frank is also the Chairman of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an independent academic institute in Tel Aviv that studies Israel’s national security and Middle East affairs. Previously he served as Chairman of Football Federation Australia, in which capacity he took the national team to the World Cup after a 32-year absence from the international stage. He also served as a Board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia and President of the Board of Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Sir Frank has received numerous honours and citations for his business and philanthropic activities. In 2000 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia’s highest honour. In 2017 he was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, becoming a Knight Bachelor. In 2024, at the age of 94, he received Israel’s highest civilian award, the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour, for his commitment to Israel and his support for the Jewish community in Australia.