Seymour Centre

Everest York Seymour died on 9 January 1966. Clause 5 of his will provided:
AS TO the entire residue of my Estate of whatsoever kind and wheresoever situated it is MY WISH that my Trustees shall use the same for the purpose of the purchase or construction of a building (or to go towards the fund for the purchase or construction of a building) in the City of Sydney to serve as a centre for the cultivation, education and performance of musical and dramatic Arts befitting the City of Sydney AND I DIRECT my Trustees to transfer to or vest such residue of my estate for the purpose mentioned in the Council of the Municipality of the City of Sydney or the University of Sydney or the NSW Government or in such other Public Authority as my Trustee shall consider it.”

The residue amounted to approx. $3.4million. It took four years of negotiation and legal proceedings before the University of Sydney’s proposal for a centre for musical and dramatic productions was successful.

A Seymour Centre Advisory Committee was established by the Vice-Chancellor and first met in March 1971. The Committee was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, with its members including Professor RN Johnson (dean of the Faculty of Architecture), Mr WH Maze (Deputy Principal), Mr Justice Hope (Fellow of the Senate), Professor R Quentin (drama, University of NSW), and staff from the Departments of English, Music, Fine Arts and adult Education.

A smaller ad hoc committee met during 1971 and 1972 and, with advice from numerous sources within and outside the University, oversaw the development of plans for the Centre. Constriction commenced in 1973 and the opening performance was on 20 September 1975 when the Carl Pini Quarter, presented by Musica Viva, played in the Everest Theatre.

The administrative control of the maintenance and operation of the Centre was handled by the Deputy Principal, and the Bursar, for the next decade. In February 1983 the Vice-Chancellor, with the approval of the Senate, appointed a committee under his Chairmanship to advise him on “all matters concerning the Seymour Centre Theatre’. The Committee first met in June 1983, and in February 1984 recommended the formation of the Board of Management for the Centre. The board first met in May 1984.