Andrew Leigh

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
HIT104.7 CANBERRA WILKO & COURTS
MONDAY, 5 AUGUST 2024

SUBJECTS: Passing of Terry Snow

NEIL WILCOCK: We heard the news last night that at the age of 80, businessman, philanthropist, very prominent here in the Canberra community, Terry Snow had passed away.

[Excerpt]

TERRY SNOW: Mandatory that you got a passion. And this word passion gets thrown around a lot, but passion does really mean a commitment to excel, to lead, and to do very, very well. And I'm very passionate about what I do. And I think that the reason I've been successful is because of this passion and commitment. And it's not about money. My life is not about money.

​[End of excerpt]

​WILCOCK: Yeah. So, it's a super sad day. But also we get to reflect on all the great things that Terry has done for our community and the ACT in general.

​COURTENAY KNEEN: Yeah. And he's one of those names where I feel like a lot of people know the name but - and they wanted to know him personally, but he felt just out of reach.

WILCOCK: As an MP, Andrew Leigh, you've had a lot to do with the Snow family and will continue to do so, I'm assuming.

ASSISTANT MINISTER ANDREW LEIGH: Absolutely. A huge loss for the Canberra community. I mean, the Snows have been part of Canberra for decades. Terry's grandparents were Canberra's first general store owners. And he's somebody who, through the development of Canberra Airport, through the Majura precinct, and of course through philanthropy, really made a huge impact on our city.

​WILCOCK: Yeah. And, like, a lot of people might not know that, like, Terry - obviously the airport is very prominent and may not know his family's background with owning that general store. But also, like, in developing and building, like, entire suburbs, like Denman Prospect.

​LEIGH: Absolutely. Huge impact on developing Canberra. You think about Brindabella Park, you think about bringing IKEA here, which has benefited many Canberrans.

​KNEEN: Very much. Very much, my family -

​WILCOCK: Don't we love a walk through IKEA?

​KNEEN: Yes.

LEIGH: And just a huge Canberra booster. Somebody who really loved the city and was always spruiking it, talking about how exciting it was to live in Canberra. You know, for every Canberra knocker that's out there, there's Terry Snow's answer that this is really the best city in Australia.

​WILCOCK: Terry also loved himself some art installations. And in Canberra as a whole, I know the government loves putting up an art installation. Did you get the inspiration from Terry? Or - because there's a big one at Denman Prospect, there's the whirly thing at the airport. There's a bunch.

LEIGH: His love for the arts, his love for the quirky, I think is super important. It's great to see the way in which Canberra Airport was lit up as a rainbow around marriage equality. They weren't afraid of getting into some of these big political issues. And I know his children, particularly Georgina and Stephen, have just continued to make such a big impact on aviation and on philanthropy, not just in Canberra, but also across the nation.

WILCOCK: I think a lot of people wouldn't also know that the Snow Foundation does incredible work for many families and a lot of people in the ACT. But even as the airport - like, a lot of people might not know that, like, the airport open day, that's a complete free event. And Terry was 100 per cent behind that. That was his favourite thing.

LEIGH: That's absolutely right. He was out there with his dogs and really enjoyed the experience of seeing people get to know aviation a little better. The Snow Foundation, as you say, had a big impact, particularly on areas like homelessness and family violence. A very generous philanthropic fund which has been critical for many community organisations here in the nation's capital. As the Assistant Minister for Charities, I'd love to see more philanthropy across Australia, more Australians following in the example of the Snow Foundation.

​KNEEN: Yeah. So, it is a sad day to say farewell to Terry, but definitely not the last of the Snow family within Canberra -

​WILCOCK: Of course not. Yeah.

​KNEEN: -and what a legacy that he's left. Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Andrew Leigh.

​LEIGH: Real pleasure, thanks for having me on.