20 years of cancer research support from the Helpman family

Maxwell and Sheila were the younger siblings of Sir Robert Helpmann, ballet dancer, actor, producer, director and choreographer who worked with famous artists such as Anna Pavlova, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev. But it was not only Sir Robert who pursued a career in the arts: Maxwell and Sheila were also active in film and theatre.

Maxwell Helpman built a career as an actor, director and manager in Canada and Britain. Sheila Helpman’s career spanned theatre, film and television in Britain and Australia, and marked its end with a stage appearance in Ontario, Canada in 1988.

The Helpman family has left an extraordinary legacy. Distributions from their estates have contributed to world-class cancer research at WEHI, including advances in treatment for leukaemia, bowel cancer and breast cancer.

Head of Philanthropy at Australian Executor Trustees, Ben Clark, visited the institute to meet with Professor Hilton, Deputy Director Professor David Vaux, and cancer researcher and laboratory head Dr Leigh Coultas.