As a young developer in 1967 with my first building development company Construction & Development Pty Ltd undercapitalised and over stretched, I was delighted to receive a call from Ervin asking if he could help. The advice he gave saved the day and allowed me to prosper. We kept in touch.
Some years late in 1996 I was invited by Ervin to join the Board of Stockland and it was an enjoyable three years. Ervin was a heavy smoker and had a very soft accented voice. This led to a crisis of position at Board meetings. You could sit near Ervin and hear all the words of wisdom or sit further away and breathe easy.
The choice was easy, sit close. Ervin as a trained architect and a very experienced developer was worth taking risks to be close to. His intuitive view on development was unprecedented.
If only he knew I would have paid to sit on that Board to take in Ervin’s wisdom.
The generosity of spirit to help a small competitor in some trouble is unique and a tribute to a great Australian who has left a considerable footprint on this country.
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Ervin Graf OAM