Former Bega art gallery director Iain Dawson convicted of fraud over Archibald Prize ticket money

The former director of a NSW regional gallery has been convicted of defrauding the institution of tens of thousands of dollars in ticket sales from a touring exhibition of the 2023 Archibald Prize.

Iain Charles Dawson, 49, represented himself and pleaded guilty in Bega Local Court on Tuesday to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. 

It came after he made 49 transactions totalling more than $34,000 from South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Bega, to his personal bank account.

The multi-million-dollar arts hub opened on November 17 last year, with its first exhibition featuring the 2023 Archibald Prize finalists six days later.

It was one of only six galleries across Australia to host the exhibition, which displayed almost 60 portraits from the prestigious art prize.

More than 6,000 tickets were sold across the seven weeks of the exhibition, with an adult ticket costing $20.

Court documents reveal Dawson, as part of his role as director of the centre, managed online ticket sales for gallery events via the Eventbrite platform.

The documents state that in the days following the conclusion of the Archibald exhibition in early January this year, Dawson changed the login details for the gallery’s Eventbrite user account and linked it to his own personal bank account.

According to the documents, the move was not authorised by Bega Valley Shire Council, which manages the gallery. 

Over the next few months, Dawson made dozens of financial transfers before the council’s director of business and governance was made aware on March 15 of “serious wrongdoing and maladministration within the business”, according to court documents.

An internal investigation by the council began three days later and a report was then made by CEO Anthony McMahon to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Court documents show that in early April, Dawson was told about the allegations being made against him, and he was then placed on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The council’s finance manager then provided a report outlining evidence of “serious misconduct” relating to the gallery’s ticket sales, and less than two weeks later the investigation found Dawson was solely responsible for the fraud, according to court documents.

He was handed a show-cause termination letter on April 12 and responded five days later, admitting to taking the money and offering to pay it back, which he did 12 days later, by cheque.

In a statement, Mr McMahon said council initiated the investigation into Mr Dawson. 

Mr McMahon reported the matter to NSW Police on May 15.

During a later interview at Bega police station, Dawson admitted to the fraud and told officers he had spent the money on personal items including clothes.

At the end of the interview police say he became “emotionally upset”, and apologised for his actions, saying he was “extremely ashamed and embarrassed”.

He was arrested on September 18.

On Tuesday, Magistrate Doug Dick sentenced Dawson to a three-year community corrections order and 200 hours of community service.

He also ordered Dawson undertake alcohol and other drug counselling treatment.

Dawson, who regularly appeared on ABC local radio as a commentator on regional arts, did not respond to a request for comment. 

In September, after his dismissal from SECCA, Dawson took up a role as deputy director of Craft + Design Canberra, a not-for-profit arts organisation. 

The CEO of Craft + Design Canberra, Jodie Cunningham, told the ABC that her organisation had no prior knowledge of Dawson’s actions and said that Dawson did not disclose why he was dismissed from SECCA during the job application process. 

Ms Cunningham confirmed Dawson today resigned from his role.