Former NSW regional gallery director convicted of fraud

Iain Dawson, the former Director of the South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Bega, located in southeast NSW, has been convicted of fraud.

SECCA (formerly known as Bega Valley Regional Gallery) had its official opening in 2023 with the perennially popular annual Archibald Prize on display at the Centre from 24th November 2023 to January 2024, as part of a touring exhibition of 2023 artworks. 

According to the ABC, Dawson, aged 49, was convicted having defrauded the institution of more than $34,000 in ticket sales from the touring 2023 Archibald Prize exhibition.

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

SECCA 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.

ABC report that court documents reveal Dawson’s role as director included managing 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 with Council commencing an internal investigation. A report was then made by Chief Executive Anthony McMahon to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Dawson admitted to the fraud and was arrested on 18th September 2024.

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