Abeles, Sir Peter (1924-1999), an Australian industrialist, was one of the most influential business figures in Australia’s history. He founded the shipping company Alltrans Pty. Ltd. and built it into a hugely successful business.
Abeles was born in Austria on April 24, 1924. He was educated in Hungary. After moving to Australia at the age of 25, he started selling knitwear and books door-to-door.
In 1987, Abeles sold Alltrans to the international transport carrier Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) Ltd. Abeles later became chief executive of TNT. He also headed several other companies, including Ansett Airlines of Australia, which was owned jointly by TNT and the international media corporation News Corporation. In 1986, he collaborated with Rupert Murdoch, the owner of News Corporation, in establishing AWAS, an airline leasing enterprise that by 1991 had become the third largest business of its kind in the world.
Outside the world of business, Abeles’s activities included the setting up of the Australian Medical Foundation for Cancer Research. Abeles was knighted in 1972 and, in 1984, became a member of the board of Australia’s Reserve Bank. Abeles died on June 25, 1999.
