Sir John was one of the great founders of the Arts Foundation. A brilliant contributor to the early thinking that established the Foundation and a dedicated supporter thereafter. Sir John and Teena, Lady Todd regularly attended Arts Foundation events, hosted events and contributed in many unseen ways.

Sir John was deeply involved in the arts as a patron to a number of organisations and artists. He was a musician, entertaining many on his ukulele.

As inaugural Chair of the Arts Foundation's Finance and Administration Committee, Sir John ensured that the Foundation's Endowment Fund was well managed and he established important policies. Sir John's good guidance is one of the reasons that the original $5 million grant from the Lottery Grant Board is now over $6 million and that by the end of 2015 the Arts Foundation had given over $5 million in cash awards to artists.

Sir John died in July, 2015.