This history of the Sidney Myer Fund and the Myer Foundation, two arms of one of the largest philanthropic organizations in Australia, explores the altruistic ethic of three generations of the Myer family as well as the larger historical and social context of Australian philanthropy. Compared to the United states, privately donated wealth plays a minor role in building Australia's major civic, welfare, and cultural institutions, making the Myer family's giving since 1934 distinctive. This example of altruism is used to explore the nature, shaping, and consequence of philanthrophy in Australia's market-driven and pluralistic society.