David Hill Sees Historic Opportunity for Return of Parthenon Sculptures

Former ABC managing director David Hill believes the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece could mark a historic turning point for the global movement to repatriate cultural treasures. Speaking with journalist Peter FitzSimons in an interview published by The Sydney Morning Herald, Hill said a decision by newly elected British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to return the sculptures would have implications far beyond Greece. “If Andy Burnham has his way, and the Parthenon Sculptures are returned to Greece, I think this is a game changer for all of us,” Hill said.

Three decades of campaigning Hill said he has spent more than 30 years advocating for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures after becoming involved with a Greek-Australian campaign group in the 1990s. He later served as executive director of the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Sculptures while living in London, where he first met Burnham, then a Labour staffer who publicly supported Greece’s claim. According to Hill, Burnham has consistently backed the return of the sculptures throughout his political career, including supporting parliamentary efforts to amend the British Museum Act 1963, which restricts Britain’s major museums from permanently disposing of items in their collections.

A centuries-old dispute The interview revisited the history of the sculptures, which were removed from the Parthenon in Athens by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century while Greece was under Ottoman rule. Hill acknowledged that the British Museum maintains it acquired the sculptures legally after they were purchased from Elgin by the British government in 1816. However, he argued that the legal debate does not resolve the moral question surrounding their removal.

He also credited the late Greek actress and culture minister Melina Mercouri with transforming the international campaign during the 1980s by insisting they be known as the Parthenon Sculptures, rather than the “Elgin Marbles”, to emphasise their origin. Burnham seen as a potential catalyst Hill contrasted Burnham with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who had previously expressed sympathy for Greece’s case but ultimately took no action after entering office. He said Burnham has maintained his position for decades and has repeatedly called for the sculptures to be returned “with no strings attached.” Hill believes Burnham’s l…