Hero or rogue, he put WA on map

WA has marked the loss of one of its most controversial and influential figures after business tycoon Alan Bond died in hospital yesterday from complications of heart surgery.

Prominent West Australians, including Colin Barnett, paid tribute to Mr Bond's positive contributions, most notably putting WA on the map by bankrolling Australia's victorious America's Cup bid in 1983.

Mr Bond's son John announced that his father had died yesterday morning. He never regained consciousness since being placed in an induced coma on Tuesday, after heart surgery that did not go to plan.

His body "finally gave out after heroic efforts of everyone involved" at Fiona Stanley Hospital, John Bond said.

"To a lot of people, Dad was a larger-than-life character who started with nothing and did so much," he said.

"He really did experience the highs and lows of life.

"To us, however, he was just Dad, a father who tried his best to be the best dad he could.

"He was also Pop to eight grandchildren and hadn't yet received a nickname from his first great-grandchild."

John and siblings Craig Bond and Jody Fewster were last night awaiting the arrival of their mother, Mr Bond's former wife Eileen, from Britain. She was saddened not to have seen him a final time but the pair had been able to have dinner together recently in London, John said.

They were "always great soul mates, who never broke their connection, even though he could be very infuriating to her". He also spoke of his father's great love for his second wife Diana Bliss and how much he had missed her since her death in 2012.

"Dad was vitally interested in everything that we did with that ever-inquiring mind of his," John said. "We only half-joked to our friends that you had to have a five-year business plan ready when you first met him."

Yesterday, Mr Bond was widely remembered as a charismatic but flawed man, who built a sprawling business empire and was honoured as Australian of the Year, but was ultimately jailed for fraud and stripped of the title.

The Premier said he was saddened by his death.

"He was a controversial figure but will also be remembered for a proud moment in Australia's history, which also put WA on the map - the America's Cup win in 1983," Mr Barnett said.

Perth businessman Jack Bendat said he had "fond memories" of attending the win in Rhode Island and considered it Mr Bond's "great contribution" to putting WA on the international stage.

"He must be given credit for the tremendous growth in WA," he said.

Former WA premier Brian Burke agreed that Mr Bond would "for ever be remembered as the man who unbolted the America's Cup from its plinth in the New York Yacht Club, bringing it to Perth where it had a profound impact for the good on Fremantle and WA".

Mr Burke's successor Peter Dowding, whose government battled the fallout from WA Inc, said Mr Bond was a contradiction.

"It was a great shame that his energy and drive could not have gone on to create real outcomes for him and WA," he said.

Another former premier, Richard Court, said Mr Bond could "best be described as an Australian 'character' - half lovable rogue, half hero."

"His corporate exploits ended in financial collapse and ignominy but his persistence in challenging for the America's Cup and eventually winning, created one of Australia's great sporting achievements," Mr Court said.

Mr Court's predecessor as WA Liberal leader, Barry MacKinnon, offered his condolences to the Bond family. But he also said he "didn't share any of his personal or business values and in my opinion, the legacy he left in terms of Western Australia was not a positive one".

Flags flew at half-mast at the Royal Perth Yacht Club and Bond University, set up by Mr Bond in 1987 as Australia's first private university. Vice-Chancellor Tim Brailsford said the university did not condone Mr Bond's business dealings but its "entrepreneurial spirit and fierce determination to be different owe much to Alan's legacy".

Finance analyst Tim Treadgold told the ABC Mr Bond's death marked "the end of an era" as he was the last of the "big players from the '80s to pass on".

"We've already said goodbye to Robert Holmes a Court, Laurie Connell, Kevin Parry and Peter Beckwith, who were major players in the period up to the '87 stockmarket crash," he said.

We only half-joked to our friends

that you had to have a five-year business plan ready when you first met him."