Fears that Hobart's wildly successful Museum of Old and New Art may close if the Australian Tax Office goes after the eccentric gaming mogul and art collector behind it have sparked widespread concern in Tasmania where it has become a tourism boon for the debt-ridden state. David Walsh's $180 million museum has drawn 600,000 visitors in its first 18 months and is Tasmania's single most visited attraction, but it costs him around $8 million annually to keep the museum open, a contribution that may be at risk in the light of the ATO's claim that he has been running a $2.4 billion gambling business and owes $37 million in backdated taxes.
Image: Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart
