We are immensely saddened to announce the death of Robert Veel, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this week.

Robert was a publisher of Limelight and both a Director and well-known tour leader for Limelight Arts Travel.

Robert Veel. Photo © David Li

Simply put, Robert’s death is a huge loss. A passionate lover of art, history, languages and the performing arts, he had an insatiable appetite for learning. Furthermore, he had a passion for communicating what he learned, and throughout his professional and private lives, he transmitted this in generous, engaging ways, whether as a lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Sydney or when introducing travellers to his beloved Venice.

It’s thanks to Robert that Limelight still exists today. His deep commitment to the arts drove his decision to purchase the business in 2018 and support it through the COVID lockdowns, so that arts companies, performers and audiences can continue to access Australia’s most trusted source of performing arts news, features and reviews.

At Limelight Arts Travel, Robert brought unparalleled expertise to small group cultural touring, a field in which he was one of Australia’s pioneers. He had an unerring...