Son hunted over curator killing

Nick Waterlow, a lecturer at Cofa, did much to promote Aboriginal art

Australian police have launched a manhunt for the son of a British art curator who was found stabbed to death along with his daughter.

Nick Waterlow, 68, and cookery book author Chloe Waterlow, 37, were found with multiple stab wounds at a house in a wealthy suburb of Sydney.

A girl of two, thought to be Ms Waterlow's daughter, was found with a throat wound and rushed to hospital.

Police believe that Antony Waterlow, 42, was seen leaving the house.

New South Wales police issued a photograph of Antony Waterlow, warning the public not to approach him but contact them instead.

"We don't believe it's a random attack," said Chief Superintendent Geoff Beresford.

"In fact we do have a person of interest in mind," he added, without referring to Antony Waterlow by name.

'Screaming'

The bodies were discovered in the semi-detached house in Clovelly Road, Randwick, in the Eastern Beaches suburb of Sydney, shortly before 1800 local time on Monday (0500 GMT Tuesday).

Police believe Antony Waterlow was seen leaving the house

A neighbour, who wished to be known only as John, said he had heard a dispute.

"I heard someone screaming, a man, but that was only for a few seconds," he said.

"I thought it was a fight or something. I didn't hear a woman's voice."

It is understood that the wounded child's brothers, aged four years and eight months, were also in the house at the time of the attack but were not harmed.

Reports say that Ms Waterlow's husband, digital technology consultant Ben Heuston, has flown back to Sydney following a business trip to London.

Nick Waterlow, who was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the arts, was described as "visionary" by critics when he was appointed director of the 1979 Sydney Biennale festival, the first to incorporate Aborigine art.

He was also "a much loved and respected member of staff" at the University of New South Wales' College of Fine Arts (Cofa), the college said.

A photo of the late curator dominated Cofa's website on Wednesday.

"Nick will be greatly missed by generations of students to whom he was a powerful mentor, by his colleagues at Cofa and many friends and supporters in the arts community," the college said in a statement.