Melbourne-based retailing billionaire Marc Besen was named a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his eminent service to the visual and performing arts and contribution to a range of social welfare initiatives.

Mr Besen, who is in his 90s, founded the Sussan retail chain, but his shared passion with wife Eva Besen has long been in the arts and the couple operate Australia's first privately funded public art gallery, TarraWarra, which is home to a collection of some 500 works and based at their Yarra Valley winery.

Mr Besen recently told magazine Art Collector that his appreciation for art began on his honeymoon to Europe in 1951.

"Neither of us knew very much about art, we had not grown up with art around us," he said.

"We drove 11,000 miles and looked at the art in all museums and galleries. We loved it and thought – if painters can express themselves in such a manner, it would be beautiful to be involved with more paintings, but in our own country."

The couple, with their family, went on to establish the Besen Family Foundation to support programs and projects in the arts and culture, health and welfare and Jewish interests.

The foundation has supported programs such as Emerge, which supports women and children in Melbourne's south who are the victims of domestic violence, and the Wunan Foundation, which supports Aboriginal development in East Kimberley.

The Besens also funded the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's initiative to support appearances by internationally eminent conductors and performers to work with MSO and Melbourne audiences in 2015.