Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 3 : Presscuttings, Sept 1959 - Sept 1967

TO TNEP I • Eo110~ res ey VIew on 1 0Pen" letter J HA \I E received a letter from the Acting Education Minister (l\lr. Bjelke• Petersen) saylnl{ that it is not proposed to conduct an Inquiry into the Trusteeship of the Queensland Art Gallerv Anyone who has readi-- -·-•- pres.~ accounts of Gallerv was never any question ol allalrs will be astonisheu her disagreeing with the by this. lpullc.l' or sending p0lnt1ng• In I.he open letter to 1 he to Government House. Acting Minister four speci- hlndced, she had, prior to fie points were mentioned t e Incident with Sir LeOn, The first of these con: and In accordance \\'Ith cerned the possible sale of this policy, prcpHred the paintings. and I am sure kind or selection normally that I speak for all who ent there. shined the open lctt.er when None who signed 1hr I say that Sir Leon Tmut open letter were at that has, with a Uttle prompt- Lime concerned to que•t1on Ing, an•wered the question Lile pollcb of sendinf VJ'lnt. l?on~ur complete satlslac• 1~m~e1~ overnmen ouse The remaining three "Improper" points In the o en letter concerned empfoyees of Since the request for an the State Government 1 tnqulry, neither the Act• The Incident that led to lnii Minister nor any Robyn Hill's resignation member of the Depart• was an unwltnessed con- ment of Education has versatlon with Sir Leon lnter1•1ewed Miss Hill or Trout. Her account 01 asked her to submit an this Incident Is, In outline account or this Incident. as follows. · Thus It appears that Dl•• oreed MlIsa Hill's only access to a 1e1· employer has been Sir Leon had selected 12 through the man whose paintings for despatch to conduct led her to resign, Government Howe Miss The fourtJ1 question that Hill disagreed with his 1 we put to the Acting Mln- 6electlon on two grounds ster concerned the aP• only. polntment of a Director Firstly, one or the palnt-1of t.he Gallery. lngs was on the conserva- ll the Cabinet ap lnt tlon list because of the Mr. Wieneke. they w1'lf be fragility or Its canvas. laccepllng a recommenda– Secondly, Sir. IA!On had tlon that WM arrived at elected paintings ollby • procedure which greater Importance t.o the though legal. was In manv collection than those norm. 1 respects Improper. ally sent to Government The rlrst improprletv House. occurred when It was an– The selecllnn recently nounced that Mr. Wieneke returned Is worth $2000, was almost certain to be– but Sir Leon's •election lslcome Dll'tctor. for this worth $34,000. wn.s done not onlv before Six or the pnlnllnKs t.o be t,he l'ecommendatlon of _ent to Government House(lhe ll'ustees had been ao- 1\'ere pal't of the permnn- j 11 'oved. but even before It ent Gallery display. Ordln- l~d been settled by t.t 1r ary lnter.,tate vlsllors ex- trustees themselves. pect t.o see them and l The second lmproprlet.1• st.udent.. a!'e commonlv OCCUl'red when much of ,ent t.o the Gallery to the confidential lnlorma– stud:v them. \Lion concernh1g applicants This Is Miss Hill's ac- for this post became count or thr. disagreement wldelv known. which led her to tender This sort or thing 00• her resignation as Acting curred al!'aln vesterdaY Director. According to MISB when Sir Leon inade 8 Hill. the trustees. as a re- statement about or suit or a meetln~ which Langer which was a n · Sir Leon was unable to breach or confidence 085 attend. asked her to with- Thirty · draw her resl~natlon, but applled were later overruled by the There were ne l 30 Acting Mlnlsl.l>r. applicants for thf Y This was the basil! tor Some s post. the second and t.hlrd but ot~~t; wct,;:; 111 ~~shed. q_ue11tlons that wr put to One for exam 1° · the Acting Minister. a man with htgh"~ualrf~ No question cations. seven years· ex- 1 am told that some time f 1 '1:jlenci In what Is pos– alter Miss H1ll's reslgna- gall~ry ~~ 1~~:\ 1 publlJ lion had been llnally ac- excellent refere/ .,.a. 1M cepted. Sir Leon reminded two of I.be most" rom her that she wa, st1ll an people In this flelrnent employee. and told her that Dooplte all thi th If she wr.re to make a pub- trustees ma be "h e He ,11.,trmcnt on any mat- hellevlng M~ w1lA!kt tn ter, she would be sum· be> the best candldatee r o marlly dismissed. tile Directorship B 1t th 0 ~ He then stated 11ubllcly are not In a · 1\ 1 !l that she hnd rrlnsed to be sure of hr.o" on ° send a painting to Gm•- the)' did not fni:rvl~~1~a~~'"; rmmcnt Housr.. becausr nl the R!>l>ilcants l she dirt not a~ree wlt.h the I nm u1ld Lliat ti Go1·rrn'!'ent',s and thr has been some discus.~~~ trustee~ policy, . . with Mr. Wieneke, parti- ~ dln~ to her. the_!e cularlv about the need ror the Moreton Gallery to be sold and about t-he person to whom this Galll!ry ~e\;;,\d most corll'enlently B ill i am RISO told that when two of the tru•tees propo,;ed t.hat other candl· dates should be Inter– viewed, every remaining tl"Ustce voted agA.lnst tiiem. ~~f~ero tl'UStees later I submit that the on-Iv ~oursc open to !,he Cabinet 1s to have t,he Direct.or– ship re-a.d1•el"tlsed, and lo take steps to see t.JJRJt all future applications are l rtea.lt with thoroughly and In confidence. · I f. a.ner the post ha.s been re-advertised 1t11d the applications dealt with properly, Mr. Wten– rke becomes the DITector or t,he Slate Galler)•, then I !or one will wish him ,veil. - 1Prnleo110r1 c. F. l'rHle), Chairman, ,fnhn 1~1it"~.l Fine Art• ~om•I Brisb.lne, Q. 1111111111,11,1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111,1111111 TO THE EDITOR Presley did not have full facts - Sir Leon I i S O Profe11or Pre1ley 11 at it againl Rushing into print, con• ducting a one-man invHtlgation into Gallery affairs and making 1tatement1 without checking their accuracy. He haa now raised which Miss H1ll strongly mentHouse why It was not he question of Mill objected • to tending to delivered. ,. Government Hou.e. because The Truateea then had ill. Here are the (acl.B. or its importance and 1·n1ue. to make the decision For over 15 years It has His Excellency's request whether to belle1•0 M1aa been the Government's was mado In the presence Hill or His Excellency and and the Trustees• policy to of Miss Hill and the writer. the writer, and they chase lend a rew paintings to Later when Miss Hill went to believe the latter. Miss Government House. on to Government House to Hill was thereupon scverly com:Utton that they can be deliver these paintings this reprimanded. recalled within 24 · hours, one was not Included, and In view or Professor As our Gallery can only when His Excellency asked Presley's Irresponsibility 1n hang a very small per• Miss HUI where It was she not checking up on his centage or Its total pRtnt• replied: "I didn't bring It." fact•. I do not Intend to lngs worth between three- E planatlon make any furl.her com– quart.ers to a million dol· X ment or reply to his letters. ara, thil! gives many other Miss HUI was called be· The Trustees are respon• ple an opportunltv or fore the Trustees and asked slble to the Government eetng more or our workS. for an explanation and tor their actions, and as Some week& ago Miss stated that the statements the Government has been 111 WM requested to ,pro• made by His Excellency fully Informed on all or the vlde about 15 to 20 or and the writ.er were un• facts on all Gallery matters these paintings for Oov- true. and furthermore the public can rest assured ernment House, &a His denied that His Excellency that their lnt:rests are be• Excellency would be call· had made the request ror Ing well and truly pro- tng the following morning this particular painting, t.ected. - Sir Leon Trout, to make hill choice. About and that she had been Chairman of Tru1teel, 10 minutes before his ar- asked by him at Govern• Qaeenatand An OaUel'J', ,~z~~ ii "Time for aGovt. inquiry" authority to lend them. and reluaed to carry out her Instructions. A meeting or TruSt.ees rh~ r:;!~~ ~ddt::' 1 m:'i!~ There are many ques• questions which. wit lme Mia., 'Hill tendered tlons that demand public man.I' others In relation er resignation u a pro• answera In the lntereS ts or the · Gallery, are beln t against the tendln_g or all con~erned. a.sked by too mMY peopl hese ~Unga to Gov- It ta not enou11h to dis• and In 'too 11reat detail rnment House. The writ.er , miss rumours as rumours. be disregarded. rted the conversation the Government must It all these questions re n writing to the Tru!t.ees, realise that It ls a matter muln unanswered It ls ver nd Miss HUI submitted of deep concern when pro• llkelv that subscqueri er statement, which test and unea,ie a.re voiced activities of the Gallery a enled the accuracy or by so many people v1ta11.I' every level will be vlewe he writer's statements. concerned with llvlnR art wltti lack of interest, I me or the Trustees. -art societies. critics, gal• not dlstrust.-Pam Belt, ~ctally MIM Mayo and 1ery-11oers, patrons and "Aroo" Boonah fessor Cummings, and artists have all cxpr~ssed ' ' tilers believed Miss Hill, alarm. nd Miss Mayo rallied to Surely the answer la for her cause. the Government to lnves- When His Excellency Md t111ate the Queensland Gal· dy Mansfield arrived at lery's records and then the Gallery he spe<;lally re- make pubUc t,he findings uested the Joan or a small concernlmr such questions portrait, because ooth he as the lollowlnl!': am! his mother were very e How were the most great lrtenda or the recentlv appointed trustees sitter . appointed. and on whose This particular painting recommendation? This Is 21 would be worth 1n the or special Interest to art vicinity or $1500 to S2000 lovers as some of the and this wu the painting trustees a.re rarely seen at art.lstlc e\'ents In Brisbane. Any ties? e How. and to wh~t extent, 1• Mr. Wieneke. ,.,. any member of hlS !mm,." dlate family Involved In any commercial ullery? e How man.I' applica– tions were received for the ecentlv advertised position l director? How man;-. 1l ny. of these applicants ere Interviewed, bv horn. 11nd what trustees ere present at such meet• n~s? It would appear that a horouRh tnvcsttaatlon Is "MORNING HERALD" JUN 1967 Sydney, N.S.W Maori art By W,\U,ACE THORNTON IN /\ WEEK of most dis– appointina exhibi1ions. the Maori Arl al Farmerf Blaxl•nd Galleries rates h1tle helter than the usual mediocre tourist office dis• pi•Y• No doubt the mixture ol Art Gallery reduces its he onlv wav to orovlde swers to the foregoing old (or corics of) Maori carvings and implement, with cnntcmrorary carv• ings and rainting, ol lin1i1ed quality. imposes the rc"triclivc atmo..,r,herc– there rrn1ains merely 11 timid ncknowlcdgn1cn1 or two worlds. The fnr111nl syn1metric11I nnlllrc of Maori cnrvini; dcnic~ the imnginalivc rossihilitcs ol the 111ore ne,ihlc Melanesian arl and this txhihilion ''"'" lilllc to !ltimulatc nnc'" in1crc~t. Preparations for the transfer of many thou– sands of works ot art to the new National Gallery in St. Kllda Road early next year have reduced normal services at the present National Oal– lcry. The rle1m tl' chah111a11 or the gallery (1\11·. w . M. nttclue I said yesterday Lhc staff could no longer arrange art loans to local authorities ~~c tet',~,p~~~rc e;),\'i~\~:o~sa\~J could not co111t1111e tF,c ad• vlsory sel'l'lcc 011 privately owned work. "We hope the 11ubllc will appreciate the neccs.slty for the staff I<> devote Itself full y 10 t.11e great tBMk ol ~;tt~1t~~l.,th~IIJ~w gallery," "The sen·lccs will be restored under bett er condl• !Ions and 111a11y others wlll be pro,•lded In the new building." Onll' a d<1orway rancl. a cenlllry old. lrom an Ant\\'/\ trit,c ..,,orchou~c and a conlcmr,orary painting "t.oha111" hr Sclw)'n Muru hn\'e rlea<ing ~landnrds. Thi• cxhihition i• now open. /I ,mall exhihi1ion ol Mmlcrn Rulgarian Graphic Arl will oren at the /lrl Gallery ol New South Wale, today, The title "Modern" con indicale wnrk done todA)', h111 in lacl. there i, no hint of rrcsent-dav con• tcmrornry :1.11it11des in the,, n,thcr forn1al ond early ll\'en1leth-cent11r)'· stvl• rrin1.,. Th15 ,ho"' ,.,ill be on view from 10 a.m. today,