Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 7 : Debate on New Art Gallery and Cultural Centre, 1970-1976

) '"I COUllill-MAIL MONDAY JUNI 11 1971 "COURIER MAIL" 22.JUN \971 Brisb1ne, Qld. - ·- Attack gallery on art ' , game A ST!OMG attack a1aln1t the "Gallery Game wa, made by the Sfate Labar Me111- · ber for Morman (Mr. F. P. lroMley) h1 a . lrl1t-ane rodio broadcast lest nl1ht, Mr. Bromley, the Oppos1- tlon's cultural activities spokesman, advocated the formation o! a public pres– sure '-roup to end the "gJI.Dle, ' and get the proj– ected new Queensland Art Oallf.L'Yof! the ground. -Half of land bought for new art·gallery He repeated his sugges– tion that a special State Jotte1·y should be run to raise finance for the gal- lery. . Mr. Bromley attacked the gallery oulldlnR as "completely outdated, In– c.o n ir r u o u s , Inadequate, !Jiconvenlent, unsuitable, p a t h e t I c . dilapidated uninviting and unfunctlon– al." For the b~rds He said it was " a place tor the birds - In fact, hundreds nest In It." Mr. Bromley said the T r e a s u r e r (Sir Gordon Chalk) had announced on November 16, 1968 1 that be h a d · I n I t i a t e a an ln– veatlgatlon Into the future or the Queensland Art Gal– lery, and had dl110ussed the DOWblllty of an Increase to Uie annual grant of $24,000, Mr. Bromley said . thla grant was sub5eAuently In-] creased in the ·1969-70 11· nanoliJ. .Year. "In the last financial year, $600,000 was all~ for property · resump~I0M on tbe ,new site In South Brisbane, and onlv ,202,Mo, was spent. "The same amount was 11et asid!'. this year, but the Wprks minister (Mr. Hod– g13) said .1n answer to my queatlon on November 7, 19'f0 he did not knOW whether It would be used. "He said It was not Pol• 'slble· to state how much of tne property. ,v1ll be ae– quirect this nu," ~ Mr, Bromley bu. IUl•1 seated that tlJe aovem– ment conduct special art• gallery lot.te ~ 1. alon1 Imes•stmHar to uiose oon– ducted for tbe new syanedy Art 06lleQ'_ ~d the By • ne.I. opera Bouse. ;t1e .iaid be believed, be• cau-,i of llht publlAilty, iiven by the media to art\ that ma n y more lndlviduall 1 were beCOmlng reilponalve, by visit.Ing private, art p.1-\ l le:le&. These people must be en• couragecf to work and help speed the establishment of a new State Oallery In Queensland. They must bhe– come a pressure arouP, e ~Id. ·-,- ---- AIOUT hcdf the land needed for the new QuHnalancl Art Gall1ry h"cid bNn rHumed. It was hoped that negotiations for the remainder would lie co111• pleted within · 18· m~nth1. . · Worka and Houalrur Min- pres t" 11 later (Mr Hodges> sald this I Ti{~ g:n;f!-y wa.s ·true. yesterday: He ctenled that Jraoo f~ t he e~r:: a dis-I ! the State Government was ~ver he said· "I ha ~~~playing a: "gallery game". f.lclent confidence I: ,i1r On SUnday Labor Mem- :Government that It I~ ber tor Norman, Mr. Brom- build the new gallery w ley, advocated the corn- oon as it can ~ binlrur of all people tnter- -· _ _ - ested1n art Into .. preesure No casket ' group to end "the p.llery , . game". The Trea.,urer (Sir Got Mr. Hod"9 llldd: "We cln ChalkJ yesterday re– are prucee~ with re- ected Mr, Bromley'.s 1u11- sumpb1Cll18 as we can. A gestton of a &peclal art par c e 1 was acquired union to mlse tunda for the recently. However a lot of allery. land 1s tied up ih estates He said Golden Cuket and thu, makes negotiation roceeds . were being u.sed ditfloult. y ,the Oov.emment for I uch purposes as ihollJ)ltal Resumpt ons .!!~nslon, and any •t-1 "Qne key piece la the tempt to raise funds as Mr. d •· te B r o m• le y had proposed !subject of a cour.t ,.,pu, · could have a de~rlmental but not involving the Oo eMeot on casket fund& e~~=n~ave ~ wait Re- Sir Gordon said, Cabinet sumptlons take time' You had decided in April, 1989, can't run roughshOd • over to acquire t.he old Cre– peo le " morne Theat re site, aa tM T~e. Government plans lte for tl-ie new art pJlery, to build the art gallerfi on It WU tJ be acquli'ed J>rG• . greulvel.~. . about seven acres of and ll'he works DepaJ.ltment at South Brisbane,' over- had been a,sked •to p~re l !ookmg the·Brisbane River a comprehensive report for near Victoria Bridge. c a b·I n e t on way& and It has outlined and a means or d~linlng the ! proved a concept of a !'fJ"' propo11ed pro.Joel,. v,,ltli•· · a lery costing about •7 uul• view to· having the ilett,IINI. llon 1 including $1,850,0 ea i rn 8 prepared' aiiii' l for and resumption. ava1lable 1n 1971-72 About $666JOOO has bee ,. S ir O<>rgun said ·,.. ..+h 1apent on Jana since schem - · ._ I was announced in 1969. . conalderation would ,be ~v– Chalrman of the gallery en ' when pr1,pA rlna, t.11, trustees. (Sir Leon Trout> coming Budget, as to what aid last night that Mr. money Would be madt– Bromlcv'll cdtlclam of .the available for the proJectJ: Gall~ 1 ';r Sit.~ ~ ~ , y · . "COURIER· MAit" clash IOom --~· . . CONSTRUCTION of Brl1bane'1 new art gallery i1 expected to.begin in 1973 - but a .-e~ clash i1 ~oomlng over the uae of the 6¼-acre site. It had been assumed that the site would contain only an ort gallery. · 1 • BiitU\e Education Mln- 1:;ter <Mr. Fletcher) said yesterday: "There should ' be something there besides an art gallery. The area Is big enough to serve a com– bination of cultural pur– poses." The gallery site Is bound– ed by Melbourne, Grey, Peel and Stanley streets. Mr. Fletcher admitted that lnlt.ially the site may have only an art gallery. But ultimately, he said, It [ could take ali;o a museum a'.nd possibly a t heatte. ''When you have posses– sion of a big, central arcit like this, It Is to be hopecl that Its use wm be more comprehensive than just for an art gallery," Mr. Fletcher said. Multi-use said last night: · The Works Minister (Mr. "The land should be ap- Hodges) Is expected .nextj piled to the use promised week to announce names for It - an art gallery for a committee which will only. We need all the land plan/the gallery. I to accommodate the paint- A senl'or oftlclal assocl– lngs we have alrP.ady. In ated with the project·said fact ,the area Is ~~arcely last night : "The committee sufficient for them. must determine Just what • The French Pierre ·Bon- facet of art the new gallery nard art exhibition wm not wlll cover. It certainly will be l:rought to Brisbane be- not be able to embrace art cause experts fear the Art totally. No gallery In Aus– Gallery's lack of alr-condl• tralla can do this." uonlng would result In The Government huj d;tmage to ~he $6 million a.greed· to spend $7 million, collection. . on the art gallery, he said. I More than half the !'lew s tudies so far had ln– art-gallery site has been dlcated that $'1 million acqulred.. invoMng about would pay for an art gal- j $l.7ff ml!h<ln. lery and nothing else. The Government is negn- I tlat.lng individually 'with " A trustee sR!d yest.erday: 1 the property owners. We are a httle aR"alnst c R 111 n g for world-wide Meanwhile, a prellml- competitive desi gns for the nary brief on the proposed art gallery. Mr. Fletcher Is known to gallery hM been prepared. "We wnnt to avoir' these have the su~port for multi- It sets out the require- no u v ea u-itrchltec , types use of the ueensland cul- ment,5 as seen by all ex• who want only to •;rea'te a t. u 1• a I act vltles director pert.5 concerned. IL ls re- monumen t t-0 therr selves - (Mr A J Creedy) garded ns ton ambitious, and produce a m1,rvellous- . · · · te , and all sides agree It looking edifice th 1t doesn't The Art Gn.llery trTrous ets) 1 must be reduced. · work." chairman (Sir Leon u