Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

mistakes in this field-and I think we hav~ is because, in a time of turbulent innovation in the visual arts, it is not always easy to distinguish between what is of lasting merit and what is merely an ephemeral gimmick. Fourth, it should be a welcoming and friendly place which people of all sorts can visit on terms of relaxed equality. In this aim we have succeeded, perhaps even too well! Jn a recent press interview, the Director quoted a market research finding that eleven percent of visitors used the Gallery as a 'pick-up joint' (his words, not mine). The Gallery is clearly getting ready for the twenty-first century! Finally, a Gallery in this part of Australia should become closely involved with the arts and cultures, and the people themselves, of the Asian countries in our near north. The Exhibitions Development Fund, the ex~hange of exhibitions between the Gallery and China and Japan, and the Asia-Pacific Triennial are evidence that it has. Throughout these years, the Government has given substantial support to the Gallery over and above the funding of its administrative costs. Mr Ahern gave an unexpected grant of two million dollars to buy works from the Trout collection. Mr Goss doubled the Government's contribution to the donations channelled through the Foundation and provided an indemnity scheme without which it would have been impossible to bring major exhibitions to Queensland. Mr Wells gave us $.75 million for the Asia-Pacific Triennial and, as one of the strongest advocates in Cabinet for the Gallery, made it possible to establish new curatorial positions in Asian and Aboriginal arts and, of course, when this elegant Gallery of ours has been complemented by the new Dean Wells wing, he will go down in history as tht: Mitterand of the South Pacific. But even widl all this assistance from Government, a Gallery today cannot prosper without private support, and over these eight years the Foundation has been magnificently successful in gaining this support. Our thanks go to Sir Bruce himself, his staff and his fundraising committees, but even more so they go to the donors-:-not only those who have received their certificates tonight, but all those whose generosity over the years has made the Gallery the great gallery it is today. I ask you now to show your appreciation for the Foundation in the usual way .•. Finally, it gives me great pleasure to introduce my successor, Ted Edwards. Some of you will remember the story surrounding my own appointment. When I asked the Arts Minister of the day, my ill-fated namesake,. Brian Austin, how it had come about, he looked me straight in the eye and said, 'Well, I suppose Joh thought you were my brother'. If Ted were being considered for the job by a government of a similar hue, someone would certainly have whispered in the Premier's ear, 'You know, don't you, that he is Sir Uew's cousin'. , Even without the benefit of that consanguinity, he is a very distinguished man. Ted has enjoyed a very successful career, both in the corporate sector and in service to Government. He has just retired as resident Director of Ansett Australia in Queensland, but he retains a number of important positions in the TNT Group, both in Australia and in North and South America. in