Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

4 Speech to introduce Sir John Mason, KCMG to open 'A Study in Genius: Master Drawings and Watercolours from the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, In the Royal Library, Windsor Castle', 22 September 1988 NOTE: THIS EXHIBITION WAS THE SECOND HELD AT THE NEW QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY FROM THE ROYAL LIBRARY AT WINDSOR CASTLE. 'LEONARDO DA VINCI: NATURE STUDIES FROM THE ROYAL LIBRARY, WINDSOR CASTLE' WAS PRESENTED IN 1984. THE FIFTY DRAWINGS AND WATERCOLOURS IN 'A STUDY IN GENIUS .. .' WERE SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE RICHNESS AND DIVERSITY OF THE ROYAL COLLECTION. THE EXHIBITION, SHOWN FROM 23 SEPTEMBER TO 6 NOVEMBER 1988, WAS SPONSORED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS AND ORGANISED BY THE ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. It is my happy lot this evening to introduce Sir John Mason, who has kindly agreed to open this exhibition of master drawings and watercolours from the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, entitled 'A Study in Genius'. Before doing so I should like to thank, on behalf of the Trustees and the staff of the Gallery, Pat Boody, Manager, Australian and New Zealand Airports, British Airways, the sponsor of the exhibition. Their generosity has made it possible for the exhibition not only to come to Australia but to be shown in three State Galleries.' All those who have seen, or are about to see, these masterpieces will, I have no doubt, wish to associate themselves with my very warm thanks to British Airways. Tonight is a significant occasion for the Gallery and yet, in a way, it is also a sad one in that it marks the opening of the last of the great so-called blockbuster exhibitions that have graced the Gallery throughout this extraordinary year of Expo and the Bicentenary. The year began with an exhibition of Aboriginal art entitled 'The Inspired Dream: Life As Art in Aboriginal Australia', which opened in January and still remains on display. 2 It continued with 'Masterpieces from the Louvre' in April, 'The Great Australian Art Exhibition' in May, 'Ceramic Traditions of Japan' in July, and 'Gold of the Pharaohs' in August.3 It has certainly been a busy and exciting year for the Gallery. In all, more than half a million people have visited the Gallery and more than 228 000 paid to enter those exhibitions, for which a charge was made. Now we have 'A Study in Genius'. Although 'A Study in Genius' is dominated by European masters, particularly Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Di.irer, it is, in a sense, the most British of all the exhibitions, stemming as it does from the very heart of the Empire and Commonwealth, Windsor Castle, and containing at its chronological end a· series of splendid and typically British watercolours. It seemed to us, therefore, that it should be opened by a distinguished Englishman, one moreover with close ties to this country and even, if possible, to this State. In Sir John Mason we found such a person. I first got to know Sir John in the early years of this decade when he was the British High Commissioner to Australia. Like all heads of mission-Ambassadors and High Commissioners alik~e was, of course, required to live in Canberra. Like all sensible Heads of Mission, he spent as little time there as possible. And so, ably 47