Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

7 Speech to thank Mrs Hope Neill for opening 'Balance 1990: Views, Visions, Influences' and to introduce the Premier, the Hon. Wayne Goss, 9 March 1990 NOTE: 'BALANCE 1990' WAS THE FIRST MAJOR EXHIBITION TO EXPLORE AND CONSIDER 'THE MUTUALLY EXERTED INFLUENCES SHAPING ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL ART IN AUSTRALIA'. 'BALANCE 1990' WAS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING LOGISTICAL AND INTELLECTUAL EXERCISES EVER UNDERTAKEN BY AN AUSTRALIAN STATE GALLERY. THE EXHIBITION COMPRISED A COLLECTION OF 120 CONTEMPORARY WORKS AND INCLUDED TRADITIONAL AND URBAN ABORIGINAL AS WELL AS NON-ABORIGINAL WORKS, EACH CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONCEPT OF BALANCE. THE EXHIBITION WAS SHOWN FROM 22 FEBRUARY TO 29 APRIL 1990 AND WAS SPONSORED BY ARCO COAL AUSTRALIA INC. In view of the importance of today's opening, we are having more speeches than we usually have on such occasions and therefore I have tried my best to make mine shorter than it usually is-that means very short. It is my privilege and pleasure, on behalf of the Trustees, to welcome the Premier and Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Wayne Goss, to the Gallery and to introduce him to this great gathering of people representing the arts, government and business. This is not the first occasion on which the Premier has spoken at the Gallery, nor will it be the last. Indeed, on his first working day after being sworn in by the Governor, he found time to grace us with his presence and to ·speak at a reception to inaugurate the Exhibitions Development Fund, and already he has agreed to open in September what will be one of the most important exhibitions ever staged in this Gallery, 'Treasures from the Shanghai Museum'. Let me say at once-and in this I speak, not only for the Gallery, but also, I feel sure, for the art world at large--that we are delighted that Mr Goss has added to his many duties as Premier those attached to the Arts Portfolio. I hope that when the former looks like becoming too onerous, the latter will provide an effective panacea. They will certainly emphasise the importance he and his government attribute to the arts as a major contributor to the quality of life in Queensland. Mr Goss is known to have long had a keen interest in the arts, particularly in progressive art forms. I understand that, before the pressures of political life intervened, he was actively involved in fringe theatre. In keeping with this interest, he has already personally selected from the Gallery Collection some contemporary and thought-provokingworks, including several Aboriginal. paintings, to adorn the walls of his offices. We applaud this perceptive initiative. On the occasion of the Premier's first official visit to the Gallery, he emphasised his Government's wish to encourage links between the Gallery and the private sector, and this we welcome. The Government may provide us with the milk of existence-and very generously so, I may say-but we must provide the cream ourselves. ARCO Coal's support is an outstanding example of this and I would like to reiterate the Director's thanks to Mr Anderson and his Company for their generosity towards the Gallery. 68