Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

Fairweather, though born and brought up in Scotland, spent his most productive years in Queensland and is now universally regarded as an Australian painter. This, coupled with his interest in Asia, makes him an especially significant artist from this Gallery's point of view. There has been only one retrospective exhibition of his work, and that was also in this Gallery-almost thirty years ago. I will let Mrs Churcher tell you the rest of the story and there is nobody better able to do so. Moreover, we can be proud that Brisbane can claim her as 'a native daughter', if I may put it that way. Her career in the world of art has been a very distinguished one and it is hard to pick out the highlights because almost all of it has consisted of highlights. She has been Dean of the School of Art and Design at the Phillip Institute of Technology in Victoria, she has chaired the Visual Arts Board and the Policy and Research Committee of the Australia Council, and she has been Deputy to the Chairman of the Council itself. She has chaired the Council of the Australian Art Museum Directors and the National Cultural Heritage Committee. She has been a member of the Senate of Murdoch University and of the National Committee of UNESCO. She has written two books-Understanding Art and Jon Molvig: The Lost Antipodean, for one of which she received the London Times Senior Award. In 1989 she received the Australian Institute of Management Award for Women and in 1990 she was made a member of the Order of Australia. And I have left the best till last. In 1987 she was appointed Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the first woman to become a Director of a State Gallery, and in 1990 she was appointed to her present position as Director of the National Gallery of Australia. Throughout her career she has, to borrow an expression from the racecourse, taken on all comers at level weights and defeated them. Her run of successes has certainly not been the result of a quota system. So you will agree, I think, that we are very fortunate to have Mrs Churcher with us tonight. I have been wondering how I could best describe her when concluding my remarks. One must be very circumspect in these days of political correctness when referring to a member of what used to be called the 'fair sex', and I was reminded of this when I read the other day that a man had been taken to task for expressing his pleasure that a certain important job had gone to a 'pretty woman'. I shall not commit a similar solecism. I shall simply say that I am delighted that a person who combines ability, beauty and intelligence is opening this exhibition. Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs Churcher. 27 Speech to introduce M. Germain Viatte, Director, National Museum of Modem Art, Paris to open 'Matisse', 28 March 1995 NOTE: THIS EXHIBITION WAS INITIATED AND CURATED BY THE QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR, DR CAROLINE TURNER, WORKING WITH MATISSE SCHOLAR DR ROGER BENJAMIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AND WAS ORGANISED IN ASSOCIATION WITH ART EXHIBITIONS AUSTRALIA LIMITED. THE EXHIBITION'S SIGNIFICANCE WAS RECOGNISED BY ITS INCLUSION IN THE CULTURAL 96