Royal Queensland Art Society 125th Annual Exhibition Official Opening

Thank you for your warm welcome, Madam President. As Patron of the Royal Queensland Art Society, I was very pleased to accept your invitation to conduct tonight’s Official Opening.

There is a bit of nostalgia in this. As Chief Justice I would not infrequently visit the Supreme Courts’ Gallery to worship at the feet of your founding President Sir Samuel Griffith.

Then it fell to me to debunk an outrageous claim – from the South – that the artist of that definitive work was actually not the Society’s subsequent President Richard Godfrey Rivers. I was always an ardent disciple of Griffith, and became a respectful follower of Rivers.

Things came full circle when we moved to Fernberg a year ago. There in the Sitting Room adjacent to the Study was (and is) Daphne Mayo’s bronze of Godfrey Rivers, dating from the ‘20s.

I am still occasionally disconcerted as I leave the Study by what I perceive to be an actual living presence in the room across the corridor.

It is interesting how these things tend to intertwine, with the overarching presence for tonight’s purpose being that of your wonderful long-standing Society, led by Dr Kane at this point in an historically grand succession of Presidents. I congratulate the Society on its own illustrious history, especially to be acknowledged and applauded tonight in this 125^th year.

Before formalities began tonight, Kaye and I greatly enjoyed exploring the marvellous variety of entries submitted for this important annual competition. We certainly don’t envy the task of Dr Rhyl Hinwood as judge and, like everyone else here, we are looking forward to the announcement of the Champion of the Show. Mind you, Rhyl is a very special and privileged variety of judge – there is no right of appeal from her decision! I am sure it will be applauded!

As the representative of Her Majesty The Queen, I am particularly pleased to perform the Official Opening because it was her grandfather, King George the Fifth, who first approved the use of the ‘Royal’ prefix back in nineteen twenty-six.

The Society, then, had earned that designation because of the pivotal role its early members played in establishing the Queensland Art Gallery – and I’m pleased to note that it has continued to warrant the title ever since through its contribution and commitment to the promotion and development of the visual arts in our State.

That long and sustained effort is something the Society today can be very proud of and for which every Queenslander can be grateful.

But, while the Society can look back on its history with pride, it has been very pleasing for me as Patron to see that it is now very much a contemporary organisation with a clear vision of its future.

The successful move to this gallery two years ago was a vital step in a bold new direction, and it is evident from your newsletters, your excellent website, and your wide range of activities that the artists and art-lovers of Brisbane have willingly joined you on this journey.

The highly successful inaugural Queensland Figurative competition last year and the planned Festival of Art next year are also highly innovative developments and I heartily congratulate everyone concerned.

I also congratulate the Brisbane branch on their impeccable organisation of this major event in the Society’s annual calendar, and the State body of the Society for its continued support of the exhibition.

I know everyone here is anxious to hear the judge’s decision, so, without further delay (and I am assuming you do not want me to revisit the provenance of the portrait of Griffith; I can talk most interestingly about that at considerable length!), I must thank you once again for the privilege and pleasure of joining you for tonight’s celebration. It is my honour now to declare officially open the one hundred and twenty-fifth Annual Exhibition of the Royal Queensland Art Society.