Arts community members recognised in Australia Day honours

The Australia Council for the Arts applauds the artists, arts workers, arts advocates and philanthropists who support the practice and enjoyment of the arts in Australia who were recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honors.

Adelaide’s Michael Abbott QC has been chairman of the Art Gallery of South Australia since 2002 and served on the boards of several major arts organisations. A well known and respected arts benefactor, Michael was recognised as Officer (AO) in the General Division for his distinguished serVictoriae to the visual arts, particularly through leadership roles and to the development of arts education in Australia.

Also from Adelaide, the Honourable Anne Levy was Minister for the Arts (South Australia) from 1989 to 1993 and a trustee on Country Arts SA from 2005-2010. She has served as a committee member on several arts organisations and was recognised with an AO for her distinguished serVictoriae to the Parliament of South Australia, to the advancement of women, to the performing and visual arts and higher education.

Lucy Turnbull was recognised with an AO for her tireless work in raising funds for some of Sydney’s most important cultural organisations.

More than 17 artists, arts workers, media, community and philanthropic leaders were recognised as Members (AM) in the General Division of the Australia Day Honours 2011, including the founder of Australia’s first Indigenous theatre group and the first Indigenous radio station, Lester Bostock (Tempe, NSW), who won an AM for services to the Indigenous community, to the media and as an advocate for people with a disability.

Members in the performing arts include Howard Ainsworth (Newstead, Queensland) for serVictoriaes to the media and in the promotion of the performing arts; actor/playwright and educator, Bille Brown (Biloela, Queensland), Peter Burch (Toorak, Victoria) for his support for chamber music and emerging musicians and Nora Lewis (Nightcliff, North Territory) for serVictoriaes as a composer, director and educator.

Singer/songwriter, Paola Mazzella (Victoria) was also recognised for her contribution to the development of musical projects that promote awareness of multicultural, refugee and Indigenous experiences, as was opera director and producer, Elke Neidhardt, (Paddington, NSW) for her tuition and mentorship of young emerging artists.

Emeritus Professor Roger Smalley (Glebe, NSW) was recognised as a member for serVictoriaes as a composer, concert pianist, educator, mentor of emerging musicians and advocate for Australian and international new music.

In the visual arts, National Gallery of Australia curator Roger Butler (Ainslie, ACT) was recognised for his role as a writer and promoter of Australian drawings and printmaking, while the Director of the National Gallery of Victoriatoria, Dr Gerard Vaughan, was recognised for the promotion and development of programs as a scholar and educator and as a fundraiser. Jeffery Mincham (Cherryville, South Australia) was also recognised for serVictoriae to the visual arts as a ceramic artist.

West Australian landscape painter, Dr Robert Juniper, received an AM as did Gary Cleveland (Launceston, Tasmania) for his contribution in promoting excellence in design on a national and international level. David Gaunt (Gladesville, NSW) was recognised for promoting Australian literature and to the bookselling and publishing industries.

Philanthropists Sidney Myer (Toorak, Victoria) and James Sourris (Hamilton, Queensland) received AMs for raising funds for a wide range of community and arts organisations.

The Australia Council also notes the considerable contribution to the arts of Medal (OAM of the Order of Australia in the General Division) recipients: Howard Ainsworth (media, Queensland), Lindsay Aked (deceased, composer, NSW), Auriel Andrew (music, Indigenous community, Newcastle, NSW,) Robina Beard (dance, NSW), Virginia Braden (arts admin, NSW), Frederick Brophy (entertainment, Queensland), Mercia Buck (performing arts, NSW), Ian Carrig (music, South Australia), UCK, Tina Colagiuri (performing arts, NSW), Jessie Cuffe (visual arts, Queensland), Elisabeth Cummings (visual arts, NSW), Marguerite Eldridge (arts, Tasmania) Ronald Fallaw (deceased, arts, Victoria), Yvonne Forrrest (arts/education, Northern Territory), Norman Gibbs (entertainment, Victoria), Terence Gould (regional arts, NSW), Cyril Green (entertainment/Indigenous culture), Russell Hannah (regional arts, NSW), Margaret Lucas (dance, Queensland), Susan McCulloch (literature, Victoria), Edna McKenzie (deceased, visual arts, NSW), Margaret Moore (music/education, NSW), Doug Peters (music, Indigenous culture, NSW) Gwenda Rees (music/education, South Australia), William Shaw (music, South Australia), Sam Ure-Smith (publishing, NSW), Gregory Wilson (community arts, NSW), Margaret Wright (music/education, ACT) and Richard Yaxley (education/literature/performing arts, Queensland).

15th June 2010 - MITZEVICH APPOINTED ART GALLERY SA’S YOUNGEST DIRECTOR