Shorten, Bill, MP

Mr SHORTEN (Maribyrnong—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): Betty Churcher was a storyteller, a trailblazer and a national treasure. She was a masterpiece of her own making and became our country's most loved and respected cultural communicator. Her 84 years enriched our nation and the way we saw ourselves. Betty Churcher was the National Gallery's first and, as of today, its only female director. She indeed established a glowing reputation for the calibre of exhibitions she brought to the gallery. Betty served as director for seven years, a period that was highlighted by her lifelong passion for art and a compelling desire to share her love of art with Australia. Betty brought historic and significant exhibitions to our country—schools and styles that Australians had never seen before. She could digest, analyse and assess a work of art and yet still engage with it on an emotional level, responding with love as well as expertise. In a subjective industry, she had a rare gift of crystallising the essence of a work of art and sharing its magic with those around her. After she left the gallery, Betty's love of art and her passion to share it with Australians did not end. Betty spent her final years sharing hidden and unknown acquisitions of the National Gallery of Australia in her ABC TV show Hidden Treasures. Betty Churcher will always be remembered as a beloved teacher and an adored leader in Australia's arts community. She and her husband, Roy, shared a love of life and a love of creativity and art that they have passed on to their four sons and seven grandchildren. Labor extends its condolences to all of Betty's family and friends.