i ji~ T. *[, J" ITT
26 January 1973
GOVE~ I\ ININT ARRK', TLITmTS FOR THE ARTS
In my policy speech I mentioned my Government's
commitmecnt to the arts and our intention to legislate to
cctablish the Australian Council for the Arts as an
indenpendent and strengthened ag~ ency to carry out our policies
in this field. The policies which my Government will puLrsue will
have a two-fold objective the pursuit of excellence and
the spread of interest and participation. w-ill suplport the
national institutions and progra-t. ms whichl produce, Csutain and
display1 -the top level of professi-onal ach1ie-; vement in the arts
the major theatre companies and orchestras, the National Gallery
and collection, and smai,_ ller grup nd particular projects of
hir_-ghciual ity. J~ ut our support for establisheld oreanisations and
art forms will be bnlanced by a -strong--prog raime of encouiragement
for exferimentIL and development, and for numerous smaller groups
and individuals w--hos aciiies bring enjoyment to many people.
3o now propose to take ouir first step to improve the
,-ai Gc and effectiveness of ouir sLu.-ort for the arts at
Coan-. onvealth levcl1. W. e believe thtpublic sup'port is-best
provided through a body eztablished independently of government.
Vitalityr in the arts is frequently accompa-nied by innovation, by
controversy and by challenge to established, conventions of taste,
beliefzs and behaviour. Akrtists n'e(-d protection from--unnecesIsary
restraints, an," , overnmciats shiould bc able to resOist pressures
from those who are distj'urbed controverc-; y and chiallenge.
There are at prcae-n~ t a number of advisory bodies
assistingZ the Federal Governmu~ ent withi the administration of the
,! rts. T refer -to the Advis,-ory Committee of the Comx-ionwealth
Literary Fund, thie Commonwealth A'rt Advisory -Board, thie
Cornmittee for Cormonw:, elth Assistance to Ausitralian Com-Posers,
thec Ausi. raliar Col,! ic. P fr' 2. th; e Art,-anc the TnurnCemi] fr
Li i1atioral Fil] m and(: Telecviscion School. Thiese bodies rerfori-ed
1 ef]. yin the poact , and their beabvre p-rovidecd dedicated.
and enthlusiastic servJ Cc, inl Nalln n t over ]. rn y'r7cW
are grateful to them for their coritr-ibiticn. tpo thle cievcloprilent of
thle arts in Australina and uc, hope that -i~ t wvill be possible t~ o
continue to take nCdvarrta'oe fromr time to time of thc-, ir P-xper-ene
in i f 1. d . Ilovever, vie, be. lieve tha,-t the ra pie] e: pansion in
th xatso ov( r th e last few years: and. the1 likecly ilicatior Of
thieir fture got calls, now,. 1. or comprehensive and
c o -o inY a ted plan. Ga
I'e ar hrforc propocsing-to cr!. ate a no'.:
~ ustra] anColnci 1 for,. Arts 4 viu i int~; o h
existirig advi., or2-y boclies wi.! he resuim: ed. Thle nev Cun~ icil wi
1e e stIlseib-: an Act cf ar . vr'\: 1ci-c ' ieole v~ lIbe
introduced d-un i,. ii the next esion* Thie bas-is of th. 1e new Council.
will be seven boardls dealiyq: ' vithi diffLvrent areams of' thearts.
The fo"._ lowingc1 boards will be appo) Jin te ci--d
Theat. q're,, Visual and. P-lastic A rts, !,% u11 iterau-Lre,
CIraft i] l To] cvi,. o i or. 1o2g r rs0i
These board,_-] be th inT sour( ce of, rcolicv
ini-itiatives in their fjE-. Ic. They will1 have authcrLty to deal
vit-h their own budget allocaition and in Consultation w~ ith the
Auirali. ani Council. 2 for Thle Arts, to a] ppoint ': eil staff
Coanndi . te C to ixnnl-) er. xcrtt thieir -nc1 icieS. Theyvwill. be the
niain oo-oitc olfrrmunicaticrn % with artist: and people involved
intheir field. Th-e chairn.-an of each of these boardls will1 be
a me2: ber of the Autaio. Council-for thie A"' rts.
The new Council v. hiiv e ifretfunctions zand
corem-i-osition from the ciaigbody. It will. be res'ponsjible to
teGovern-M! iAen-t for the Cvlwetof lbroad ' ooor te ' Ii-arts
Crnmov~ e1tb lvea It w. ill advi" ac the Goveunmc o e
intatvs on ovn-r'al: L hudgotary requirjei:: eunts, wnd on miatters
r( l. ferr-eQ to it by me or by other in: Lter olr bodies It wil'], act
as. a ior'un for j; oint dj ) IAIoeuaUo_ n1' rnd cC-ordinaIted planningE. between
thev JroCu). I C) ord _ arid I-nil : L oVl; pora of commrrfon interest
and iat n ne li: ga~ rgarme iat of : r. tcr-nat-ional. cultuLral
ex-changdc,;. It ill1 provide research, adi. itaieand
C" 2 nS u _ Jan ecy s er v -i c t o thIb , Ioa-Irda, 3, a n C w; i ill beC cn a'-, lcd t. o
be bzilt on a body of c'oct stff. to) aSd> io-t in the administration
cif support for the arts. It will1.1 establish and maintain rel ations
ith State-and, local roenet tit and other boic rovidinsup-
ort in tis-fie] d..
The Council. vwill have four categ[, ories of members.
It wiinclui~ de people of broa~ gr enerail erprin e ith an interes t
in the a-rts, the chairmain of e vcrn boarcls, the seocretarie.-of those
( over nn Cerartment's E_ c ciL eCd il;: its vork and ' a num1-. ber
o f a r t i Sa a pple v; c i inr. thec ar-, t s. 2ie tecrral ef
anioitmet Iallo: fe r ilor r. oplacemen t of members so
th-at ; e may L'aw: over a oo_ 1' tir-' e the benefit of ad-, cvice
noStimulus fromn a viide ranoe ofI intcrectetd. dedicated -People.
The C'etaile1 opecrations of the ne Council. and its
boards wil-l take. s-ome. i tire. to viork out. I am., a n. xious how7ever-,
that our _ zupport for the art:.; shoild not be delayed, and that
1, aiigfor the next year a hoi1 d. not be pre udiced.. I am
theref ore 1rpinsto a ppocintA thlle new Council at oneLt s
itL to assulme rcsponsibility in thie Short tecrm for thlle continuation
of existilng prgaaisand p.-olicic-s, andi t'o -prepare for mc as Soon
apoEssijb].. e a -lan for the newogn sin . c i 1eal st
-c) roccecd ith legislative and other a rrengeiq~ mentelv-
Until the Council h-asl the oymortunity to set up its
own organisation. it wnil] 1be s-erved by the sta-ff of the presenV
Counci~ l for the Arts -vhich -: ill_ collaborw', te wvith de-partrnentul1
and other offi cers, w. ho in. the past hav with thle vario-us
Commnonialth ag~ enci cc in the arts. Drg tis peried
Dr. Jean Battero. by will act as thie Council's Iaxec-Ltive Officer.
Zruring this int-eim perLo d the -re -:: ent1 CouneiL for the Arts vill
continue to be resp_, jonsible2-for. the Theatre Arts_ and other
Common~ c~ alt or _ iations vill1 carry out** ti-icir prev-ent functions
in Consultation wit'h t", he nex! l aQpr pinted Council-*. 1
I am glad -to annoonce thnat the fiown'people have
a g reed to be foundation emrsof thl. e new Couincil_: / 3
-3-
CATEGORY I
( General Piejmbers,)
Dr. II. C. Coombz-( Chairman of the Council)
rofessor R1. I. Dcvinin(.;-, Ritchie Research
Professor of Fconomics in the
Univerfoi-2tY-of Ilielbourne
Mr. P. J. Brusey, Q0.0.
i. rs. Betty, Bura -tall
r ii. r. ( Xim) Bonytli1-on
J. L. Y-enadue, Cone ' al M'anager of Mirror-Australian-
Tele-t-raph P1ubli cations
Mr . BuiState Secretary of thie 1.7usicians Union
CA"' TEGORY I
( Cairman of the boards)
Mr. Dick FRoughoey ( Chairman of the Aboriginal. Arts Board)
Mlrs. IM-aria Gazzard ( Chairman of the Crafts Board)
Professor G. Blainey, Professor of Economic History in
the University of 1' elbourne and
rrescnt Ch. airrm,, n of the
Commorti ca: l th Literary Fund
Advisory Boart. d ( Chairman. of th) e
L itc. rat ur e B1) o ard
Mr. Donald iBan, composer ( Chairinan of the M: usic Board)
Mr. H. J. Daily, Di-rector of the A,' rt Gallery of S. A.
( Chiairman of i[ Jhe Visual and
Plastic Arts Board)
M. r. Peter Hall current architect of the Sydney Opera
Mouse; ( Chairman of the Theatre
Board(
Mr. Thililip Adams, journalist and advertising
executive ( Chairman of the Film
and Television Doard.)
CATEGORY III
( Artists and performers)
M. r. David. Vfilliamson, play'wright
Mvrs. Judith ' Vright-LMcKinney, poet
Clifton Pugh, artGist
M. Tim. Johnson, artiat
LEiss Caroline Jones21, television -journalist
Mr Don Burrows, jaz-, muasician
CATEGORY IV
( Repreoentatives of Comrionwoalth BepoxrLTments and thie,
A* DB. C.
Sir John Tunting, Secretary-oth Deartment of the
Prime M. inister and Cabinet
Sir Keith 1' aller, Secretary of the Dep,-rtment of
ForciL-; Affairs
Mr. J. H. Qawiin, Secretary of-' 7 th1-e Die-prtmerlt of the Media
Mdr. T. S. iclaimanton, General Tanag-er of the Australian
B) roadca-tinc Commission
C". 1suu re that artists and pooplo in'crosted in the
progress of the arts will wish the now Council well and I trust
that they wiill be willing as need arises to cooperate in its
important work.
CA N B E R RA. C. T. 4 9