Rockhampton has the best art collection outside of any capital city in Australia - thanks to Rex Pilbeam. Now the collection can finally come out of storage and be displayed in the new Rockhampton Museum of Art.
Two portraits sit hanging side-by-side in the new opened Museum of Art which former Mayor Margaret Strelow says shows council “has taken Pilbeam’s legacy to a new level.”
Rockhampton
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Rockhampton is known as the Beef Capital – but in the arts world, it is renowned for having the best collection outside of a capital city in Australia.
It includes a catalogue of works by Australian artists Arthur Boyd, Margaret Olley, Russel Drysdale, Sidney Nolan, Jeffrey Smart, John Brack and Judy Cassab, along with indigenous art, Japanese and British art, prints, ceramics and photographs.
And now, thanks to the new $36m Rockhampton Museum of Art, that prestigious collection finally has a home where it can be displayed.
The earliest art donation to the Rockhampton council was recorded in the 1930s, a bequest from the estate of Edward Cureton Tomkins, dated late 1780s.
But it was former mayor Rex Pilbeam who took the council’s art collection to the prestigious level it is now.
Mr Pilbeam was elected in 1952 and was mayor for a record 30 years.
In 1965 he announced council’s plans to establish an art gallery in the city and two years later, one was opened in the auditorium at Rockhampton City Hall.
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam announced in 1976 a new scheme where galleries could gain a 70 per cent subsidy for each art piece, in an effort to help Australian artists.
Being the ruthless businessman he was, Mr Pilbeam took advantage of this scheme and he led an Art Acquisition Committee with Bishop John Bayton, architect Neil McKendry and then- gallery director Don Taylor.
The four men selected and purchased mid-twentieth century paintings, sculptures and works on paper, making sure to add works from almost every significant figure in modern Australian art.
In that one year, the committee acquired $500,000 worth of art for just $60,000.
That collection is now worth $17 million.
At the opening of the Rockhampton Art Gallery in 1976, Mr Pilbeam stood in front of the crowd and said:
‘I solemnly charge the future citizens of Rockhampton to maintain and advance this gallery in years to come. This is the least that we can expect of the citizens of tomorrow in return for the splendid contribution made by the citizens of today.”
Mr Pilbeam’s grandson, Rod, along with current Mayor Williams and former mayor Margaret Strelow believe this new $36 million museum meets Rex Pilbeam’s charge.
Among the dignitaries at the grand opening on February 25 was Mr Pilbeam’s grandson, Rod.
“I am very pleased to be here today in his reflective glory, I think that the challenge he issued at the time when the original gallery was opened has been more than answered with this fabulous facility here,” he said.
Not only has the new art gallery given space to display the collection that has been in storage for decades, it creates opportunities for more artists, and regionally.
“To house the legacy of the original collection, but then also to encourage visiting exhibitions and the growth of the Rockhampton collection is a terrific achievement for this city,” Rod said.
Mr Pilbeam was elected the year before Rod was born and was mayor for his entire childhood and into his early adult years.
“He was very dynamic, he always had ideas that he was working on, he was a great driver, he had been through the second World War in Papua New Guinea and he led from the front,” Rod said.
“He was very happy to get in the trenches with people and he would be seen out on the worksites and things that were going on around the place.
“I think that was part of his popularity, that he was out there with everyone.”
He also had an accountant‘s mind, having done that after the war, his grandson said.
“He would always look for every opportunity to borrow money from Federal and State Governments and get grants, subsidies,” Rod said.
“Anything that was going he made sure Rockhampton got its share.
Using up all of Federal Government’s grant and acquiring $500,000 worth of art for $60,000 is a testament to his drive and tenacity.
“This museum of course is the greatest example of pursuing an opportunity and turning it into such a winning outcome,” Rod said.
Rod left Rockhampton at age 19 and was honoured to be back for the museum opening.
“As a very happy citizen of Rockhampton from the past, I am as proud as everyone else is … the pride in him doing it, belongs to him,” he said.
“It’s just an extension of all the things he did when he was here … It’s very nice to come back to Rockhampton and see it is still cherishes the memory of the things he achieved
“He set out to put Rockhampton on the map and I think he did that.”
Mr Pilbeam was referenced many times in speeches at the grand opening of the new museum, with even Queensland Premier claiming his story should be made into a movie and Whitlam had no match to him.
When asked what he thought Mr Pilbeam would think of the new museum, current Rockhampton region mayor Tony Williams thought he would be “quite chuffed”.
“To see his passion still continuing on and this collection and what it is today,” he said.
“He planted the seed back in those early days.”
The Rockhampton Museum of Art opened with the Welcome Home collection in Gallery 1, where the paintings from Mr Pilbeam are displayed.
What is on the walls is only 10 per cent of that collection, the rest is in storage and will take years before all of the collection is displayed.
Hanging proudly one of the first walls you see as you walk in is a painting of Rex Pilbeam.
Mr Pilbeam sat for Australian artist Sir William Dargie in six sittings in 1977 for the painting.
Next to it, is a newly acquired piece which was ceremoniously unveiled as part of the grand opening festivities.
Rockhampton Regional Council commissioned, through Philip Bacon Galleries, for Australian artist Michael Zavros to paint a hyper-realistic painting of former mayor Margaret Strelow.
Zavros is highly esteemed with accolades including the world’s richest prize for portraiture, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2010 and was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial to paint a portrait of Victoria Cross winner Ben Roberts-Smith in 2013 and in 2016, painted Dame Quentin Bryce for the National Portrait Gallery.
Zavros spent two days with Ms Strelow, and she showed him around the region while he took it all in as preparation for his painting.
The work was titled “Margaret Strelow in the new Museum of Art”.
“I hope this portrait does justice to the person who was so instrumental in the building of the new Museum of Art, and it seemed absolutely right to place her in the beautifully glazed foyer, facing the river, her back to Customs House, the contemporary space beside the traditional, the future framing the past,” Mr Zavros said.
Mayor Tony Williams said it was only fitting to have a painting of Ms Strelow, who was the driving force behind the new museum.
“I have no doubt that in the years to come people will talk about Margaret’s contribution to our arts and cultural history in the same way that we do about Rex Pilbeam, who originally built this wonderful collection,” Mr Williams said.
“As the former mayor, Margaret was a passionate, unflinching supporter of the Rockhampton Museum of Art and it is absolutely a pleasure for council to honour her legacy with this incredible portrait.
“It is a fitting tribute to someone who worked incredibly hard on behalf of her community and led a council to deliver a wonderful facility for our whole region and visitors to enjoy in the decades to come.”
As the white sheet was pulled from the portrait by RMOA director Jonathan McBurnie, all eyes were on what was underneath.
Ms Strelow held back tears as she gave a speech, thanking everyone involved in the commission.
“I love the setting, I love what you’ve done, thank you so much,” she nodded to Mr Zavros.
“I feel a little bit embarrassed to be hanging beside the great Rex Pilbeam but he is a legend in this city because his legacy is the stuff of legends.
“He took a somewhat ungainly and dusty provincial city and gave it structure, he sealed the roads, he inside curbing and channelling, sewerage and barrage.
“All of those things the current council has to turn around and replace because infrastructure doesn‘t last forever.
“He understood his job was not just roads, rates and rubbish but also about nurturing the soul of the city and this city has an extraordinary soul and heritage.
“I recognised that in choosing to commission a portrait of me, the council is also recognising that the Museum of Art has taken Pilbeam’s legacy to a new level.”
Despite her hesitations and selflessness, Ms Strelow delivered many major projects in her career of 20 years in local government, 16 years of which she was mayor.
From the River Precinct, Mount Archer revitalisation, Cedric Archer Park in Gracemere, Mount Morgan CBD and the upgrade to Kershaw Gardens, she had a vision for the city.
She also had a keen eye for tourism and established the economic and tourism arm Advance Rockhampton and brought events including Rockhampton River Festival and RockyNats.
“What an extraordinary honour you’ve given me here today,” she said.
Reflecting back on the early days of the new art gallery, Ms Strelow found a note from 2013 when she talked with the CEO, Evan Pardon, about the idea of moving the collection to Walter Reid.
“The genesis of this art gallery was born in difficult times, we had deamalgamation, our economy was really going to take a major hit with that decision, we realised we had to reposition ourselves, we looked at what we had,” she said.
“I remember any number of conversations, where we talked about the riverbank, the fishing, Mount Morgan, what have we got, but always front and centre was this heritage collection, this legacy collection that Rex had left us.”
It was brainstormed over time, from the idea of Customs House and retrofitting the former SGIO building.
“Old buildings and this sort of collection don’t go easily,” she said.
“By 2015 we were starting to really formalise the riverbank project … but then it was what are going to do about the collection and about a community heart in the CBD.
“Early plans when we bought this building were to reuse the SGIO building … that gave way to this extraordinary structure we have here today.”
She thanked her councillors for being supportive and brave and said the gallery will go down in history.
“No mayor has any power in any right; every single decision was either backed at the table or not, and in this case we were blessed with council that had been around the ridges a few times and understood it needed to take bold decisions and thank every one of you for your support in that,” she said
“I know there will always be people that say what else we could have done with that money … nothing that will last.
“Anything else in 50 years time, would have to be redone by a future council.”
In closing, holding back tears again, Ms Strelow referenced a quote “be bold, you can’t shrink to greatness.”
The Rockhampton Museum of Art was funded by all three levels of government and created 165 construction jobs with more than $15 million going to local businesses, and 20 ongoing jobs.
As part of the gallery works, a pedestrian walkway was constructed between East Street to Quay Lane, knocking down two buildings so people could walk between the CBD and riverbank.
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