President of the Senate Sue Lines, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Mrs Linda Hurley, Governor-General David Hurley, Speaker Milton Dick and artist Jude Rae. Photo: Auspic.
The portrait of a relaxed-looking Governor-General, General David Hurley AC CVO DSC (Retd), complete with Akubra hat in a bush setting, was unveiled this week at Parliament House in Canberra.
The official portrait of the King’s representative in Australia was painted by artist Jude Rae.
Unveiling the portrait, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated the artist on her “remarkable eye and the brilliance of her hand as it painted this wonderful work into being”.
“I also wanted to acknowledge the Governor-General’s own commitment to the collaboration with this fine artist. This is the second time she has painted your portrait, and what shines through in the work is a shared understanding.
“It is a portrait that captures not just a moment, but holds before us the essence of a life.”
Mr Albanese said the portrait also represented the culmination of a remarkable life of public service.
“As it hangs in place here in the heart of our nation’s democracy, this portrait will be another very welcome facet of your legacy and an enduring reminder of your example.
“Yours has been a life of compassion. A life of devotion. A life of quiet strength and a sense of courage that has always been as understated as it has been undeniable.
“Your nation thanks you.”
General Hurley, the 27th Governor-General of Australia, has been in the role since 2019 and ends his term in office in July.
He praised the artist at the official unveiling for accepting the commission and for her “skill, creativity and passion”.
He said the background of the portrait, a classic Australian bush setting that symbolised the strength and resilience of the Australian people, was the most important part of the work.
“Throughout my term as Governor-General, Linda and I have had the privilege of witnessing the strength of the Australian people, their compassion for each other and their gritty determination,” he said.
“This has often been against the backdrop of bushfires, floods, the pandemic and other challenging events.
“Those characteristics are inspiring and the cause for my optimism for our future – something I wanted reflected in the official portrait.”
Artist Jude Rae’s official portrait of the Governor-General, David Hurley, which was unveiled at Parliament House in Canberra this week. Photo: Auspic.
It is the third time artist Jude Rae has been commissioned to paint the official portrait by the Historic Memorials Committee. Her other portraits of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Anna Burke and the first Aboriginal woman to be Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, are also on display at Parliament House.
Ms Rae said she spoke to General Hurley early on to discuss what sort of portrait to create.
“When we met to discuss the painting, His Excellency suggested that bushfire regrowth might offer an appropriate symbol of hope and an acknowledgement of the strength and resilience of the Australian people during his time in office,” Ms Rae said.
The Historic Memorials Collection was established in 1911 to capture portraits of Heads of State, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Presidents of the Senate, Speakers of the House of Representatives, Chief Justices of the High Court of Australia and significant milestones in parliamentary history, including parliamentary “firsts” and major events.
The portrait of General Hurley is now on display in the Members Hall, Level 1, of Parliament House.
Original Article published by Sally Hopman on Riotact.
