Audio on demand

Former National Gallery of Australia director Betty Churcher and art scholar Dr Caroline Turner discuss Bob Edwards’ contribution to persuading overseas gallery directors to allow exhibitions of masters to come to Australia.

A discussion on John Elliott’s portrait of Bob Edwards at the National Portrait Gallery and how it portrays elements of Bob’s character, including his cultural diplomacy and advocacy for Australia’s Indigenous people.

The man of the moment, Bob Edwards, responds to messages from friends and colleagues who paid tribute to his work.

Childhood friend Dick Richards provides an insight into Bob Edwards’ early years, from growing up on family farms on the Adelaide Plains, to market gardening, the Royal Geographic Society and his anthropological studies.

A welcome by Andrew Sayers followed by Neil MacGregor’s reflections on Bob Edwards as museum curator, anthropologist and archaeologist, founding director of the Aboriginal Arts Board and exhibitions wheeler and dealer.

Former members of the Aboriginal Arts Board describe the years of its establishment under the directorship of Bob Edwards.

After introductions by Andrew Sayers and Dr Margo Neale and a welcome to country by Matilda House, Mawalan 2 Marika speaks on behalf of the Marika family, followed by Franchesca Cubillo, senior Indigenous art curator at the National Gallery of Australia.

Anthropologists Howard Morphy and John Carty, and senior curator Mike Pickering, discuss Indigenous art from the Western Desert and Arnhem Land, and how art from both regions reflects concepts of Country, family and memory.

Margo talks about the new exhibition of Aboriginal artworks sent from Catholic missions in the north and west of Australia to the Vatican that recently opened at the Vatican’s Ethnological Museum and coincided with the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop.

Artist Mandy Martin, historian Libby Robin and zoologist Chris Dickman join Guy Fitzhardinge from Desert Channels Queensland for an insightful discussion that explores partnerships, art and writings about conservation around our desert rivers.