Thursday, 30 July 2026
National Art School, Darlinghurst
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Thank you, Kristen.^[1]

And thank you Uncle Allan^[2] for your Welcome to Country. 

I, too, acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, Traditional Owners of the land we gather on today and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. 

Minister for many things including Heritage, Penny Sharpe;^[3] Member for Granville, Julia Finn;^[4] Director and CEO of the National Art School, Dr Kristen Sharp;^[5] Board members,^[6] lovers of art, friends, distinguished guests all… 

Housework for many is a necessary evil – for others it is a meditative mind-cleansing soul-soothing experience. As for Margaret Olley – she simply didn’t like it – for her, it was like watching life passing one by; monotonous and uninspiring.  

Rather, Olley liked “watching the patina grow.” As she reputedly said: “If the house looks dirty, buy another bunch of flowers.”^[7]  

It was this attitude that was key to Olley’s work and her success as one of Australia’s greatest still life painters of international renown. It also says so much about Olley herself, who understood that beauty doesn’t require perfection. More often it is to be found in the everyday: a rumpled cloth draped across a table; a cluttered sideboard; or a bunch of flowers, a piece of fruit – placed in just the right light.

This exhibition, Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste, invites us into that world. Through works drawn from across Olley’s remarkable career, we see an artist who found endless inspiration in the rooms and objects that surrounded her.

As I viewed the exhibition, I found myself thinking that Olley wouldn’t have had much time for the pristine beige rooms we see so much of these days. Her interiors are dark but richly hued, a statement in texture, a tangibility that, rather than jumping off the canvas, invites one into the canvas, tempting one to pick up a piece of fruit or touch the petals of a flower.

As the curators of this exhibition have said: Olley’s “work was never static; rather, it echoed the rhythms of a personal world in flux, shaped by the seasons, light and her enduring dialogue with art history”.^[8]

Indeed, Olley’s own famously cluttered terrace house in Paddington was filled with the crockery, flowers, vases and objects that inspired her still lifes.^[9] She purchased the property in the 1960s, and for over half a century it was her home and her muse. 

Throughout this legendary career, Olley wore many hats – both artistic and literal.^[10]  Her quirky personality and sardonic wit in many ways belied – or perhaps enhanced – her legacy as artist, friend, mentor and philanthropist: 

From her first sellout exhibition in 1948,^[11] until her passing in 2011, Olley dedicated her life to painting, claiming more than 90 solo exhibitions and numerous accolades across a six-decade career. 

She was a great friend: In that famous Paddington home of hers, Olley welcomed painters, writers, and critics for a cup of tea and a chat.^[12] Her larger-than-life character became an iconic part of the Sydney art scene, as did her support of younger artists, including Ben Quilty and Cressida Campbell.^[13] 

And it was her generosity that helped fund significant acquisitions and enriched regional and national institutions across the country through the Margaret Olley Art Trust that she founded in 1990.

This exhibition is a timely reminder of why Margaret Olley remains one of our most cherished and enduring artists. Her career commenced here at the beloved ‘Tech’ - now the NAS - in the 1940s, an art school that has been the birthing place of so many of our great Australian artists:

• Elisabeth Cummings OAM
• Thancoupie (Dr Gloria Fletcher James AO)
• John Olsen AO OBE
• Cressida Campbell
• Guy Warren AM. 

Fittingly, NAS recognised Olley as a Fellow in 2007. 

Whilst we could describe tonight as a night of sheer enjoyment and awe, it is a reminder not only of the importance of NAS to art education in this country, but also of the importance of art education itself – its vital role in promoting critical thought, in opening up vistas through different lenses, in giving depth to feeling. 

It is also the occasion to congratulate everyone involved: to Dr Kristen Sharp and the Board of Directors for their combined leadership; and to Katrina Cashman, NAS Gallery Manager and Senior Curator, and Christine France OAM curatorial advisor, for producing such a magnificent exhibition. You have enriched our understanding of Margaret Olley’s artistry and her immeasurable contribution to Australian culture. 

Not unlike Olley herself, the works on display are both spirited and generous: a reminder to look for beauty in the small things. And that you can never have too many flowers.

It is my great pleasure to now officially open Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste.