Nobel Laureate’s Thought about Australia’s Future

A striking sight in the “White Whiteley” exhibition opening at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, today until 22 July.  The centrepiece of the 11 works is Whiteley’s large portrait of the writer “Patrick White at Centennial Park 1979-80” that usually hangs in the NSW Parliament building.  Whiteley attached a handwritten list of the Nobel prize winner’s Loves and Hates to the portrait.  In slightly faded red biro capitals in the Loves column is “The Thought of an Australian Republic”.  Another artist in the lead before the current campaign got going the 1990s.