Betty Churcher

Betty Churcher

Betty (Elizabeth) Ann Churcher, AO (née Cameron) (born 11 January 1931 in Brisbane, Australia) is best known as director of the National Gallery of Australia from 1990 to 1997. She was also a painter in her own right earlier in her life. She won a travelling scholarship to Europe and attended the London Royal College of Art. She received an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. in 1977.

From age 7 to 15, she attended Somerville House School paid for by her grandmother. She left school after grade 10, because her father didn't think she needed a higher education. Between 1972 and 1975, Churcher was art critic for The Australian newspaper. She was the Dean of School of Art and Design, Phillip Institute of Technology (now RMIT University) between 1982 and 1990, and director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia from 1987 to 1990. She was then appointed director of the Australian National Gallery. She has hosted several television shows in the 1990s and written several books, including The Art of War about war artists. Her son, Peter Churcher, was Australia's official war artist in the War on Terrorism.

While director of the National Gallery, she was dubbed "Betty Blockbuster" because of her love of blockbuster exhibitions and for her love of movies. Churcher initiated the building of new galleries on the eastern side of the building, opened in March 1998, to house large-scale temporary exhibitions. She changed the name of the Gallery from the Australian National Gallery to its current title. During her period the Gallery also purchased Golden Summer, Eaglemont by Arthur Streeton for $3.5 million. This was the last great picture from the Heidelberg School still in private hands.

In 1996 a portrait of Churcher painted by her son, Peter Churcher and titled Betty at Home was a finalist in the Archibald Prize. The prize is awarded for the "best portrait painting preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics". Davida Allen painted a portrait of her in 1990, titled Hey Betty.

Churcher now dedicates her time to displaying hidden artworks and lesser known acquisitions of the National Gallery of Australia in a television program called "Hidden Treasures" on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Betty is married to Roy and has four sons, Ben, Paul, Peter and Tim. She seven grandchildren: Isabel, Lucas, Saul, Charlotte, Toby, Reuben and Oliver.