13 Facts About James Mollison

James Mollison was acting director of the National Gallery of Australia from 1971 to 1977 and director from 1977 to 1989.

James Mollison was director of the National Gallery of Victoria from 1989 to 1995.

James Mollison was education officer at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1960 and 1961 and director of Gallery A, Toorak, in 1964 and 1965.

James Mollison was director of the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery in 1967 and 1968.

From 1969 to 1971, James Mollison was the executive officer for the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board and exhibitions officer in the Commonwealth Prime Minister's Department.

Nevertheless, the Gorton Government's failure to appoint a director of the NGA required that James Mollison become involved in the development of the design for the building.

The new prime minister, William McMahon, announced the appointment of James Mollison as acting director of the NGA in October 1971, and tenders for construction of a Gallery building were called in November 1972 to house paintings which had been collected and displayed around Parliament House, in Commonwealth offices, including diplomatic missions overseas, and State Galleries since 1910.

James Mollison was notable for establishing the Gallery and building on the collection that had already been assembled of mainly Australian paintings by purchasing icons of modern western art, most famously the 1974 purchases of Blue Poles by Jackson Pollock, and Woman V by Willem de Kooning.

In retrospect James Mollison's reputation was redeemed over time, citing the attention of the purchase as being good for the gallery.

James Mollison built up the other collections, often with the help of donations.

In 1976 the newly established ANG Council advertised for a permanent director to fill the position that James Mollison had been acting in since 1971.

James Mollison retired as director in 1989 and moved to Melbourne to become director of the National Gallery of Victoria.

James Mollison was appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 1984 and promoted to Officer in 1992 for service to arts administration.