The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.

Resignation of David Gonski AO as Chairman of the Australia Council

The Minster for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, today announced Mr David Gonski AO had advised that he is resigning as the Chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, effective 30 June 2006.

“Working with Mr Gonski has been a great pleasure and I am extremely grateful for his loyal and dedicated service,” Senator Kemp said.

“Mr Gonski has proved to be an outstanding Chairman of the Australia Council, and his presence and exemplary leadership will be sorely missed. As one of Australia’s great arts champions, David has brought both enthusiasm and experience to the task of overseeing the Council’s activities.

“Mr Gonski has driven a major period of reform at the Australia Council, including the significant structural improvements made to the Council in 2005.”

David Gonski AO was appointed as the Chairman of the Australia Council in May 2002 and reappointed in May 2005.

“I have been honoured and privileged to serve as Chairman of the Australia Council. The Australia Council is filled with hard‑working and committed staff, and the members of the governing Council have been very supportive”, Mr Gonski said.

“I’m pleased to have been able to achieve all that I set out to do, and it is now time for a new Chair to take over and guide the Australia Council into a new era.”

Apart from his work on the Australia Council, Mr Gonski has served the arts in many other ways, and in recent years he has been highly effective in promoting the value of the arts to corporate Australia, and in forging new approaches to philanthropy and workplace giving for the arts.

Senator Kemp said the Government was well advanced in considering likely candidates to succeed David Gonski as Chair of the Australia Council and an announcement would be made in due course.

MELBOURNE

12 May 2006