Skip to main content
Menu

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Robert Oatley AO

1928–2016

11 January 2016

The Chairman, Board, Director and all the staff of the National Portrait Gallery mourn the loss of one of our Founding Benefactors, Mr Robert Oatley AO, who died on Sunday. He was 87 years old.
 
Mr. Oatley’s accomplishments in business and sport were legion, and he will long be remembered for his pioneering work as a wine maker: founder in 1969 of Rosemount Estate and, later, Robert Oatley Vineyards; proprietor of Hamilton Island resorts; as a brilliantly successful competitive yachtsman - winner with Wild Oats XI of a record number of eight Sydney to Hobart yacht races; as a breeder of cattle and thoroughbred racehorses, and as a philanthropist - active in the fields of medical research, Olympic sports, and the arts. 
 
It was through his firm and longstanding friendship with our Founding Patron, the late L. Gordon Darling AC CMG, originally forged by common business interests in Papua New Guinea (coffee), that Mr. Oatley was brought into the circle of the fledgling National Portrait Gallery. He was one of a small number of our earliest major supporters who, in 2001, with immense generosity secured for the nation after protracted negotiations the magnificent portrait of Lieutenant James Cook, RN, by John Webber.  This multi-million-dollar acquisition went a long way toward hoisting the banner of National Portrait Gallery as a major collecting institution. He continued to support us until the day he died, for, since our formal establishment in 1998, every drop of wine that has been served to guests of the Gallery at public events, large or small, has been provided gratis by Robert Oatley Vineyards.  This is a quite remarkable record of munificence and hospitality - entirely congruent with the immensely generous character of the man.
 
To Bob Oatley's wife Valerie; to his three children Sandy, Ian and Ros; and to his numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the National Portrait Gallery extends our sincere condolences in their loss, a loss in which many Australians, seafarers and others, will also share. Without him, and others like him, the National Portrait Gallery would not have prospered as it has through the past eighteen years. 
 
We shall forever strive to remain worthy of the unfailing support and commitment of our Founding Benefactor, Mr Robert Oatley AO.
 
Dr Helen Nugent AO
Chairman
 
Angus Trumble FAHA
Director

7 portraits

1 Portrait of Captain James Cook RN, 1782 John Webber, Currently on display. 2 Jasperware medallion of Captain James Cook, 1779 Wedgwood and Bentley. 3 The Death of Captain Cook, 1784 Francesco Bartolozzi, William Byrne after John Webber. 4 Omai, A Native of Ulaietea, 1774 Francesco Bartolozzi after Nathaniel Dance. 5 The Royal Society medal in commemoration of Captain James Cook, 1784 Lewis Pingo.

Related people

Mr Robert Oatley AO

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency