Jim McClelland (1915-1999) was a lawyer, politician (senator for NSW 1971-1978), judge and columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald (1986). He was chairman of the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Weapons Tests in Australia , 'Maralinga', (1984-1985). McClelland held a number of senior positions including Minister for Labor and Immigration (1975) and Chief Judge of Land and the Environment, NSW Court (1980-1985). He was a great patron of the theatre in Australia and was a founding chair of Company B at Belvoir Street as well as founding chairman of the Sydney Theatre Company. McClelland, known for his flashy appearance, acquired the nickname "Diamond Jim" twenty years after this portrait was painted.