Noel Stapleton (1927-2017) commercial artist, began his career in Brisbane in 1944. At the age of 22 he turned freelance and moved to Sydney, where he has worked ever since, achieving considerable success in advertising and other promotional work. Stapleton painted this portrait to serve as a fund-raiser for the 'Joh for PM' campaign. The work travelled widely around the country as a centrepiece for the campaign, and many autographed copies of it were sold. Stapleton was asked to appear on 'The Mid-day Show' to promote sales, but refused, stating that as an ex-Queenslander he was happy to take Joh's money for doing the work but wanted nothing to do with the campaign. When the campaign folded in 1987 he requested the return of this original, and it came back to him in its travelling case.
