Dinner in honour of Mr Tim Fairfax AC

Outgoing Foundation President, QAGOMA Foundation Mr Tim Fairfax AC and QAGOMA Trustee Mrs Gina Fairfax AC; Incoming Foundation President, Ms Liz Pidgeon; Chair, Board of Trustees, QAGOMA, Mr Paul Taylor; Director, QAGOMA, Mr Chris Saines CNZM; Former Chair, QAGOMA, Emeritus Professor Ian O’Connor AC; QAGOMA Foundation Committee Members and staff; guests. 

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Jagera and Turrbal peoples, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging. 

As Joint Patrons of QAGOMA, Graeme and I are delighted to welcome you here tonight for this special dinner to honour and thank Tim Fairfax AC for the exceptional contribution he has made to our State and to the cultural life of Queenslanders through his association with the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art.  

And really, what better room in Fernberg to celebrate this milestone with you all tonight than here in the Drawing Room, surrounded by some stunning artworks on loan from QAGOMA, especially selected by Graeme and me to celebrate Queensland’s vibrant culture and landscapes, from the beaches of Surfers Paradise, to the ridges of the Glass House Mountains and beyond. 

As all of you will know, in addition to the extraordinary financial gifts that have helped the Gallery to build a significant cultural asset for our State, Tim has been a committed member of the QAGOMA Foundation for 25 years and has chaired its Committee since 2012.  

Over those years, he has quietly led by example and given unstintingly of his time, experience and expertise.   

These are extraordinary gifts in themselves in a nation where ‘philanthropy’ is a concept that is still poorly understood, despite 50 years of effort by Philanthropy Australia and by Life Members like Tim and Gina to encourage us to think beyond buying a raffle ticket at our local school or making an annual tax-deductible donation.  

As a nation we may be one of the most generous in the world when it comes to donating to charities, but philanthropy requires thinking beyond the benefit of a single tax deduction–it’s an investment in the future, and in this regard Tim, Gina and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation have provided a superb example since they established the Foundation in 2008, enabling a diverse range of organisations to create opportunities for those living in rural, regional and remote parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory.  

The Foundation has also helped to shift our national thinking in subtle but powerful ways, such as using the term “for-purpose” rather than “not-for-profit” to describe an organisation. But arguably the greatest shift in perception has been within the beneficiary organisations themselves where financial support is no longer seen as a gift without expectation of return.  

Passion and need alone are not enough; support comes only with a sound, well-argued business case, and a demonstrable return on investment.  

There are many examples I could cite but let me give you just one––the children’s program associated with QAGOMA’s Asia Pacific Triennial. This marvellous program has been a highlight since the very first Triennial, but with the support of the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation since 2009, it has seen astonishing growth.  

This year, the Asia Pacific Triennial Kids On Tour program reached a total of 30,500 people through schools, libraries, community centres and galleries across all 77 council areas in Queensland. That sort of leadership is inspirational.  

Tim has been thanked and acknowledged by the Gallery on many occasions during their long association, notably through the marvellous 2016 exhibition10 that showcased the numerous artworks acquired through Tim’s generosity.  

In addition, Tim and Gina have both been acknowledged through being made Companions of the Order of Australia, the highest possible Australian honour, and Tim has received no fewer than three honorary doctorates from Queensland universities–as well as acknowledgement as a Queensland Great in 2013 and as Australia’s Leading Philanthropist in 2021.  

But tonight, as he steps down from leadership of the QAGOMA Foundation Committee, I am proud to be able to congratulate and thank Tim in my role, as governor and representative of our King, Charles the Third, on behalf of all Queenslanders, for his commitment and humility as a volunteer. 

I also thank him for all that he has done, together with Gina and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, to create cohesive, inclusive communities, stimulate opportunities, and build rich and rewarding lives for the people of this State, wherever they may live. 

Thank you.