GOVERNOR’S GIFT

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 4 March 1935, Page 7

GOVERNOR’S GIFT

PAINTING OP LORD RUTHERFORD FOR NATIONAL ART OALLERY UMPIRE'S GREATEST SCIENTIST . £By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 2. An interesting: ceremony took place prior to the meeting of the board of trustees of the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum yesterday, when His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, offered to the board of trustees for the national gallery collection ,a portrait painting of Lord Rutherford of Nelson.

Asking the trustees to accept the gift His Excellency referred in eulogistic terms to Lord Rutherford, whom he regarded as the Empire’s most distinguished scientist. Lord Rutherford had been lionouored by his fellow scientists when Mr Oswald Birley, the eminent artist, who is also a native of NeAV Zealand, was commissioned !to paint his portrait for presentation to the Royal Institution at London, as that privilege had been accorded to a very limited number of persons. He had felt, continued Lord Bledisioe, that it was a great pity that no portrait of Lord Rutherford had been secured for public exhibition in the Dominion, and he had therefore arranged with Mr Birley to paint a replica of the portrait painted for the Royal Institution. He would leave it to the judgment of the trustees to decide whether the portrait now before them was worthy of inclusion in the gallery.

The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, replied on "behalf of the board that they were most happy to accept the portrait for the Dominion and to arrange for a fitting place for it on the Avails of the gallery Avlien completed. His Excellency could rest assured that the people of the Dominion Avould deeply appreciate his most generous and thoughtful action. From many quarters, Mr Forbes continued, there had come a suggestion that the close connection of His Excellency with the Dominion and the affectionate regard which he had instilled into the hearts of the people might be perpetuated by a portrait in the national gallery, and the trustees would be most grateful if he could see his way to consent to sit for a portrait by some eminent artist Avlien he returned to England, the portrait when painted to be purchased and form part of the National Art Gallery collection. The board trusted that the proposal would be acceptable to His Excellency and assured him that they A\*ould feel greatly honoured by his gracious acceptance. His Excellency replied that he was deeply touched by the evidence of goodwill displayed in the proposal, and he would feel it a great honour if his portrait were included in the National Art Gallery. At the subsequent meeting of the board the folloAving resolutions were unanimously passed: “That the board accepts with great pleasure the gift of the portrait of Lord Rutherford of Nelson for the National Art Gallery, and records its deep appreciation of the action of the Gov-ernor-General in presenting the portrait to the Dominion of New Zealand for its national collection.” “That the members of the board of trustees record their deep appreciation of the keen interest taken in the National Art Gallery, Dominion Museum and . carillon by His Excellency.”,