Opera Australia Appoints Philip Bacon AM to Its Board of Directors

Opera Australia is pleased to announce today the appointment of Philip Bacon AM to the Board of Directors. Philip joins Opera Australia's other recent appointee Simon Mordant AM as part of a reconfiguration of the Opera Australia Board, designed to align with a changing business model.

David Mortimer AO, Chairman, said "I am delighted to welcome Philip Bacon AM who has accepted our invitation to join the Board of Opera Australia. Philip is a distinguished gallerist and supporter of the arts widely, with a long-standing connection to the Company rooted in a personal passion for opera. We are confident Philip will make an outstanding contribution to Opera Australia."

Craig Hassall, Chief Executive, said he was thrilled at the appointment of Philip Bacon to the Board. "Philip has been a long-standing supporter and friend of Opera Australia, with Philip Bacon Galleries working with us as sponsor for many years. We welcome Philip to the Board, bringing with him valuable connections and knowledge of the Queensland region, which is important as Opera Australia looks to re-establish a presence in the coming years. We look forward to Philip's involvement."

Philip Bacon AM - Background

Well regarded art dealer, patron and philanthropist, Philip Bacon established Philip Bacon Galleries, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane in 1974. The late 1980s saw Bacon as Art Consultant to Expo 1988 and in 1990 he was made a consultant and adviser to the Margaret Olley Art Trust, and is now a Trustee. In 1994 he became a member of the Advisory Council, Griffith University - Queensland College of Art. Bacon become a Board member of the Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival in 1996, in 1998 he was made a Board member of the Brisbane Festival and placed on the Council of Advice for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The following year saw Bacon as a board member of the Brisbane Institute and a member of the Advisory Council, Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium.

In 1994 Bacon became a member of the Board of Opera Australia, a position he held until 2010. He was a member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia from 1996 to 2003 and has been a Trustee of the Gordon Darling Foundation since 2000. He is a Founder / Benefactor of the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation and Perpetual Donor and member of the Board of the Foundation of the National Gallery of Australia, and the Board of the Opera Australia Capital Fund.

Bacon was made a Member, Order of Australia in 1999 receiving in the same year a Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) from the University of Queensland. In 2002 Bacon received a Doctor of the University from Griffith University, and Doctor of the University from Queensland University of Technology in 2005. In 2009 he was named a 'Queensland Great', and also was announced as AbaF Goldman Sachs Philanthropist of the year. In 2012 he was appointed as a Trustee of the Board of the Queensland Art Gallery, and in 2013 a member of the Queensland Government's Arts Investment Advisory Board. He was named by The Australian newspaper as one of the fifty most influential people in the arts in Australia, 2012.