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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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General Cosgrove, Dili, East Timor 1999

2006
Rick Amor

oil on canvas (frame: 84.5 cm x 103.5 cm, support: 80.5 cm x 100 cm)

His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (b. 1947) is the 26th governor-general of Australia. Trained at RMC Duntroon, Cosgrove commanded a platoon in Vietnam in 1969-1970 and was awarded the Military Cross for leading a hard assault on enemy positions. Cosgrove’s subsequent commands included those of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and the 1st Division of the Australian Army; and he was Commandant of Duntroon from 1996 to 1998. In 1999, Cosgrove was appointed Commander of INTERFET, the international peace-keeping force for East Timor. He was Australian of the Year for 2001, Chief of Army until 2002 and Chief of the Australian Defence Force until 2005. In 2006, Cosgrove was called upon to oversee the rehabilitation of North Queensland communities in the wake of Cyclone Larry. On being sworn in as governor-general on 28 March 2014, Cosgrove became a Knight of the Order of Australia.

In this portrait from 2006, Rick Amor reconstructs a number of source images from his time in East Timor as an official war artist in 1999. The figure on the left is Cosgrove’s bodyguard, Corporal Kirsty Hearn, and the two figures at the very back, on the right, represent Rick Amor and Private Cameron Simpson of the Army History Unit.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Andrew Cannon and L. Gordon Darling AC CMG 2006
© Rick Amor/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Rick Amor (age 58 in 2006)

General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (age 59 in 2006)

Subject professions

Government and leadership

Supported by

L Gordon Darling AC CMG (38 portraits supported)

Andrew M. Cannon (1 portrait supported)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

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