Although best known for his landscapes, Ray Crooke AM often painted
people indoors against a window giving onto bright light, such as this
portrait of The Rt Hon Sir Zelman Cowen (1919–2011). Academic, writer
and former Governor-General, Cowen served in the navy in the Second
World War and then went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. From 1951 to 1966
he was dean of the law faculty at the University of Melbourne, and in
1970 he became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Seven
years later, at the invitation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, he
succeeded Sir John Kerr as Governor-General; during his five-year term
he did much to restore the status of the vice-regal post. Returning to
Oxford University in the 1980s, he became Provost of Oriel College and
later Pro-Vice Chancellor. He published widely on aspects of law but
also attempted to enhance public comprehension of constitutional issues,
particularly advocating for Australia to become a republic. Cowen’s
autobiography, A Public Life, was published in 2006.
Gift of David Crooke 2011. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Ray Crooke/Copyright Agency, 2024
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