From 1912 to 1972, the Historic Memorials Committee and the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board engaged Australian Prime Ministers in a scheme to subsidise the visual arts and build a national collection.

Established by Andrew Fisher, the bi-partisan scheme proceeded slowly until the enthusiasm of Robert Menzies expanded its budget exponentially.   With Menzies’ clever support, the CAAB filled Australian public and official buildings with works of art, sent exhibitions to and from Australia, managed the image of the nation and planned the National Gallery. These initiatives took place when the arts, indeed, being ‘arty’ were challenges to a public narrative of cheerful sporting conformity.  

The Board is overlooked, underestimated, indeed, derided. Latterly, attention to its work has been filtered through limited understandings of the art, personal, and national politics of the time. Reasons for this include personal ambition, overwhelming devotion to the Whitlam era, and that CAAB members allowed themselves to be characterised as out-of-touch conservatives while establishing the visual arts infrastructure and industry.

This papers contextualises the Board’s work, and Menzies’ role. It also discusses the implications for visual artists of Whitlam’s Australia Council's 19^th century concepts of culture, which replaced the market-based economic model which had informed the program.