Aboriginal art safeguarded by trust

The owners of one of the world’s largest private collections of Aboriginal Art are setting up a trust to secure the collection’s future.
Artists Gordon and Elaine Syron have been scouring Sydney for a ‘Keeping Place’ for their $1.5 million collection for months and are no longer able to look after the artwork.
Gordon, 69, and Elaine, 66, met with Wagga Wagga Liberal MP Daryl Maguire last Monday to discuss the trust after the rejection of their third pension application.
“We don’t know how we’re going to get by,” Elaine said.
“We applied to go on an aged pension but have been rejected twice becauset hey said we have too much art. We have been trying to sell our collection for so many years that it is so wrong to have this as the reason.”
Mrs Syron said she was hopeful about the future of the collection knowing the trust could be overseen by luminaries such as Michael Kirby, Philip Ruddock and Govenor Marie Bashir.
The Syrons had previously been campaigning to set up an Aboriginal cultural centre on Oxford St or in Barangaroo with little success.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said: The City has previously expressed interest in buying some of the photographs and other item from the collection however maintaining and storing a collection of this size and providing accommodation to house it is beyond the City’s scope.”
“The City recognises that Keeping Place has national significance and agrees that it should be protected and maintained.
“The City has assisted the Syron’s with the valuation and cataloguing of the collection and I have made representations on their behalf to relevant Government Ministers.”
The Syrons said the failed campaign to establish Sydney’s first dedicated Aboriginal cultural centre was a sign of how undervalued Aboriginal culture is in Australia.
“I have to overcome some obstacles with how the system works,” Mr Syron said.
Mr Syron said Edmund Capon was one of a host of artistic and political leaders to ignore the cultural and historical significance of the collection.
“He’s never even seen the collection. Some people just care about Picasso,” he said.
Edmund Capon said he had never heard of the collection before.
Mr Syron blasted Australian artistic and political leaders for ignoring not just Aboriginal art but also Aboriginal culture and history.
“It’s going to be just like the Middle East. Everyone thinks they know what’s best for the Arabs.”
Artist and Addison Road Art Centre manager Terry Cutcliff said: “Very few people have any interest in art of the betterment of Aboriginals.”
“It will be a national disgrace if it [finding a place for the collection] doesn’t happen.”