ROBERT McFARLANE
Obituary, 14 August 2023, Memorial Adelaide
Gael Newton
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| Robert McFarlane: Hallett Cove Ocean from Robert's Mum's window, May 2006 |
Robert McFarlane was a very dear friend. For almost five decades we enjoyed each other’s company and conversations – and the love of photographs. Any time with Robert was always special.
While I curated one retrospective for Robert and contributed to other print and film assessments of his work, it is not as a curator that I wish to speak today. Any contact with Robert was always enriched by one of his sensitive and often wry observations of others or life or anything his eye fell on. That changed how you saw that subject in future.
Robert was a truly gifted word and image maker. I have been so honoured and lucky to have known him. There are many fun stories to be told – here’s one.
I met Robert on 19 June 1976. I can remember exactly as he was the official photographer for my wedding. Mysteriously other photographers I had approached were all too busy that day. They later confessed that none wanted to risk not producing the types of special wedding photos I wanted given that I was ‘that’ first ever photocurator at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
On the day, Robert turned up in a great-coat and a small Leica. Those who know Robert’s appreciation of women will not be surprised that despite there being over 50 people at the wedding, there were only a few photographs of anyone but me.
No one complained that the main record of the day was Robert’s multiple images of a magical bride. Ever since that first lively encounter, we remained friends. Those who were privileged to be his friends and associates were frequently photographed.
Over the decades as our paths constantly crossed, Robert produced multiple images of my children and myself. I suspect many of these are now in the National Library archive. In fact, I would speculate that many of Robert’s friends also have photographs by Robert now housed within that same national archive.
For me, the last images would be those taken when I saw Robert at his Hallett Cove home when I made it to Adelaide during a brief Covid lull in late 2020.
It was during a recent conversation that Robert expressed his wish as a professional artist to have “made a contribution’ to his country’s visual heritage. There is no doubt that he achieved this wish.
His work was represented in his lifetime in collections across Australia particularly in the State Library of New South Wales and now his archive is in the National Library of Australia. There are recorded interviews and a documentary that do a great job of allowing others to meet this wonderful man.
Of great comfort in his final years was the opportunity to work with archivist Cecilia O’Neill. This meant that Robert was able to have a well catalogued extensive archive acquired by the National Library. This project was supported by a 2017 award from the Jim Bettison and Helen James Foundation from his home state of South Australia.
One could wish that many senior photographers could have that support for preserving their archives.
As a curator, I had so much pleasure in looking through and acquiring Robert’s photographs. They are full of a tenderness and comprehension for his famous subjects, the everyday sitters, his theatre works and other human, urban and natural subject made for public collections.
In one of our last communiques, I sent him phone snaps of two of his images of Sydney that I had bought for myself.
I also have a delightful colour photograph he sent of birds outside the window at his home when he was very limited in moving about. (the image below is from that series - but not the one on my wall)
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| Honey Eater, Hallet Cove October 2020 |
All three are in my eyeline daily in my home and are definitely to stay with me for as long as I can enjoy them. Today I may be using words today to say ‘good bye’ to my friend who was a nationally cherished photographer and writer loved by many – but through the daily connection with his photographs at home, Robert and I can still hang out together for a while yet.
Thank you Robert for your wisdom and friendship and for the time we spent together.
I am but one of many who can say with affection that I am a better person for knowing you.
more about Robert McFarlane
more of Gael Newton's Essays and Articles
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