Anne Von Bertouch

Anne Von Bertouch (1915-2003) was a gallery director of the Von Bertouch Galleries in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia believed to be the first commercial gallery outside a capital city in Australia.

Born Anne Catherine Whittle, she was educated at Sydney Girls High School and Armidale Teachers College, and married Roger Von Bertouch in 1939. They lived in Tasmania where they taught and she studied at Hobart Technical College before moving to Myall Lakes in 1951 to live an alternative lifestyle. Her novel "February Dark" (runner-up in The Sydney Morning Herald Literary Award) was based on that experience. Her other published works include "The Ride Home" and a text on sculptor Guy Boyd.

Anne Von Burtoch was awarded honorary master's degrees by the universities of Newcastle and New England and was awarded a medal in the Order of Australia in 1979. Newcastle University also awarded her an honorary doctorate of letters.

Anne Von Burtoch died in 2003, leaving her von bertouch galleries to two beneficiaries, her artistic great niece Cassandra Bird and Gael Davies.Gael Davies forced the sale of the Gallery through the Supreme court, after rejecting several offers from Cassandra to buy the gallery at half the value. Cassandra Bird was the last remaining hope the gallery would continue. It is strongly believed that Gael Davies destroyed the future of the much loved von Bertouch Gallery out of greed for money.

Sources

* [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/01/1051382045354.html Arts supporter one of Newcastle's favourite daughters] Sydney Morning Herald Obituary