Letters of Note

In 1956 Mary Killen (later Turner) joined Treania Smith as co-director of Macquarie Galleries in Sydney. She remained there until 1976, during which time she developed a substantial personal collection of artworks by some of Australia's most significant artists including Kevin Connor, Ian Fairweather, Sidney Nolan, Lloyd Rees, Grace Cossington Smith and Roland Wakelin.

Thirty four paintings from this collection were presented to the City of Orange in 1982 and formed the foundation of the Orange Regional Gallery’s collection. In 2013, Mary loaned 100 additional works to the Gallery along with numerous letters from her time at Macquarie Galleries, a few of which are presented here.

They provide a fascinating glimpse into the vital role she and Treania Smith played in guiding artists’ careers, securing sales, and arranging for their material needs. The letters reveal the artists’ appreciation and concerns, and the high regard in which Mary and Treania were held.

Orange Regional Gallery gratefully acknowledges the support of Orange Regional Arts Foundation (ORAF) in the archiving of the Mary Turner’s papers.