The Portia Geach Memorial Award is an annual prize for Australian female portraitists. The Award was established in 1961 as a testamentary trust by Florence Kate Geach, sister of Australian painter Portia Geach, with an initial endowment of AU£12,000. The first prize given under the aegis of the Award was made in 1965, comprising a £1,000 prize to Jean Appleton for a self-portrait. In 2015, the Award was worth A$30,000.
The Award aims to support female artists working in the field of portraits painted from life, and is given based upon the field entries submitted to the Award. Under the terms of the initial endowment, the Award is designed to recognise: ... the best portraits painted from life of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters or the Sciences by any female artist resident in Australia during the 12 months preceding the date fixed by the Trustees for sending in the pictures and who was born in Australia or was British born or has become a naturalised Australian and whose place of domicile is Australia.
Previous winners Past winners of the award have been: 2025 – Michelle Hiscock,The Weather Watcher after Zurbarán 2024 – Lori Pensini, The Conversation #3 2023 – Kate Stevens, The Whistleblower (portrait of David McBride) 2022 – Lynn Savery, Kindred Spirits 2021 – Marie Mansfield, Tilly 2020 – Caroline Zilinsky, Anthea May or May Not (portrait of Anthea Pilko, dancer) 2019 – Sally Robinson, Body in a box (self-portrait) – image 2018 – Zoe Young, Drawing Storyboards (portrait of Bruce Beresford) – image 2017 – Amanda Davies, Portrait of Pat Brassington – image 2016 – Jenny Rodgerson, Bound by the big red coat – image 2015 – Natasha Bieniek, Sahara – image 2014 – Sophie Cape, Romper Stomper – image 2013 – Hélène Grove, Self Portrait. Getting On – image 2012 – Sally Robinson, The Artist's Mother – image 2011 – Kate Stevens, Indian Dream – image 2010 – Prudence Flint, Scrambled egg – image 2009 – Christine Hiller, The Old Painter 2008 – Jude Rae, Self Portrait 2008 (The Year My Husband Left) 2007 – Maryanne Coutts, Melbourne 2006 – Lucy Culliton, Self with Friends 2005 – Jude Rae, Large Interior (Micky Allan) 2004 – Nerrisa Lea, The Sheik & Me, Self Portrait with Imagined Portrait of Chad Morgan after Frida Kahlo 2003 – Wendy Sharpe, Self Portrait with Tea Cup and Burning Paintings 2002 – Vicki Varvaressos, Self Portrait with Painting 2001 – Mary Moore, At Home 2000 – Nancy Borlase, The Sisters: Marie and Vida Breckenridge – image (NPG) 1999 – Kim Spooner, Social Currency (Eva Cox) – image (NPG) 1998 – Anita Rezevska, Self Portrait – Woman from Riga 1997 – Maria Isabel, Cruz Maria 1996 – Su Baker, Self Portrait at Six Paces 1995 – Wendy Sharpe, Self Portrait with Students, After Adelaide Labille-Guiard 1994 – Jenny Sages, Ann Thomson 1993 – Aileen Rogers, Suzanne Mourot 1992 – Jenny Sages, Nancy Borlase and Laurie Short – image (NPG) 1991 – Rosemary Valadon, Frances Joseph 1990 – Jenny Watson, Self Portrait 1989 – Jenny Sands, Alex Karpin 1988 – Margaret Ackland, Shay Docking 1987 – Christine Hiller, Self Portrait 1986 – Christine Hiller, Self Portrait 1985 – Gwen Eichler, Dianne Fogwell 1984 – Margaret Woodward, Madeleine Halliday 1983 – Margaret Woodward, Self Portrait 1982 – Brenda Humble, Virginia Hall 1981 – Susan Howard, Jenny Kee 1980 – Judy Pennefather, Venie Schulenberg 1979 – Ivy Shore, Kondelea (Della) Elliott 1978 – Dora Toovey, Senator Neville Bonner 1977 – Ena Joyce, George Lawrence 1976 – Jocelyn Maughan, George Bouckley 1975 – Mary Brady, Elizabeth Rooney 1974 – Lesley H Pockley, Hugh Paget 1973 – Sylvia Tiarks, Self Portrait 1972 – Elizabeth Cummings, Jean Appleton 1971 – Mary Brady, Larry Sitsky – image (NPG) 1970 – Dora Toovey, Self Portrait in Landscape 1969 – Vaike Liibus, Guy Warren 1968 – Bettina McMahon, Self Portrait 1967 – Jo Caddy, Lawrence Daws 1966 – Mary Brady, Grahame Edgar 1965 – Jean Appleton, Self Portrait
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