Gil Docking

I had the pleasure of knowing Gil Docking in his later years.  He was a fixture on Cambridge Street, owning number 69 Cambridge from 1972 until he passed away in 2015 at the age of 96.  We recently profiled 69 Cambridge in the Open House section on the blog, here's the link.

Gil was known primarily for his work in arts administration.  Indeed, in 2014 he was to be awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the Arts.  He was the inaugural Director of the Newcastle Art Gallery, which was established in 1957.  The above photo dates from his period at Newcastle (he is pictured with William Dobell).  One of his claims to fame is that he identified Brett Whitely, with the Newcastle Gallery being the first to purchase his work at the age of 19.  From Newcastle he moved to run the Auckland Art Gallery from 1965.  Whilst in New Zealand Gil wrote the definitive book on New Zealand art, Two Hundred Years of New Zealand Painting.  In 1972, Gil moved to Sydney to take up a position at the Art Gallery of NSW where he served as the Deputy Director and a period as Acting Director.

As well as a distinguished art career.  Gil also served in the air force during WWII.  Flying in a squadron of Bristol Beaufighters Gil's plane was shot down over the North Sea.  He served as a prisoner of war on the German / Polish border (Stalag Luft 3A, pictured below) until being liberated by the advancing Russian army in 1945.  For more about Gil's wartime's exploits, including some more of his wartime diary, follow this link.

Gil's obituary was published in the SMH in January 2016.

Gil was married to Shay Docking.  Her profile on the blog is here.