Betty Churcher AO (1931–2015) was a leading Australian arts educator and administrator. During her esteemed career, Churcher was the first woman to lead an Australian tertiary education centre as Dean of the School of Art and Design at Phillip Institute of Technology in Melbourne (1982–1987), the first woman to lead a state gallery as Director of Art Gallery of Western Australia (1987–1990) and the first and only woman Director of the National Gallery (1990–1997) to date. Established in 2022 as part of the National Gallery’s Gender Equity Action Plan, the Betty Churcher AO Memorial Oration is a major annual event featuring leading women in the arts who inspire creativity, inclusivity, engagement and learning. Find out more: nga.gov.au/on-demand/betty-churcher-memorial-orati…