Anne Von Bertouch
Anne Von Bertouch (1915–2003) was an author and 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. Early life. Born Anne Catherine Whittle, on 29 June 1915 in Eastwood, Sydney, New South Wales. 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. Career. The von Bertouch Galleries opened on  9 February 1963. The gallery showed work by nationally prominent artists as well as artists associated with the Hunter Region of New South Wales, including still-life painter Margaret Olley (1923-2011), landscape drawer Shay Docking (1928-1998), mid-century modernist painter and textile designer Mary Beeston (b. 1917), naïve artist Virginia Geyl (b. Holland 1917- d.1999) and the surrealist/religious painter Rona Scott, who created a mural for the film Tommy when it came to Australia. Awards. Anne Von Bertouch 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. Von Bertouch was a recipient of the 1987 Newton-John alumni award. The University of Newcastle also awarded her an honorary doctorate of letters. Author. Her novel "February Dark" (runner-up in The Sydney Morning Herald Literary Award) was based on her experience of life in Myall Lakes. Her other published works include "The Ride Home" and a text on sculptor Guy Boyd. Death. Anne Von Bertouch died on 26 April 2003.