history

In its various incarnations, Art & Australia has enjoyed a long and rich history as Australia's premier art journal. Art and Australia was first published in 1963 by Sam Ure Smith. The magazine was the successor to an earlier magazine, Art in Australia, which was published and edited by Sam's father, Sydney Ure Smith, between 1916 and 1942. In the early 1990s Art and Australia was purchased by international publishers Gordon & Breach. In 2001 Art & Australia returned to Australian ownership and in 2003 it was acquired by Eleonora Triguboff, who is now Publisher and Editor in Chief.

The magazine continues to evolve, focusing now on the latest developments in Australian and international contemporary art, and on encouraging emerging artists. The quarterly publication approaches art in innovative and daring ways, continuing to seek the highest quality writers and reproduction values, while retaining a respect for traditional art history.

Mervyn Horton was founding editor of Art and Australia from 1963-83, followed by Elwyn Lynn (1983-87), Jennifer Phipps and Leon Paroissien (1987-92), Dinah Dysart (1993-96), Hannah Fink (1996-97), Laura Murray Cree (1997-2003), Claire Armstrong (2003-06) and Katrina Schwarz (2006-2008). Art & Australia is currently edited by Michael Fitzgerald.

Since 1963 Art & Australia has had a range of distinguished editorial advisers, including James Gleeson, John Olsen, Laurie Thomas, John Brack, Ursula Hoff, Kym Bonython, Geoffrey Dutton, Guy Grey-Smith, Daniel Thomas and Robert Haines and more recently, Sasha Grishin, Deborah Hart, Jennifer Isaacs, Jeanette Hoorn, Louise Martin-Chew and Ted Snell.

The Art & Australia advisory board:

• Gregory Burke - Director, The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada
• Rex Butler - Art critic, author and Senior Lecturer in the School of English, Media and Art History at the University of Queensland, Brisbane
• Joanna Capon OAM MA - Art historian, industrial archaeologist, curator and writer
• Max Delany - Director, Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne
• Brian Ladd - Head of Public Programmes, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• Victoria Lynn - Curator and writer
• Justin Paton - Senior Curator, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu, New Zealand
• Dr Gene Sherman - Chairman and Executive Director, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF), Sydney
• Anna Waldmann - Director of Visual Arts, Australia Council for the Arts
• Nick Waterlow OAM - Director, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney