In 2001 Major General Elizabeth Cosson received the Conspicuous Service Cross, a military award for her achievements as the Chief of Staff, Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (Military Division) on Australia Day 2011 for exceptional service. Cosson wears both medals in this portrait.
Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958) enlisted in the Australian Army in 1979. In 2007 she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Major General in the Australian Army. Throughout her distinguished military career, Cosson held significant logistics and administrative positions, including serving in East Timor. In 2006, she reported on the repatriation of Private Kovco’s body from Iraq. The following year, she was appointed head of National Operations. Cosson retired from the defence force in November 2010 and joined the Australian Public Service.
Artist Richard Larter OAM (1929 - 2014) received the Medal of the Order of Australia in June 2011 for service to the visual arts. Larter scanned drawings, photographic enlargements and collaged cut-outs and transferred them onto canvas using an ‘Arizona 250 GT’ UV flatbed printer. The helicopters reference Cosson’s commendation for her work in improving the availability and deployment of Black Hawk helicopters in Cambodia.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2013
© Richard Larter/Copyright Agency, 2021
Richard Larter (2 portraits)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Christopher Chapman describes the art and life of Australian artist Richard Larter.
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