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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Malcolm McCusker AC CVO KC

2022
Vincent Fantauzzo

oil on canvas (support: 150.0 cm x 104.0 cm, frame: 152.0 cm x 108.0 cm)

Barrister and philanthropist Malcolm James McCusker AC CVO KC was born in Subiaco, Western Australia in 1938. He graduated from the University of Western Australia's Law School and was admitted to practice in 1961. Over the course of his career, McCusker has appeared as counsel in the Supreme Court, Federal Court, High Court, and Privy Council. He is recognised for his success in challenging legal cases, including representing wrongfully convicted persons on a number of high profile occasions.

For two decades, until the early 1980s, McCusker lectured at the University of Western Australia. In 1982 he was appointed King's Counsel (at the time named Queen's Counsel), and from 1983 until 2011, McCusker was Chairman of the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Awarded Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005 for services to the legal profession, particularly in the fields of criminal and commercial law, to the business and finance sectors, and to the community through a range of health, church, cultural and sporting organisations. In 2010, McCusker was recognised as both the West Australian Citizen of the Year – Community Service, and the West Australian of the Year.

McCusker was appointed the 31st Governor of Western Australia in July 2011, a position he held until June 2014. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, for eminent service to the people of Western Australia, particularly, through the provision of equitable access to legal representation, as an advocate for sustainable development and education, and through significant philanthropic support for a range of medical research, youth and arts organisations. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, Zhejiang University, and Curtin University.

McCusker has chaired several organisations, including Western Australia's Legal Aid Commission, Constitutional Committee, and Health Translation Network. He is Director and Chairman of The McCusker Charitable Foundation, a charity established with the aim of improving health and education that has provided significant support to a number of organisations across Australia, including the Harry Perkins Institution for Medical Research, Lions Eye Institute, Western Australian Neuroscience Research Institute, Australian Ballet, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Australian War Memorial, and the McCusker Centre for Citizenship at the University of Western Australia.

Gift of Nigel Satterley AM and Denise Satterley 2022
© Vincent Fantauzzo

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Vincent Fantauzzo (age 45 in 2022)

Malcolm J. McCusker AC CVO KC (age 84 in 2022)

Donated by

Denise Satterley (1 portrait)

Nigel Satterley AM (1 portrait)

Related portraits

1. Hugh Jackman, 2020. All Vincent Fantauzzo.
© National Portrait Gallery 2023
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

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