Bryan Westwood (1930-2000), Anthony Mason (detail), 1992, High Court of Australia, Historic Memorials Collection.

The Historical Memorial Collection (HMC) Committee has commissioned prominent artists to paint portraits of the Chief Justices of the High Court of Australia.

The HMC Committee commissioned Bryan Westwood to complete Sir Anthony Mason’s portrait. Appointed Chief Justice in 1987, Mason presided over the Mabo v Queensland No 2 (1992) case, which recognised Australian Indigenous peoples’ rights to their land according to their laws and customs. This significant ruling paved the way for the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). In his portrait Mason appears in a simple rich, black gown rather than the traditional formal robe, wig, and jabot (an ornamental lace ruffle on the front of a shirt), which were dispensed with by Chief Justices in 1988.

In 1980, portraits of Justices of the High Court were loaned to the newly built High Court of Australia, Canberra. Later, in 2013, the responsibilities for the commissioning process and the formal ownership of these official portraits were passed to the High Court. However, a number of studies for the official portraits still remain with the Parliament House HMC.