Brian Rudman: Generosity ensures rich legacy for all

If Auckland were to be judged by the generosity of its benefactors, then it certainly is becoming world class.

Just over a month ago, local businessman and philanthropist James Wallace, announced plans to put his $50 million collection of modern New Zealand paintings on permanent public display at the Auckland City-owned Pah Homestead, in Monte Cecilia Park, Hillsborough.

Now comes an equally beneficent gift from American multi-millionaires Julian and Josie Robertson who have willed 15 major "modernist" European art works to Auckland Art Gallery.

The gallery is rightly fizzing, calling the $115 million collection "the largest gift ever made to an art museum in Australasia," and "among the most generous philanthropic acts in New Zealand history."

And who am I to quibble, except to whisper it does seem a little unnecessary to start scoring generosity in such terms.

The Robertsons are part of the long procession of new and/or "honorary" New Zealanders, wanting to give back something to a country they've fallen in love with.

Sir George Grey, governor of New Zealand in the late 1840s and again in the 1860s, started it off as founding donor for Auckland's city art gallery and public library.

In the 1860s, land and gold speculator James Mackelvie's collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and other applied arts added to the art gallery's collection and helped start the Auckland Museum.

Sir John Logan Campbell's gift of Cornwall Park in 1901 is impressive as was brewer Sir Ernest Davis's 1956 gift of Browns Island in the Waitemata Harbour.

More recently Swiss-born Pierre Chatelanat and wife Jackie, gave their 843ha Kaipara Harbour farm as a reserve for all New Zealanders.

As a teenager, my family doctor was Dr Walter Auburn. His modest Three Kings surgery was lined with illustrations in elaborate frames that looked to an ignoramus from the suburbs as though they'd been ripped from ye olde books.

It was years later that I learned Dr Auburn was a renowned collector of European art prints and drawings dating back to early 1600s, including works by Durer, Rembrandt, Callot, Piranesi and Hollar. Talk about casting pearls before swine.

He gave works to the Auckland Gallery from 1958 onwards, and on his death in 1982, his magnificent collection of more than 1500 prints went to the Mackelvie Trust for display at the gallery.

Dr Auburn was born in Cologne, migrating in 1933 to Britain where took up general practice in Manchester. He served in the British army during WWII then emigrated to New Zealand in 1948.

But there are also plenty of homegrown philanthropists to be grateful to. Last night's announcement of the Robertson's generosity was in what was once Auckland's central telephone exchange.

In the 1990s, art patrons Alan and Jenny Gibbs came up with the millions needed to buy the building and convert it into The New Gallery, now the country's premier modern art public gallery.

Meanwhile, at the Auckland Town Hall, work is under way to restore the grand organ given to the city nearly a century ago, by newspaper proprietor Henry Brett.

This time, it's being funded the hard way. To make up the shortfall not paid by Auckland City Council, the restoration project is running an "adopt a pipe" project where for $100 to $1000 you can become an "organ donor."

And when it's reassembled and blasting away in all its glory early next year, the small organ donor will be able to luxuriate in the knowledge that their donation was just as important in getting the instrument back to life, as anyone else's contribution.

Now all we need is a rich donor with a decent drama/opera theatre going spare. Or one with a burning desire to build a performing space in this town. We'd be happy to name it after said benefactor and even raise a statue in their honour.

But that's for next week. For now, let's honour the generosity of Julian and Josie Robertson, Aucklanders - honorary or otherwise - extraordinaire.