Dame Margaret Guilfoyle

Although appointed before 1980, Guilfoyle’s significance continued into the 1980s.

She was the first woman to hold a portfolio with substantial economic responsibilities, serving as Minister for Finance — breaking the traditional gender line of a major economic cabinet role.

The dual-toned nature of Forest Blue behaves like an analytical dissection on the textured ground.

Structured deep teal splits away from shadowy forest green, pooling into the intricate valleys of the tissue. Where it bleeds at lower left it creates a mist-like atmosphere, remaining sharp within the structure of her hair and features.

The physical separation of the pigment mirrors the work: it refuses to remain a singular, passive colour, instead breaking into complex parts across a rugged surface — as she broke down rigid frameworks of mid-century Australian economic policy.