ADELAIDE.- The Board of The David Roche Foundation today announced the appointment of Robert Reason as the Foundation’s second Museum Director with responsibility for the David Roche Collection.

Robert was educated in New Zealand attaining First Class honours in history of art at the University of Auckland before completing a post graduate diploma of art curatorship and Museum management at the University of Melbourne. This was followed by curatorial roles at Shepparton Art Museum before he was appointed Curator of European and Australian Decorative Arts at the Art Gallery of South Australia in 2002.

Whilst at the Art Gallery he co-curated the acclaimed Empires and Splendour: The David Roche Collection exhibition in 2008 through which he came to know David Roche well. In 2015 in the lead up to the opening of TDRF in June 2016, he joined the Foundation as Senior Curator becoming more lately Assistant Museum Director. Since inaugural Museum Director Martyn Cook’s untimely death in April 2019, Robert has been Acting Museum Director. Robert has been critical in ensuring the highest degree of curatorial rigour has been brought to the outstanding collection that forms The David Roche Foundation, and has also curated with Martyn Cook a number of important exhibitions including Edo Style: Art of Japan in association with the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Whilst we are all still grieving the untimely loss of Martyn Cook, we know that Martyn would be delighted that his friend and protégé has been appointed to this role. Robert also knew David Roche well and will continue to ensure that David’s extraordinary legacy to the people of South Australia continues to develop and thrive said Julian Bickersteth, Chair, The David Roche Foundation.