The former director of the National Portrait Gallery, Louise Doyle, is moving across the Parliamentary Triangle to be an executive at the National Archives of Australia. But there is still no word on a new director for the portrait gallery or the National Museum of Australia, months after the positions were vacated.
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Ms Doyle vacated the directorship of the portrait gallery in July when it became a statutory authority, but has remained to work on research projects. Her predecessor, Andrew Sayers, left his most recent post, as director of the National Museum of Australia, also in July, after resigning in March.
Filling those positions will be just one of the jobs that new Arts Minister Senator George Brandis, who was only sworn in this week, will have to do.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott also announced this week that the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport would no longer exist, with arts to be absorbed into the Attorney-General's portfolio.
Comment about likely appointments has been sought from Senator Brandis' office.
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister and Cabinet said only that ''recruitment processes for both positions are currently in train, in accordance with Australian Public Service Commission guidelines on the appointment of statutory office holders''.
''Announcements will be made in due course,'' she said.
Ms Doyle was director of the portrait gallery for three years, appointed in August 2010 after previously serving three years as its deputy director, under Mr Sayers.
She will start at the archives on October 8 as assistant director-general (access and communication). There are five assistant directors-general working under director-general David Fricker, who said he was thrilled to have secured Ms Doyle's ''expertise, skill and energy''.
Ms Doyle said her focus would be on improving access to the archives' documents and resources, especially through online programs. Her other responsibilities include events and exhibitions and research access through the reading rooms around Australia.
''I'm excited about the archives. It's an extraordinary institution and I don't think that enough Australians know about the archives and what it offers and how important it is,'' she said. ''So, that's going to be my job: working with the executive team and the director-general to get the message out.''
The portrait gallery became a statutory authority in July, requiring the appointment of a new board.
Jennifer Bott has been serving as interim director and in a statement at the time made it clear she was not vying for the directorship.
Executive recruitment company Korn/Ferry has undertaken a national and international search to find a new director for the portrait gallery.
Ms Doyle declined to confirm whether she had re-applied as director of the portrait gallery. A former visual arts teacher, regional art gallery director and senior curator, Ms Doyle over the past six years had seen the portrait gallery move from Old Parliament House to its new $87 million purpose-built home and negotiated it through changes including its new status.
''The portrait gallery as a statutory authority will go forward as one of our contemporary, dynamic cultural institutions and I think, after a significant period of time, it's time for me to look for other challenges,'' she said.
Mr Sayers became director of the National Museum of Australia in April, 2010, and left on July 1 this year to join his wife in Melbourne, finishing his five-year contract with the museum two years early.
He had previously been director of the portrait gallery for 12 years.
