Peter Norvill
Grazier, artist, storyteller and philanthropist at Rock Dhu, and founding patron of the biennial Norvill Art Prize.
Peter Norvill is the owner/operator of Rock Dhu, a sheep and cattle property 25km north-east of Murrurundi in the Upper Hunter Valley, NSW, worked by the Norvill family for generations.
Alongside grazing, Peter is a storyteller, entrepreneur, philanthropist and aviator - in 1988 he became the first Australian-born pilot to fly solo around the world in a fixed-wing aircraft, an achievement commemorated on a plaque at Murrurundi’s Literary Institute museum.
He was the original patron of and motivating force behind establishing the Norvill Art Prize, a biennial art competition now administered by the Murrurundi Arts Council.
It began in 2000 with a $10,000 cash prize for the winner, increased in 2012 to a $15,000 first prize - one of the largest privately funded landscape art prizes in Australia.
For around two decades he has worked toward preserving his record-setting Cessna for the public, reflecting a broader commitment to sharing the town’s history alongside its art.
He was painted by local artist Rodney Swansborough, whose portrait of Peter can be seen on Upstairs Art.
Visit his website for more.