George Frederick Folingsby, Sir Redmond Barry, c 1880, oil on canvas, State Library of Victoria.
Redmond Barry arrived in Melbourne in 1839 and was elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1852. He was elected the first chancellor of the University of Melbourne and became a trustee of the Public Library in 1853, holding both positions until his death. Under his watch the Library, gallery and museums became a beacon of learning in Melbourne’s cultural landscape.