Basil Sellers AM
Businessman and philanthropist Basil Sellers AM was born in India in 1935 and migrated to his Australia with his family in 1948. He made his career by breathing life into ailing companies. He is a keen art collector; his personal collection includes post-war Australian art and works by European modernists, collected over 35 years.
A chance connection with Moruya began a 20-year relationship between Eurobodalla Shire Council and Basil Sellers AM - providing foundational support in establishing Eurobodalla as the arts destination for the south east region.
Basil has an acknowledged track record in philanthropic leadership across Australia and the world. He was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2003 Australia Day Honours.
The Basil Sellers Art Prize
The Basil Sellers Art Prize was established 2004 as a small regional prize and nurtured to become a major national award that supports artistic excellence and creative practice across the country. The Basil Sellers Art Prize is a beloved part of our Shire’s cultural calendar that has not only been a source of support to regional artists, allowing them to pursue and develop their creative practice, but has been a significant contributor to the creative industries in the region as well as cultural tourism.
The Little Sellers Art Prize
In addition to the Basil Sellers Art Prize, Mr Sellers also sponsors the Little Sellers Art Prize and and scholarship for Eurobodalla’s young artists aged five to 18.
The Bas
In 2017 Eurobodalla Shire Council received funding to build an exhibition centre, with outdoor venue capacity and creative arts workshop spaces adjoining the Moruya Library. Basil provided a significant donation for the exhibition centre build and fit out and the centre was named for him; the Basil Sellers Exhibition Centre, affectionately known as the Bas.
The Bas is a game-changer for the provision of quality arts programming in the community. Overlooking the beautiful vista of the Moruya golf course, the Bas was conceived as a space that would celebrate local and national visual art and contemporary culture.
Public artworks
In 2022 Basil commissioned and donated two beautiful sculptures by pre-eminent Australian artist Terrance Plowright to the Eurobodalla community. The works can be viewed outside the Council chambers.
- Moruya - located on the corner of Vulcan and Murray streets.
- Duraya dhudaga barra barra - located on the corner of Campbell and Vulcan streets.
