Albert Facey A Happy Man

A Happy Man Good morning/afternoon. Today I am here to unveil a great new addition to the Queensland Art Gallery, ‘A Happy Man’, a portrait painted of Albert Facey by renowned artist Ronald Barnett which faultlessly captures the essence of a man who never gave up and was always happy despite all the adversities he faced.
Albert Facey was a man of courage, resilience and determination and is known for his explosive contribution to Australian history and literature. He is to be admired and commemorated for never giving up throughout all the misfortunes he has faced in his life. One might describe his journey as an extraordinary life lived by an ordinary man. He wrote his autobiography ' A fortunate life ' in 1982, 9 months before he died, and over three quarters of a million copies have been sold worldwide. It is a true Australian classic that tells a story of hope.
In 1915, Albert Facey enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and served Australia at the battle at Gallipoli and he never went back on that motive to do the right thing. Even though times were tough on the battlefield, he never wanted to give up. He fought with his fellow soldiers until late 1915 when he was diagnosed with heart problems and other health problems from a bullet wound. He tried to fight against this but his body would not agree. He was sent back to Western Australia and continued his hard work as a farmer and working on the tram lines. His journey is truly inspirational, as he continued doing what he loved and believed in until his body could no longer withstand. His commitment to his work and family values was