Gary Cleveland

Gary Cleveland (b 1930), design entrepreneur and one of the major promoters of design in Tasmania, was born in St Louis, Missouri USA. After working as a textile designer in Queensland and Britain, he was appointed as managing director and acting chairman of Kelsall and Kemp in Launceston.

Following the 1970s tariff reductions which led to the decline of Australia’s textile industry, Cleveland founded the Design Centre of Tasmania in Launceston to promote and market the work of the state’s designers. The Centre remains one of the few such private institutions in the world.

Active on many fronts, he was the prime mover in the establishment of ADDIT, an association involving all design fields, founded the Tasmanian Wood Design Collection, which he has arranged to be exhibited around the world, and brought international design figures and conferences to Tasmania.

In 2002 he sold the Design Centre to a trust with the Wood Design Collection as the sole beneficiary. He has received many awards for his services to design, and lives in active retirement in Launceston.