National gallery gets $8 million bequest

An unassuming public servant has made one of the most significant bequests to the National Gallery of Australia.

Alan Boxer, who died in June 2014, has given the gallery 19 artworks worth $8 million.

They includes works by some of Australia's finest 20th-century artists, including Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, John Olsen, Charles Blackman, John Perceval and Brett Whiteley.

Mr Boxer began collecting art in the 1950s and had a strong relationship with the NGA over many years, including volunteering as a guide in his retirement.