Many of the young and old through out the aboriginal communities of Anhemland ( the North Eastern Part of the Northern Territory of Australia ), have memories of Dorthy Bennett... often affectionately referred to, just  as, "that old lady"   "That old lady she knows,.... she knows our stories ...she knows this art"   That picture to the right is Dorothy with a young looking Ivan Namarrikki and one of his amazing traditional rarrk bark paintings . The following is a cut an paste quote from the NT Government Terrtiory Stories website https://www.territorystories.nt.gov.au/handle/10070/227639 ​ Dorothy a Sydney housewife married to Alfred John Bennett , they had two children a daughter and son. She came to the Northern Territory as a medical secretary with a team lead by Sydney surgeon Dr Stuart Scougall, studying orthopaedic problems in Central Australia and Arnhem Land. In her spare time Dorothy sought samples of Aboriginal art for the New South Wales Art Gallery. In 1959, Qantas asked Dorothy and Dr Scougall to gather a small Aboriginal art collection to tour Japan. Request from the ceremonial leader of the Riratjingu people to come back and help the artist sell their work. Dorothy the art hunter would take a rifle, extra fuel and plenty of water when she ventured on collecting and buying paintings expeditions, travelling over rough bush tracks and through deep rivers for up to eight months each year then returning to exhibit the works in cities. Dorothy collected not for her own profit the emphasis of her work was always on helping artists to exhibit and sell their work themselves, locally and overseas. Dorothy worked with gallery operator Shirley Collins organising exhibitions in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1972 she became consultant to the Aboriginal Arts Board. She became a field officer and adviser for Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Company in 1973. Since 1986 Dorothy has worked independently among artists, recording their mythologies and collecting their works. She is an authorised consultant and was a member of the North Australia Research Unit attached to the Australian National University and is a federally appointed NT art valuer.  Dorothy later had her own office in our gallery when it opened 1996,  until the time of her death. At the time of the gallery opening Dorothy was one of only three federally authorised Aboriginal art valuers in Australia. ​ Dorothy had recorded many many of the traditional stories attached to artworks passed on from the elders to the younger custodians.  It was extraordinary to see artist come into the gallery to ask Dorothy to recount the stories associated with particular artworks. As told to her by their forefathers. Extraordinary and fascinating to witness. ​ Dorothy and Philip, from the Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery of Darwin, went on many art discovery and collection trips into Arnhem Land. Aboriginal artists trusted and respected Dorothy and ultimately associated Dorothy with the gallery in Darwin. To this day the gallery continues enjoy that same trust and respect.