Margaret Olley died at her home in Duxford Street, Paddington, Sydney, on 30 July 2011, aged 88, days before a major retrospective exhibition opened.
Margaret Olley died on 30 July 2011 at her home in Paddington, Sydney, at the age of 88. Her death occurred just days before the opening of a major retrospective exhibition of her work at the Tweed Regional Gallery, later commemorated by the Margaret Olley Art Centre, which houses a recreation of her famously cluttered and colourful studio and home interiors.
Her death prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the Australian art world and government, with then Prime Minister Julia Gillard and numerous cultural institutions praising her as one of the nation's finest and most generous artists. She was widely celebrated not only for her prolific body of work — which included thousands of still-life and interior paintings — but for her extraordinary philanthropy, having donated art and funds to numerous public galleries throughout her life, including significant support to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Tweed Regional Gallery.
Following her death, the Margaret Olley Art Trust was established to preserve her legacy, and her home studio was meticulously relocated and reconstructed as a permanent exhibit, ensuring that her singular creative environment and legacy as a mentor, patron and painter would continue to inspire future generations of Australian artists.