By 1961, Franco Belgiorno-Nettis, who had become a naturalised Australian citizen in 1959, established the Transfield Art Prize. "I always felt", he explained, "I could be an unofficial ambassador, use Transfield to build a link between Italian and Australian culture". The Prize run until 1969. At the same time, Franco launched the Transfield Book Production Awards, and in 1968 set up at his Seven Hills factory the first Australian foundry for sculpture. For his generosity to the arts he would soon be dubbed "the Australian Lorenzo the Magnificent".
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Franco in front of his portrait, in the garb of a Renaissance man, painted by Pio Carlone.
