He has painted portraits of all kinds of personalities, from Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe to entertainer Barry Humphries, London mayor Boris Johnson and Monaco’s Prince Albert II, and was the official artist for China’s bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

His work has been hung in the White House, the Vatican and the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Now the artist will visit Orange as his fifth Australia Day ambassadorship.

“It feels like a reward being sent to iconic Orange, an Aussie cultural gem, with original and Aboriginal characteristics and colourful personalities. I believe there’s a strong art colony in Orange and am looking forward to visiting the Regional Gallery, the Corner [Store Gallery] and all galleries in Orange,” he said.

The artist was born in Lovran, Croatia, in 1934, which was then Italy, and emigrated to Australia in 1956 after his release from prison in Maribor, Slovenia where he was jailed for his anti-Yugoslavian government work as as a journalist.

Mr Billich said he would spend a few days sketching various Orange identities and landscapes,  and was looking forward to tasting the region’s wine and meeting residents on Australia Day.

“I look forward to meeting the locals, including the custodians of the land, the Woolworth folks, other merchants and all Orangeans  and convey to them my appreciation for being components of the nation which gave me shelter when I was in need,” he said.

“I want to stress to them the necessity of pursuing our values and moral convictions and address whatever abuses, injustices and distortions which regretfully occur in our everyday. I don’t believe in utopia, but I do believe we Australians are on the way of becoming the best community in the world.”

Mr Billich will speak at Australia Day festivities in Cook Park on Tuesday, January 26.