He was a trustee of the National Art Gallery of New South Wales from 1899 and its president from 1919. The Sir John Sulman Prize for ""the best subject/genre painting and/or murals/mural project executed during the two years preceding the date ..."" has been held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales since 1936. It is hosted concurrently with the Archibald Prize, the most prominent Australian art prize, along with the Wynne prize and Dobell art prizes. The prize was established as a bequest by the Sulman family. When initiated the prize was about £100 annually and for the best subject painting or mural decoration by artists resident in Australia.