he was also a founding member of the arts advisory council in 1960, becoming deputy chairman of its successor, the queen elizabeth ii arts council of new zealand, from 1970 to 1973. in 1962 turnovsky was appointed to the cultural sub-commission of the new zealand national commission for unesco. he was a member of the national commission (1963–88) and its chairman (1974–78). he was a member of unesco’s executive board (1978–83).