The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest and largest regional

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. Established in 1884 as the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery by the citizens of

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. Within months of Vi ...

, both the building and part of its collection is listed on the

Victorian Heritage Register The Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) lists places deemed to be of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 2017. The Minister for Planning is the responsible Minister. ...

and by the

National Trust of Victoria The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's In ...

. The gallery was noted as the home of the original

Eureka Flag The Eureka Flag was flown at the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which took place on 3 December 1854 at Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. It was the culmination of the 1851–1854 Eureka Rebellion on the Victorian goldfields, where miners prote ...

(while the Flag is still part of the Gallery's collection, the Flag is on long term loan to the Eureka Centre Ballarat, at 102 Stawell Street South, Ballarat). The Art Gallery houses major collections covering the history of Australian art from the early colonial period to the present day, which are on display in a thematic hang covering a range of themes including Place, Home, Country and Disruption. For the first five years of the gallery's life, the Association rented the large supper room of the Ballarat Academy of Music, now Her Majesty's Theatre, which was made available by

Sir William Clarke, 1st Baronet Sir William John Clarke, 1st Baronet (31 March 1831 – 15 May 1897), was an Australian businessman and philanthropist in the Colony of Victoria. He was raised to the baronetage in 1882, the first Victorian to be granted a hereditary honour. ...

. The Association then worked to secure land on the site of the Government Camp and to raise funds for a permanent home for its collection. Much of the energy and the money came from a prominent Ballarat citizen, James Oddie. The current building is the oldest purpose built art gallery building in Australia. Designed by Tappin, Gilbert and Dennehy in the

Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

style as a

bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge) * felds ...

brick and render facade and stone stairway, the foundation stone was laid by Sir William Clarke in 1887 to commemorate

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

's Golden Jubilee. The new building was opened by

Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia. He was a leader of the movement for Federation, which occurred in 1901. During his three terms as prime ministe ...

on Friday 13 June 1890. The gallery is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, of which the

City of Ballarat The City of Ballarat is a local government area in the west of the state of Victoria, Australia. It covers an area of and, in June 2018, had a population of 107,325. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is primarily urban with the va ...

is the sole shareholder. It is administered by a board of directors. Louise Tegart is the current Director. The Gallery is supported by the Art Gallery of Ballarat Foundation, which raises funds and receives donations on behalf of the gallery and by the Art Gallery of Ballarat Association, an independent organisation which established the gallery in 1884 and gave it to the Ballaarat City Council in 1972. Membership of the Association is open to members of the public and brings with it a range of benefits, including discounts at the Gallery shop and cafe and invitations to exhibition openings.

Redevelopment and restoration

A 2001 public appeal raised $2 million for expansion of the gallery. The $7 million extension, built by H. Troon and designed by

Peddle Thorp Peddle Thorp is an Australian-based architecture, interior design, and urban planning firm, with offices located in Melbourne, Victoria, in Asia and in the Middle East. The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo inspired from "The Underwater Paradise ...

, was completed in 2001 to accommodate the expanding collection of contemporary works, temporary exhibits and gallery functions. In addition, two cast-iron verandahs, based on originals first installed on the Lydiard Street facade of the building in 1901 but removed in the 1960s, were reconstructed and reinstated. Entry to the gallery is free, with entry fees applying only to selected special exhibitions. A $1.85 million exterior restoration project began in 2009 and was completed in 2010. The renovation resulted in the reversal of unsympathetic 1950s renovations, including removal of paint from the facade and reopening of the windows.

Collection

The collection includes works from Fred Williams,

Sidney Nolan Sir Sidney Robert Nolan (22 April 191728 November 1992) was one of Australia's leading artists of the 20th century. Working in a wide variety of mediums, his oeuvre is among the most diverse and prolific in all of modern art. He is best known ...

Clarice Beckett Clarice Marjoribanks Beckett (21 March 1887 – 7 July 1935) was an Australian artist and a key member of the Australian tonalist movement. Known for her subtle, misty landscapes of Melbourne and its suburbs, Beckett developed a personal style ...

Arthur Boyd Arthur Merric Bloomfield Boyd (24 July 1920 – 24 April 1999) was a leading Australian painter of the middle to late 20th century. Boyd's work ranges from impressionist renderings of Australian landscape to starkly expressionist figuration, ...

Rupert Bunny Rupert Charles Wulsten Bunny (29 September 186425 May 1947) was an Australian painter. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, he achieved success and critical acclaim as an expatriate in '' fin-de-siècle'' Paris. He gained an honourable mentio ...

William Dobell Sir William Dobell (24 September 189913 May 1970) was an Australian portrait and landscape artist of the 20th century. Dobell won the Archibald Prize, Australia's premier award for portrait artists on three occasions. The Dobell Prize is named ...

Russell Drysdale Sir George Russell Drysdale (7 February 1912 – 29 June 1981), also known as Tass Drysdale, was an Australian artist. He won the prestigious Wynne Prize for ''Sofala'' in 1947, and represented Australia at the Venice Biennale in 1954. He was ...

Rick Amor Rick Amor (born 3 March 1948 ) is an Australian artist and figurative painter. He was an Official War Artist for Australia. Life and work Rick Amor was born in Frankston, Victoria, Australia. He has a certificate in art from the Caulfield I ...

, Heinrich Bűrkel,

Louis Buvelot Louis Buvelot ( Morges 3 March 1814 – Melbourne 30 May 1888), born Abram-Louis Buvelot, was a Swiss landscape painter who lived 17 years in Brazil and following 5 years back in Switzerland stayed 23 years in Australia, where he influenced the H ...

William Barak William Barak, named Beruk by his parents, (1823 – 15 August 1903), the "last chief of the Yarra Yarra tribe", was the last traditional ngurungaeta (elder) of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, the pre-colonial inhabitants of present-day Melbourne, ...

Charles Conder Charles Edward Conder (24 October 1868 – 9 February 1909) was an English-born painter, lithographer and designer. He emigrated to Australia and was a key figure in the Heidelberg School, arguably the beginning of a distinctively Australi ...

Dagmar Evelyn Cyrulla Dagmar Evelyn Cyrulla is an Australian contemporary artist and Archibald finalist . In 2022 she was named one of Australia's 100 hottest collectable artists. Her work is about relationships, especially those from a woman’s perspective. In 2017, ...

, Thomas Flintoff,

S T Gill Samuel Thomas Gill, also known by his signature S.T.G., was an English-born Australian artist. Early life Gill was born in Periton, Minehead, Somerset, England, in 1818. He was the son of the Reverend Samuel Gill, a Baptist minister, and his fi ...

John Glover,

Joy Hester Joy St Clair Hester (21 August 1920 – 4 December 1960) was an Australian artist. She was a member of the Angry Penguins movement and the Heide Circle who played an integral role in the development of Australian Modernism. Hester is best known ...

Hans Heysen Sir Hans Heysen (8 October 18772 July 1968) was a German-born Australian artist. He became a household name for his watercolours of monumental Australian gum trees. He is one of Australia's best known landscape painters. Heysen also produced ...

Nora Heysen Nora Heysen (11 January 1911 – 30 December 2003) was an Australian artist, the first woman to win the prestigious Archibald Prize in 1938 for portraiture and the first Australian woman appointed as an official war artist. Early years Heyse ...

Norman Lindsay Norman Alfred William Lindsay (22 February 1879 – 21 November 1969) was an Australian artist, etcher, sculptor, writer, art critic, novelist, cartoonist and amateur boxer. One of the most prolific and popular Australian artists of his generat ...

Howard Arkley Howard Arkley (5 May 1951 – 22 July 1999) was an Australian artist, born in Melbourne, known for his airbrushed paintings of houses, architecture and suburbia. His parents were Australian, and had British ancestry. Early career John Brack ...

, E. Phillips Fox,

Robert Jacks Robert Jacks (8 March 1943, Melbourne—14 August 2014, Castlemaine) was an Australian painter, sculptor and printmaker. Born in Melbourne, Australia. He studied sculpture from 1958 to 1960 at the Prahran Technical College, Melbourne, and ...

, George Johnson,

Frederick McCubbin Frederick McCubbin (25 February 1855 – 20 December 1917) was an Australian artist, art teacher and prominent member of the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian impressionism. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, McCubb ...

Tom Roberts Thomas William Roberts (8 March 185614 September 1931) was an English-born Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian impressionism. After studying in Melbourne, he travelled to Europe ...

Arthur Streeton Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton (8 April 1867 – 1 September 1943) was an Australian landscape painter and a leading member of the Heidelberg School, also known as Australian Impressionism. Early life Streeton was born in Mt Moriac, Victoria, so ...

, George Bell, William Henry Bartlett (1858–1932),

Charles Blackman Charles Raymond Blackman (12 August 1928 – 20 August 2018) was an Australian painter, noted for the ''Schoolgirl, Avonsleigh'' and ''Alice in Wonderland'' series of the 1950s. He was a member of the Antipodeans, a group of Melbourne painter ...

Merric Boyd William Merric Boyd, known more as Merric Boyd (24 June 1888 – 9 September 1959), was an Australian artist, active as a ceramicist, sculptor, and extensive chronicling of his family and environs in pencil drawing. He held the fine mythic dist ...

Michael Kmit Michael Kmit ( uk, Михайло Кміт) (25 July 1910 in Stryi, Lviv – 22 May 1981 in Sydney, Australia) was a Ukrainian painter who spent twenty-five years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting ...

John Brack John Brack (10 May 1920 – 11 February 1999) was an Australian painter, and a member of the Antipodeans group. According to one critic, Brack's early works captured the idiosyncrasies of their time "more powerfully and succinctly than any Aust ...

, Nicholas Chevalier,

David Davies (artist) David Davies (21 May 1864 – 26 March 1939) was an Australian artist who was associated with the Heidelberg School, the first significant Western art movement in Australia. Biography Born and raised in Ballarat, Victoria, Davies attended art ...

Janet Dawson Janet Dawson MBE (born 1935) is an Australian artist who was a pioneer of abstract painting in Australia in the 1960s, having been introduced to abstraction during studies in England while she lived in Europe 1957–1960 She was also an accom ...

Robert Hawker Dowling Robert Hawker Dowling (1827 – 8 July 1886) was an Australian colonial artist. Biography Dowling was born in England the youngest son of Rev. Henry Dowling and his wife Elizabeth, ''née'' Darke. He was brought to Launceston, Tasmania with hi ...

and

Eugene von Guerard Johann Joseph Eugene von GuérardHis first name is variously spelled "Eugen", "Eugene", "Eugène", one source mentions "Jean" (instead of "Johann"); his surname is spelled "Guerard" or "Guérard". The most frequent combination is that used by t ...

Gallery of selected works

Note that other notable works are in the collection but the following examples are ones in the public domain and for which pictures are available. File:Louis Buvelot - One of the Falls of the Wannon, 1872.jpg,

, ''One of the Falls of the Wannon'', 1872 File:Tom Roberts - Wood Splitters, 1886 2.jpg,

, '' Wood splitters'', 1886 File:Jane Sutherland - Obstruction, 1887.jpg,

Jane Sutherland Jane Sutherland (26 December 1853 – 25 July 1928) was an Australian landscape painter who was part of the pioneering plein-air movement in Australia, and a member of the Heidelberg School. Her advocacy to advance the professional standing of fe ...

, ''Obstruction'', 1887 File:Charles Conder - An Early Taste for Literature, 1888.jpg,

, ''An Early Taste for Literature'', 1888 File:Arthur Streeton - Autumn, 1889.jpg,

, ''Autumn'' (also known as ''Eaglemont''), 1889 File:David Davies - Under the Burden and Heat of the Day, 1890.jpg, David Davies, ''Under the Burden and Heat of the Day'', 1890 File:Walter Withers - The Last of Summer, 1898.jpg,

Walter Withers Walter Herbert Withers (22 October 1854 – 13 October 1914) was an English-born Australian landscape artist and a member of the Heidelberg School of Australian impressionists. Biography Withers was born at Handsworth, Staffordshire, the son ...

, ''The Last of Summer'' (also known as ''The Rising Storm''), 1898 File:E Phillips Fox - A Love Story, 1903.jpg, E. Phillips Fox, ''A Love Story'', 1903 File:Rupert Bunny - The Sonata, 1909.jpg,

, ''The Sonata'', 1909

Notes

External links

Art Gallery of Ballarat websiteCulture Victoria
{{authority control Art museums and galleries in Victoria (Australia) Buildings and structures in Ballarat Victorian Heritage Register Grampians (region) 1884 establishments in Australia Art museums established in 1884 Tourist attractions in Ballarat