Art Gallery of Ballarat facts for kids
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| Established | 1884 |
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| Location | 40 Lydiard Street North. Ballarat, Australia |
| Type | Art gallery |
The Art Gallery of Ballarat is the oldest regional art gallery in Australia. It first opened in 1884. It was started by a group of people who loved art, led by James Oddie. The gallery first rented a space, but its current building opened in 1890.
For many years, the gallery was privately owned. In 1977, the building and its art collection were given to the Ballarat City Council. This helped the gallery stay open and grow. In 2008, the gallery changed its name to the Art Gallery of Ballarat. It also became a place where everyone could visit for free!
The Art Gallery of Ballarat is a popular spot for visitors in Ballarat. Its two-story building is very old and important to the city's history. The gallery has more than 11,200 artworks. These artworks range from the 1700s to today. The gallery also hosts special temporary exhibitions. The famous Eureka Flag has been part of the collection since 1895. It is currently on display at the Eureka Centre.
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How the Gallery Started
In June 1884, a kind person named James Oddie helped fund an art show in Ballarat. He also lent many of his own paintings for people to see. Soon after, a group of citizens met and decided they wanted a permanent art gallery.
At first, they didn't have their own building. So, they rented the first floor of the Ballarat Academy of Music. This is where Her Majesty's Theatre is now. On September 11, 1884, the Governor, Henry Loch, officially opened the gallery. Most of the art at that time was on loan. James Oddie was the main supporter and is known as the gallery's "founder."
In 1886, the government gave £2000 to buy art for the gallery. They also gave land on Lydiard Street for a new building. The building was designed in the Renaissance Revival architecture style. It was made with bluestone bricks and had a grand stone stairway. The first stone was laid on June 21, 1887. This was to celebrate Queen Victoria's 50 years as queen.
The first part of the new building was finished in 1890. Alfred Deakin, who later became Prime Minister, opened the new building on June 13, 1890.
An Important Painting Goes Missing
In the 1970s, the gallery had money problems. Ron Radford, who was the gallery director, worked hard to make the art collection and security better. Back then, only a few people worked at the gallery. By 1978, the gallery was in debt. It started giving its building and art collection to the city council. In return, the council agreed to pay for the gallery's running costs. The council quickly hired more staff to improve security.
In August 1978, something surprising happened. An unknown person walked into the gallery. They used a knife to cut the painting Charcoal burners (1886) by Tom Roberts from its frame. Then, they rolled it up and walked out. This painting was very valuable. The theft was a big news story across the country.
Later, the painting was found in a park in Sydney. It was returned to the gallery in May 1979. This event helped other art galleries in the region improve their security.
New Name and Free Entry
In 2008, the gallery changed its name to the Art Gallery of Ballarat. It also started letting people visit for free. This made it easier for everyone to enjoy the art. The gallery also got a new logo.
The Gallery Building
The Art Gallery of Ballarat is located at 40 Lydiard Street North. It is a two-story building. It is designed in the Renaissance Revival style. The building has special bluestone pillars and twin towers. Inside, a large stone stairway leads up to the main art rooms. The ceiling decorations are in the Art Nouveau style.
This building was designed by Tappin, Gilbert and Dennehy. It was built between 1887 and 1890. It is the oldest building in Australia made just for an art gallery. The gallery has been extended three times: in 1927, 1987, and 2001. In 2009, there was a big project to fix up and improve the building. This included making the exhibition hall bigger and moving the shop and cafe. Another restoration happened in 2022.
The Art Collection
Many Australian writers say the Art Gallery of Ballarat is one of the best regional art galleries in Victoria. In November 2022, the gallery had over 11,200 artworks. In 2017, the director estimated there were more than two thousand paintings and six thousand prints and drawings. It was the largest regional gallery in Australia for a long time.
The collection mainly focuses on the history of Australian art. It includes art from the 1700s to today. You can see colonial art and art from the region. Some artworks, like Old Ballarat as it was in the summer of 1853-54 (1884), show how the city grew. The gallery has also been collecting modern art since the 1960s. It is special because it has collected Indigenous Australian art since the 1930s.
When the gallery opened in 1890, a newspaper called The Argus wrote about the paintings. Ajax and Cassandra (1886) by Solomon Joseph Solomon was bought by the gallery in 1887. The Argus called it a "masterpiece." Even though such a painting would usually go to a state gallery, Ballarat quickly bought it. It became one of the gallery's most loved artworks.
The gallery also has the Eureka Flag. This flag is very important to Australian history. It is currently on loan to the Eureka Centre.
The gallery's collection influenced the famous Lindsay family of artists and writers. When he was young, artist Norman Lindsay would often study Ajax and Cassandra. In the 1950s, he gave some of his own art to the gallery.
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Louis Buvelot, One of the Falls of the Wannon, 1872
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Jane Sutherland, Obstruction, 1887
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Charles Conder, An Early Taste for Literature, 1888
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Arthur Streeton, Autumn (also known as Eaglemont), 1889
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David Davies, Under the Burden and Heat of the Day, 1890
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Walter Withers, The Last of Summer (also known as The Rising Storm), 1898
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E. Phillips Fox, A Love Story, 1903
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Rupert Bunny, The Sonata, 1909
