National Gallery of Victoria

Full description

The beginnings of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) collection was founded in 1859 when Parliament voted for £2000 to be used for the purchase of plaster casts of sculpture. The first objects purchased were displayed in the gallery of the south wing of the Swanston Street section of the Public Library (VA 913, now State Library of Victoria). This gallery was officially opened as the Museum of Art by Governor Sir Henry Barkly on 24 May 1861. 

Various local and British paintings were acquired throughout the 1860s and were displayed in the Picture Gallery, which opened in 1864. In 1867, the National Gallery of Victoria Art School was founded. Although privately funded, the school was closely associated with the gallery throughout its existence.

The Library Museums and National Gallery Act 1869 was passed in 1869 which formally named the gallery and established The Trustees of the Public Library, Museum and National Gallery of Victoria (VA 912). The body of Trustees were responsible for the ownership and management of publicly owned collections and housed in the Library and Exhibition buildings, including the NGV art collection. The library continued to provide curatorial administration of the collection until 1882.

The first purpose built gallery, known as the McArthur Gallery, was opened in the library in May 1874. Several more galleries were opened in 1888 and 1892 as well as the Painting School studios. In 1904, the Felton Bequest was established by the will of Alfred Felton. Since its establishment, the bequest has funded the purchase of over 15 000 works of art. The Felton Bequest Committee was established to manage the funds and purchasing of art using said funds.

In 1944 the Public Library National Gallery and Museums Act 1944 dissolved the body of Trustees and replaced them with four separate bodies of Trustees to allow the gallery, library and museums to be managed more independently. The act appointed the Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria (VA 3119) and were responsible for "the management and control of the gallery and the general direction and control of the establishment and administration of schools of art conducted at or associated with the gallery." The act also established the Building Trustees to manage and maintain the lands, buildings, furniture and fittings owned by the library, gallery and museums.

The gallery held plans to build a permanent museum to house its rapidly increasing collection, however it was not until 1943 that a site was chosen by the State Government. The National Gallery and Cultural Centre Act 1956 established the National Art Gallery and Cultural Centre Building Committee to oversee the development of the new NGV site at Wirth's Park, known as the Southbank Arts Precinct. The building, now known as NGV International, was designed by architect Roy Grounds, completed in December 1967 and opened by Premier Henry Bolte on 20 August 1968.

In 1966 the National Gallery of Victoria Act 1966 constituted the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria (VA 929) and abolished Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria and the Building Trustees, however the Building Trustees continued to manage NGV property until similar legislation was passed for both the State Library of Victoria and National Museums of Victoria. The Building Committee was formally abolished under the National Gallery of Victoria Act 1972 and the Council became responsible for and land and buildings not currently managed by the National Art Gallery and Cultural Centre Building Committee. The Committee continued to manage the Southbank Site until 2000, at which point the Council assumed responsibility for all NGV land and property.

The Council was responsible for the management of the the National Gallery of Victoria Art School until 1972, at which point it was re-established as a founding school of the Victorian College of the Arts (VA 1075).

In 1997, plans began for an extensive redevelopment of the the Southbank site designed by architect Mario Bellini. A temporary site at the State Library, NGV on Russell, was opened to allow temporary housing of works during the redevelopment. Offsite storage and temporary office space was also established at the newly built Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne. NGV on Russell was closed mid 2002 and the newly renovated St. Kilda Road gallery was opened by Premier Steve Bracks on 4 December 2003.

The redevelopment and opening of the Southbank site coincided with the design and establishment of Federation Square. A new gallery was designed by architecture firms Lab Architecture Studio and Bates Smart for the site and the NGV were announced as tenants in 1998. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, was opened in 2002 to exhibit the NGV's extensive Australian and Indigenous Art collections.

In 2018, a new gallery, The Fox: NGV Contemporary, was announced to be built behind the existing NGV International building. The project is part of a major redevelopment of the Southbank Arts Precinct, which also includes new public spaces, Australian Performing Arts Gallery, and redevelopment of outdoor spaces and gardens. The design of the new gallery, by architectural firm Angelo Candalepas and Associates, was announced in March 2022 and is due to be opened in 2028. The project attracted the largest ever donation to an Australian Art museum to date with Paula and Lindsay Fox donating $100 million.

Due to the unclear nature of the administrative history of the NGV and its related agencies, relevant records may also be attributed to the various bodies of Trustees mentioned above, as well the Public Library of Victoria (VA 913). Refer to the list of related agencies for more information.