Art trails: Prospecting the Goldfields

The goldrush of the mid-1800s had a significant effect on Victoria and led to the establishment of major urban centres along traffic routes from and to the goldfields. As these centres flourished, so too did the cultural life of their inhabitants and public galleries began to appear throughout regional Victoria. Early works collected by these galleries reflected the overwhelmingly European influence of the times. As they developed and grew, the collections came to include significant works by Australian artists who recorded the life and times of early European settlement, the often violent contact with the Aboriginal inhabitants of the land and the changing landscape. More recent developments have seen the acquisition of work by contemporary and Indigenous Australian artists which provides an interesting contrast to the first Europeans' depiction of the landscape and people of regional Victoria. From textiles to decorative arts, painting, porcelain and sculpture, the collections provide both a comprehensive sample of modern Australian art and a showcase of significant work from around the world.

Ararat Gallery

This trail starts in Ararat in the State's west. Ararat is nestled on the eastern slopes of the Grampians mountains, a two hour drive west of Melbourne. Ararat is the centre of a merino sheep district and a major wine-making region. The Ararat Gallery boasts one of the major contemporary fibre and textile art collections in Australia's regional galleries.

Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

Travel 100 kilometres east to arrive in Ballarat. The Ballarat Fine Art Gallery is Australia's oldest regional gallery and is renowned for its Colonial and Heidelberg School collections. It is also home to the original Eureka Flag, symbol of Australia's only armed rebellion in 1854 at the Eureka Stockade. While paintings and prints form the largest part of the Australian collection, there are also smaller collections of sculpture, ceramics and costume.

Castlemaine Art Gallery and Museum

Next on the trail is the picturesque town of Castlemaine, once the principal town of the Mount Alexander goldfields. The gold rush of the mid to late 1800s brought great prosperity to Castlemaine, evidence of which can still be seen in its public architecture and historic homes. The Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum has a rich collection of Australian art including many major works from the late 1800s, the so-called 'Golden Era' of Australian landscape painting. The Gallery is housed in an original art deco building with carefully restored period features.

Bendigo Art Gallery

The trail finishes in Bendigo, still an active gold-mining town with a 150-year history in the heart of Victoria's goldfields. The Bendigo Art Gallery was founded in 1887 and houses an impressive collection of 19th Century Australian art. Its collections include a special collection of art from the Bendigo goldfields, 19th Century European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts and contemporary Australian art. The Gallery is an interesting blend of stately Victorian rooms and sleek modern spaces. Wine growing is also a feature of the surrounding region.

Pictured above from left are:

an exterior view of Bendigo Gallery from the virtual reality tour, a detail from Tom Roberts' Portrait of a lady in a black hat (Ballarat Fine Art Gallery) an exterior view of Ararat Gallery, and Clarice Beckett's Boatshed Beaumaris (Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum).