Art for the People: Bendigo Art Gallery 1887 - 2013

Art for 

the people: 

Bendigo 

Art Gallery 

1887 – 2013 

1

a satellite space of 

Bendigo Art Gallery 

42 View Street 

Bendigo, Victoria 3550 Australia 

www.bendigoartgallery.com.au 

Published 2013 

Copyright © Bendigo Art Gallery 2013 

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under 

the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any 

process without prior written permission. 

Typeset and printed in Australia by Bendigo Modern Press 

www.bmp.com.au 

National Library of Australia 

Cataloguing-in-Publication data: 

Bloomfield, Simone 

Art for the people: Bendigo Art Gallery 1887-2013 

Simone Bloomfield, Karen Quinlan, photographer Ian Hill. 

ISBN: 9780949215734 (pbk) 

Bendigo Art Gallery--History. 

Art museums--Victoria--Bendigo--History. 

Other Authors/Contributors: 

Quinlan, Karen 

Hill, Ian 


708.99454 

Exhibition venue: 

Post Office Gallery, 51–67 Pall Mall, Bendigo. 

Exhibition dates: 

16 August 2013–27 January 2014 

Art for 

the people: 

Bendigo 



Post Office Gallery and Bendigo Art Gallery are proudly 

owned and operated by the City of Greater Bendigo. 

Unknown photographer 


Media 

Corporate 

sponsor 

sponsor 

1890s 

Bendigo Art Gallery archives 

2 1

Introduction 

Art for the people: Bendigo Art Gallery 

1887 – 2013, reflects upon the origin 

and evolution of Bendigo Art Gallery, 

coinciding with a pivotal moment in 

its contemporary history: the 2013 

redevelopment. Delving into the 

archives, selected historical artefacts 

and materials bring to life the stories 

surrounding architectural developments, 

the founders and their motivation, 

and highlights the individuals who 

have given so generously from their 

own collections to create our ‘people’s 

gallery’. 

Bendigo Art Gallery was established 

in 1887 by the citizens of Sandhurst, 

as Bendigo was known until 1891, to 

encourage an appreciation of artistic 

culture within the formative years of 

the city’s development. The township 

of Bendigo had already earned its 

reputation as a colonial success story 

with the discovery of gold, quickly 

displaying the hallmarks of an elegant 

Victorian city. 

The Sandhurst School of Mines in 

McCrae Street (now Bendigo Regional 

Institute of TAFE) was the first location 

for the Gallery. It subsequently relocated 

to the Bendigo Volunteer Rifle orderly 

room on View Street in 1890, and from 

this modest beginning the Gallery has 

evolved through a series of extensions 

and redevelopments to its current form. 

For at least the first two decades of 

Bendigo Art Gallery’s existence, British 

and European academic pictures were 

the cornerstone of the collection. More 

than a century later, the collection is 

recognised for its diverse contemporary 

representation including a selection 

of work by the very best artists in the 

country. 

Bendigo Art Gallery’s collection 

including paintings, sculpture, works 

on paper, new media and decorative 

art objects. The current redevelopment, 

designed by Karl Fender of Fender 

Katsalidis Architects and funded by 

state and local government, symbolises 

the bright future ahead for Bendigo 

Art Gallery. Its growing contemporary 

collection, innovative programming, 

inspirational education and public 

programming, and the establishment of 

an international exhibition schedule that 

links Bendigo with the world reinforces 

its capacity and reputation as the largest 

and most progressive museum of art 

within regional Australia. 

Bendigo Art Gallery’s lenders, 

volunteers and supporters are an integral 

part of our success. For their generous 

contribution to the exhibition Art for 

the people: Bendigo Art Gallery 1887 – 

2013, my sincere thanks to the Bendigo 

branch of the National Trust of Australia 

(Victoria), Margaret Bowden, Helen and 

Leo Bruinier, Rod Fyffe, Merle Hall, 

John Higgs, Dorothy Houlden, Erma 

Little, Peter and Dale Little, Stan Liacos, 

Jan Monro, Dennis O’Hoy, and Geoff 

Paynter. Thank you also to Melinda 

Mockridge for her invaluable assistance 

with research. 

I’d like to thank Simone Bloomfield 

for curating this exhibition, and the 

technical team of Bendigo Art Gallery 

for their ongoing support. A special 

acknowledgment must also be made 

of the significant contribution of our 

wonderful team of Post Office Gallery 

volunteers who assist in bringing the 

exhibitions at this venue to life through 

their interactions with visitors. 

Unknown artist 

Sandhurst Fine Art 

Gallery when housed 

at Bendigo School 

of Mines, McCrae 

Street (detail) 

c1887 

Karen Quinlan 

engraving 

DIRECTOR, BENDIGO ART GALLERY 

Bendigo Art 

Gallery archives now comprises close to 5000 works, 

2 3

Art for the people: 



Ad delectationem Populi per Artem 

Pulchram; ‘for the delight of the people 

through beautiful art’. 1 

Originally called Sandhurst Fine 

Art Gallery, Bendigo Art Gallery was 

established in 1887 and since that 

time it has played a pivotal role in 

the Bendigo community. The desire 

for a Gallery was first expressed by 

the Mayor of Sandhurst, Mr Patrick 

Hayes, in a letter to the city’s principal 

citizens to ‘prove of great service to 

the young people growing up around 

us’. 2 Considered a cultivating and 

educating strength of the community, 

the Gallery has always endeavoured 

to collect, preserve and display works 

of art for the pleasure and education 

of the public. 3 In more recent years 

it has positioned itself as the most 

profiled and significant cultural venue 

in regional Australia; international 

exhibitions have been the drawcard 

for thousands, which has seen Bendigo 

Art Gallery evolve as the forerunner of 

regional galleries. 

As with all long-standing 

institutions, Bendigo Art Gallery’s 

stories are rich in history. Since its 

inception, the Gallery has evolved 

from a humble single-room exhibition 

space to one of Victoria’s largest 

galleries. The building itself has 

changed considerably since the 1880s 

without losing ‘… its pretty and 

unpretentious red brick façade’. 4 Its 

people – both staff and volunteers 

– remain dedicated to providing 

exhibitions, programs and events 

of international standard while still 

recalling that modest yet proud motto, 

‘… giving delight to the people 

through the beauty of art’. 5 Without its 

founders and remarkable benefactors, 

Bendigo Art Gallery would not have 

obtained the reputation it has today. 

The Gallery continues to grow 

and includes an extensive and varied 

collection of painting, sculpture, 

ceramics, indigenous art, decorative 

arts, photography, works on paper and 

new media. The collection has a strong 

emphasis on 19th century European 

art and Australian art from the 1800s 

onwards, and over the past decade 

has developed significant holdings of 

contemporary Australian art. As artists 

emerge and develop and trends evolve, 

so too does the Gallery’s collection. 

Drawing on the archives of Bendigo 

Art Gallery, this exhibition offers a 

glimpse into the stories and journey so 

far of this much loved and respected 

people’s gallery. 

Sandhurst Fine Art 

Public Gallery – 

Gallery Committee 

First minutes book 

(detail) 

1887–89 

pen on paper 


archives 

THE SANDHURST FINE ART PUBLIC 

GALLERY 

‘Sandhurst is behind other places 

in not having an Art Gallery’ 6 was 

the sentiment expressed by Mr John 

Wilkinson Rymer in a letter to the 

Bendigo Advertiser on 5 April 1887. 

Local artist William Short agreed with 

Rymer and trusted that this movement 

would be ‘… heartily supported by the 

art loving population of Sandhurst’, 7 

offering to donate a painting for the 

cause. Popular opinion was such that 

it was imminent that Sandhurst would 

soon have ‘… an Art Gallery of which 

the citizens may be proud … of great 

advantage to the rising generation 

in having a highly refining influence 

and in developing talent … it will 

encourage the growth of the arts … 

and be a constant source of pleasure to 

the community’. 8 

In response, on 19 May 1887, 

Mayor JP (Patrick) Hayes called a 

public meeting which was attended 

by more than 35 local representatives 

including doctors, lawyers, lecturers 

and businessmen. At that moment, 

Sandhurst Fine Art Gallery was 

born, and a provisional committee 

appointed. The Gallery was underway 

with only a few works donated by 

Jacob Cohn and a number of pieces 

lent by private citizens. 

Mr Rymer continued to take a great 

interest in the welfare of the Gallery 

and his advice and assistance, especially 

in the choice of new artworks, 

was always freely given and keenly 

appreciated by his colleagues on the 

Committee. Mr Hayes was the first 

President of Sandhurst Fine Art Gallery, 

in the same year he was Mayor, using 

his influence to form the art gallery. He 

served as President for one year. Jacob 

Cohn served as the second President 

and held the position for 14 years. 

A MILITARY BEGINNING 

From 1887 to 1890 the Gallery 

was housed in a large hall at the 

Sandhurst School of Mines on Pall 

Mall (now Bendigo Regional Institute 

of TAFE), until building repairs and 

the ‘… mild outrage caused by the 

scandalous exhibition of a nude 

painting, The Spanish Maiden, caused 

the gallery committee to seek other 

accommodation’. 9 

After unsuccessfully applying for a 

£2000 government grant in 1887, and 

campaigning in vain to obtain the old 

Post and Telegraph Office on View 

Street as the new exhibition space, 

the Gallery ultimately moved to its 

present site – not into a purpose-built 

4 5

‘Residing in the 

Orderly Room was 

only ever considered a 

temporary plan.’ 

Mayor Patrick Hayes 

Letter to citizens of 

Sandhurst requesting 

attendance at a meeting 

to form a picture gallery 

1887 

ink on paper 


archives 

Unknown 

photographer 

Volunteer Rifleman’s 

Orderly Room during 

Hospital Sunday Parade 

1878 

Image from Annals of 

Bendigo 1851–1935, 

George Mackay, 

The Cambridge Press, 

Bendigo, 1938, p.163 

space but into the former Bendigo 

Volunteer Rifle Brigade Orderly 

Room, built in 1867. 10 ‘The request 

to turn over the Orderly Room on 

View Street to the Gallery went to 

Captain Kirby of the army, who was 

initially unwilling ‘… because his 

troop was still using it.’ 11 This early 

Victorian building was altered to suit 

the Gallery by renowned local architect 

William Charles Vahland, (president of 

the School of Mines and who, with 

his partner Robert Getzschmann, had 

designed the original orderly room). 

Officially opened by Lord Hopetoun, 

Governor of Victoria, on 14 October 

1890, the new Gallery was modelled 

after detailed building specifications 

were sought from then Director of the 

National Gallery of Victoria, George 

Frederick Folingsby. The room was 

named Victoria Court to honour 

Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee year 

– the Gallery’s year of foundation. 

Today it is known as Bolton Court 

after William May Bolton, who was 

an invested figure in Bendigo Art 

Gallery for more than 35 years. This 

original room within the Gallery 

retains its architectural integrity and 

remains ‘… historically significant as 

an extraordinary example of a colonial 

volunteer militia building … It is an 

extremely rare example of a brick 

Volunteer orderly room.’ 12 

It was on 8 May 1891 that the city 

of Sandhurst changed its name to 

Bendigo following a referendum of 

taxpayers. In keeping with this change, 

Sandhurst Fine Art Gallery became 

Bendigo Art Gallery. 

Residing in the orderly room was 

only ever considered a temporary plan. 

At the time, the Gallery Committee 

was confident of receiving government 

funds to subsidise an appropriate 

purpose-built gallery. After Vahland 

sought advice and implemented the 

adaptations of the orderly room, the 

Committee forged ahead with an 

architectural competition in 1892 in 

the hope of building an impressive 

and grand gallery for Bendigo. Emil 

Mauermann, another local architect, 

was the eventual winner of this 

commission. In 1893 the government 

pledged land for this enormous 

columned edifice and £2500 for the 

construction, however this pledge was 

soon withdrawn due to the collapse 

of the banks. 13 Mauermann presented 

a pen and ink sketch of his design – a 

design that was unlikely to eventuate 

as it was ultimately realised that ‘in the 

6 7

Emil Mauermann 

(Bendigo active 

1880s–1900) 

Winning design for 

the 1892 architectural 

competition 

1892 

pen and ink on 

cardboard 

Gift of the artist 1893. 

Collection Bendigo 


1893.4 

present state of finances of the colony 

there was very little hope of the request 

[for a building grant] being complied 

with’. 14 

GROWTH, EXPANSION AND 

DEVELOPMENT 

Optimistic of renewed financial 

support in 1895, the Committee ran a 

design competition for new building 

works to extend the original orderly 

room, in order to house more artwork. 

Moved by Mr RHS Abbott at a 

Committee meeting in January 1896, 

it was decided that ‘… the successful 

competitor to be allowed the privilege 

of supervising the construction in an 

honorary capacity’. 15 Specifications 

called for a gallery, boardroom and 

caretaker’s quarters. 16 Controversy 

surrounded the competition; as a 

condition of entry, it was decided 

that the names of the local architects 

remain anonymous. However as noted 

in the Committee meeting minutes of 

May 1896, ‘… having been submitted 

to the Central Board of Health, the 

authors [of one of the designs] … 

were disclosed in the communication 

from that body to the Committee 

of the Gallery … and the design was 

therefore not strictly in accord with 

the conditions of the competition’. 17 

Given the error, RHS Abbott wished 

their entry to be deemed invalid but 

was outvoted by other Committee 

members. Eventually architects Barlow 

and Chandler, operating under the non 

de plume Reubens, were victorious. 

In his report President Jacob Cohn 

summarised the process: 

Competitive designs for a new 

building to cost between £600 and 

£800 were called for from local 

architects … Six competitors sent 

in some fourteen different designs. 

After careful consideration, the 

competition was by vote narrowed 

down to two designs sent in under 

the pseudonyms of Reubens and 

Hope, and at a final selection the 

design of Reubens was accepted. 

Specifications were prepared and the 

work advertised but as the tenders 

received were very considerably 

in excess of the amount the 

Committee proposed to expend, the 

matter had to be referred back to the 

architects to see what modifications 

could be made without impairing 

the original design, with instructions 

to re-advertise the work. This being 

done, the tender of Mr Sewell at 

£835 was accepted, and the contract 

duly signed… 18 

Unknown 

photographer 


facade 

1960s 


archives 

The new Drury Court was officially 

opened to the public on 16 June 

1897, its design strongly influenced 

by Gallery Six at Burlington House, 

the home of the Royal Academy of 

Arts. It cost £1063 to build with 

the new electric lighting considered 

a major drawcard. The new gallery 

received 72,000 visitors in its first year, 

a surprising number in a city with a 

population of 26,000 at the time. 19 

Not long after the completion 

of Drury Court, leading Bendigo 

architect William Beebe was 

commissioned to extend the gallery 

again in 1905. This building project 

saw the addition of Alexandra Court 

(named for Queen Alexandra), today 

known as Abbott Court. The further 

extension was considered a great 

success: 

The gallery had undergone 

a splendid transformation … 

Entering the building, one was at 

once impressed by the enhanced 

appearance of the old gallery, named 

‘Victoria Court’… it was claimed 

that the lighting of the gallery was 

comparable with that of the Tate 

and other modern galleries … The 

cost of the improvements in this 

court alone was close on £900. To 

the right the visitor was led on to 

the fine new Alexandra Court, and 

on the left to the Drury Gallery, 

both of which were excellently 

equipped in every way … ideas 

collated from the best galleries in the 

old world and America have been 

harmonised and amalgamated, as it 

were, to suit Australian conditions, 

and the honorary architect (Mr W 

Beebe) had indeed scored a decided 

triumph, one in which citizens 

universally took pride. Bendigo 

now boasted of one of the finest 

art institutions outside the State 

capitals. 20 

The next significant architectural 

change to occur in the Gallery’s 

history was the addition of a twostorey 

salmon-coloured brick façade, 

which was added to the property in 

1962. Behind this modernist facade, a 

major extension of a two-storey front 

wing included the Neptune Scott, 

Sonnenburg and Andrew Courts. 

Fifteen years later an eastern wing 

Chamberlain Court was added and was 

opened by the Honorable RJ Hamer, 

Premier of Victoria and Minister 

for the Arts. Also known as Buvelot 

Court (due to the fact it displayed 

the Gallery’s large and impressive 

8 9

Dennis Desbrowe 

Mayor 

Removal of the 1962 

Gallery façade 

1998 


archives 

Unknown artist 

Sculptural head from 

original Gallery façade 

Retrieved from work 

site when modernist 

façade was removed 

in 1998 

c1940s 

concrete, paint 


archives 

permanent collection of paintings, 

watercolours and drawings by Louis 

Buvelot, acquired through the Neptune 

Scott Bequest), Chamberlain Court 

was built with funds from the Ministry 

for the Arts and the estate of Miss Ivy 

Chamberlain. 

After struggling financially for many 

decades, in 1995 Bendigo Art Gallery 

entered into an agreement with local 

government. It was decided that the 

Gallery’s Board of Management would 

take charge of all artistic matters, but 

the Bendigo Council would undertake 

control of operational functions, and 

Bendigo Art Gallery became owned 

and operated by the City of Greater 

Bendigo. As a result, in 1996 plans for 

new extensions and upgrades were 

passed: the hessian covered walls and 

linoleum floors, and the absence of 

museum systems, all required urgent 

attention. The adjacent ANA Motor 

Inn was demolished to make way for 

a new wing of Bendigo Art Gallery, 

and Karl Fender of Nation Fender 

Katsalidis, Melbourne was appointed 

architect for the redevelopment. The 

new addition was well overdue with 

the Gallery facing dire problems of 

inadequate exhibition and storage 

space. The new building created a 

more formal sense of entry, and each 

gallery was equipped with appropriate 

environmental control systems and 

monitored light levels. It was in 1998 

that the sculpture annexe at the rear 

was developed, and the ‘… cream brick 

veneer with little square windows … a 

gawky newcomer among the grand old 

buildings of View Street’ 21 was removed 

to reveal the original façade, a ‘… more 

sympathetic extension leading to the 

street’. 22 At the time the condition 

of the 1867 exterior was unknown, 

but the architects and builders were 

pleasantly surprised to find the 19th 

century building in a very sound 

condition. 

In 2001 at the conclusion of the 

above phase of building development, 

further extensions were completed. 

The Sidney Myer Work on Paper 

gallery and the Gallery Café were both 

launched. 

In an unusual twist of fate, Bendigo 

Art Gallery eventually gained a space 

in one of the city’s oldest post offices, 

built in 1887. Launched in November 

2010, Post Office Gallery is a satellite 

space of Bendigo Art Gallery and a 

City of Greater Bendigo initiative 

that presents changing exhibitions and 

events which offer insights into the 

region’s rich and layered history. 

At the time of this exhibition and 

10 11

12 

Vincent Kelly 


1904–58) 

RHS Abbott in his 

mayoral robes 

1917 


archives 

publication, Bendigo Art Gallery is 

again undertaking building works: 

Fender Katsalidis Architects have 

designed additional extensions 

that will further complement the 

Gallery’s unique position. Over the 

past decade, the Gallery has pushed 

beyond the traditional boundaries 

of a regional gallery. With growing 

attendances and a continually 

developing collection, major works 

were warranted and commenced 

in July 2012. The redevelopment, 

scheduled for completion at the end of 

2013, includes significantly increased 

and updated storage and technical 

facilities as well as new gallery spaces. 

The Gallery’s three historical courts 

- Bolton, Drury and Abbott - are also 

receiving a facelift in 2013 with a new, 

more contemporary colour scheme. 

MAYORS, DOCTORS & HONORARY 

CURATORS 

As former director David Thomas 

noted: ‘The gallery’s founding fathers 

came from the ranks of the old 

diggers, who had come to the Bendigo 

goldfields in the 50s, as well as from 

representatives of intellectual, political, 

religious, commercial and professional 

leaders of the town’. 23 The Gallery and 

its collection has been created by the 

generosity of numerous benefactors 

providing assistance in many forms. 

So much so, it is impossible to 

mention all of them in this short essay. 

However, they are not forgotten and 

the Gallery is forever grateful for their 

support, foresight and philanthropy. 

Mentioning just a few of these 

identities offers insight into the pivotal 

role of benefactors to the success of the 

Gallery as a whole. 

Perhaps one of the best known 

names associated with the Gallery’s 

formative years is Richard Hartley 

Smith (RHS) Abbott, who was closely 

connected with the Gallery for more 

than 60 years as a committee member, 

executive officer and devoted patron. 

Formerly a mayor of Bendigo, RHS 

Abbott was elected Honorary Secretary, 

a position he held from 1887 to 1907, 

after which he became President and 

served in that position until his death 

in 1940. His legacy remains one of the 

most significant in the Gallery’s history. 

Upon his death in 1940, his Will 

stipulated that a portion of his estate be 

held in trust, and income from it paid 

in perpetuity to Bendigo Art Gallery, 

to be used ‘… for the promotion 

of art among Bendigo citizens’. 24 

Abbott Court – originally known as 

Alexandra Court when it was built in 

Facsimile of Dr 

Neptune Scott’s passport 

1904 


archives 

1905 – was later changed to honour 

this outstanding bequest to the Gallery 

and thus the people of Bendigo. The 

Gallery continues to benefit from the 

Abbott bequest today. 

George Drury, an elusive character, 

also left money to the Gallery in his 

Will. After his death in 1890, the 

Gallery accepted the Drury bequest – a 

cheque of £1439 which was placed in 

the building fund until it was needed. 

Following the architectural competition 

in 1895 won by Barlow and Chandler, 

the money was drawn upon and 

Drury Court was opened. Little is 

known about George Drury and his 

connection to the Gallery but his 

generous donation has played a crucial 

role in the Gallery’s development. 

One of the Gallery’s most significant 

benefactors of the mid-20th century 

was Dr James Andrew Neptune Scott. 

Arriving in Bendigo in 1916, he 

opened a private hospital and surgery 

at Lister House in Rowan Street (now 

the Monash School of Rural Health), 

the income from which enabled him 

to indulge his passions for travelling 

abroad and collecting works of art. He 

made more than 20 trips overseas and 

concentrated exclusively on collecting 

19th century French paintings. On 

his death in 1944, he bequeathed 12 

French paintings from his collection, 

as selected by his wife. The remainder 

of the Scott collection was donated 

to the Gallery by Mrs CG Scott in 

1947, totalling 43 works including the 

original 12. Furthermore, in 1953, on 

the death of Mrs Scott, the assets of the 

estate became available to the Gallery. 

There was some question as to 

the authenticity and provenance of 

the French paintings in the Scott 

collection. These works were either 

greatly admired, or their authenticity 

was questioned and the works 

ridiculed. The trouble was that nobody 

knew if the paintings were genuine. 

It seemed that some people found 

incredible the existence in provincial 

Victoria of a collection of genuine 

French 19th century paintings by 

such masters. 25 To put an end to this 

damaging speculation, then Director, 

Doug Hall, arranged for the collection 

to be assessed. In 1984 French painting 

expert from the Louvre Madame 

Hélène Toussaint visited Bendigo Art 

Gallery, for the sole purpose of assessing 

this collection. She found that, of 

the 43 works donated by Scott, four 

were forgeries and a small number 

had been falsely attributed. Excitingly, 

several works proved to be even more 

significant than first thought – namely 

13

14 15

‘In spectacular beauty 

no social function 

held in Bendigo has 

exceeded it.’ 

16 

Bartlett Bros (attrib) 


1882–1940s) 

Subscription Ball at 

Bendigo Town Hall, 

The Daffodil Set 

1905 


archives 

works by Eugène Isabey, Alfred Sisley 

and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. 

Funds from the Scott estate also 

supported the purchases of Australian 

paintings. In particular, watercolours 

and drawings by Louis Buvelot, as well 

as paintings by John Longstaff, Rupert 

Bunny, Frederick McCubbin and 

Arthur Streeton. 

Local decorative arts specialists 

Arthur and Jean Newson are 

considered two of Bendigo Art 

Gallery’s greatest benefactors and 

supporters. In 1977 the Newsons 

donated a significant collection of 18th 

and 19th century porcelain, silverware 

and furniture. Then President BS 

Andrew, in a letter to the Newsons, 

noted that their contribution to the 

Gallery meant in the ‘areas in which 

we were lacking in our collection 

… of silver, furniture and porcelain 

[your] generous gifts have added 

a magnificent contribution to our 

collection and filled that gap’. 26 

Arthur Newson was a well-known 

Bendigo surgeon who had a long 

standing connection with the Gallery, 

and had served on the Committee 

of Management from 1968 to 1977. 

In 1980 Jean Newson was appointed 

the Gallery’s first Honorary Curator 

of Decorative Arts. The Will of 

Arthur Newson provided a bequest 

to Bendigo Art Gallery and upon 

the death of Jean Newson in 1993, 

$289,000 was transferred to the Gallery 

– it was the Newson’s wish that these 

funds were used for acquisitions of 

Australian paintings of a period no 

later than 1940. 

Today the Gallery continues to 

benefit from generous donors. Rod 

Fyffe, a local philanthropist, has given 

munificently to Bendigo Art Gallery 

over the past decade. His desire to 

build upon the Gallery’s contemporary 

Australian ceramics collection is 

reflected in the 116 (and growing) 

gifts and donations received over the 

years. A well-known local identity, 

Fyffe has served on Council for more 

than 30 years, including three times as 

Mayor. He sits on the Gallery’s Board 

of Management and has done so since 

2009. Awarded a medal of the Order of 

Australia in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday 

Honours list, Rod Fyffe has said that 

his donations to the Gallery, volunteer 

and council work are ways of giving 

back to the Bendigo community and 

ensuring its prosperity. 

To use the words of President BS 

Andrew (1975–1981), ‘The standard 

of our collection would not have been 

achieved except for the donations, gifts 

and bequests by public and community 

minded persons…’ 27 It is due to these 

founders, donors and supporters that 

the Gallery can boast its outstanding 

collection and continue to see it 

develop. 

HOLLYHOCKS & DAFFODILS 

Prior to 1995 when the City of 

Greater Bendigo council assumed 

operational control of Bendigo Art 

Gallery, fundraising was a crucial aspect 

of Gallery management. Without 

it, building extensions, acquisitions 

and special events would have been 

impossible. As a way of boosting funds 

in the Gallery’s early years, annual 

subscription balls were organised by 

the wives of Committee members and 

held first in the Gallery and later in the 

Town Hall. 

In a newspaper cutting from 1905, 

‘my dear Maude’ writes: 

The Art Gallery Ball, which 

everyone declares to be the prettiest 

thing in balls we have ever had … 

into what a big thing this ball has 

now grown! It is something that 

occupies the minds and energies 

of those who wish to form sets for 

weeks together, and which gives 

drapers and tailors quite a lot to 

do beforehand. But the result, of 

course, repays the time and energy 

expended. And the Art Gallery 

committee are rubbing their hands 

together in gleeful anticipation 

of the substantial sum that will 

materially assist towards paying for 

the new building that we all like so 

much… 28 

The balls became an event the 

whole community looked forward 

to. Committees were organised to 

make floral sets, colour schemes were 

scrutinised and particular attention 

was given to the music provided for 

entertainment. It was in 1905 that 

… the first … floral sets were 

introduced. The display was adjudged 

to be ‘grand in the extreme’ and so 

enamoured was everyone with its 

picturesqueness that popular opinion 

decided that sets should again 

be formed for the function… In 

spectacular beauty no social function 

held in Bendigo has exceeded it. 

Harmony of colour, appropriateness 

and variety of costume and 

decorations, were happily combined, 

and the effect was so enchanting as 

to lead dozens of onlookers, who 

thronged the spectators’ gallery, to 

go into ecstacies of delight. Adding 

17

18 

John Rowell 

(Australia 1894–1973) 

A mountain road 

1938 

oil on canvas 

RHS Abbott Prize, 

1938. Collection 


1938.4 

to the personal attractiveness was the 

scenic beauty of the hall, the lights 

of which scintillated on the whirling 

and twirling dancers. Occasionally, 

in the waltz, a poppy popped up, 

and then a violet caught the gaze. 

A hollyhock would spring up as if 

by magic, and to add to the floral 

variety, peach blossom would shed 

its pinky tints on dresses and faces 

and transform the ‘garden’ for a 

second or two into the ‘orchard’ 

where in the far corner ripe corn 

could be seen, and a little bed of 

daffodils at the nearest end. About 

220 couples danced. The attendance 

was much larger that [sic] last 

year, and the financial result will 

considerably exceed the £100 then 

raised. It is proposed to continue 

the ball annually. Stewart’s orchestra 

contributed the music. Mr. Reed, of 

Hargreaves Street, was the caterer, 

but the delicacies were provided by 

the ladies’. 29 

While the grand era of balls may 

have ended, the Gallery continues to 

host major fundraising initiatives. The 

Gallery Foundation, of which Rupert 

Myer is patron, was launched in 2008. 

It specifically works toward enabling 

a number of special projects to be 

pursued that would not otherwise 

be possible within normal day-today 

operations of the Gallery. The 

Foundation supports the acquisition 

of art for the collection, supports the 

participation of the community in 

the life of the Gallery, contributes 

funds to the conservation of works 

of art within the collection, assists 

educational programs and resources 

that will directly serve the needs of 

art students, boosts major exhibitions, 

events and special programs, endorses 

infrastructure, supports publications 

and assists the application of interactive 

technology. The Foundation pursues 

donations and directs the money as it 

deems appropriate. 

RECOGNISING TALENT 

From early in the Gallery’s history, 

art prizes have been an important tool 

for supporting artists and acquiring 

contemporary works for the collection. 

In 1938, two years before his death, 

the Gallery Committee recognised 

RHS Abbott’s many years of service 

by initiating an art prize in his 

name which included £100 for the 

best work of fine art in painting or 

sculpture by an Australian artist. The 

sponsor of this prize was Arthur T 

Woodward, who was the Art Director 

Unknown 

photographer 

Mr AT (Arthur 

Thomas) Woodward 

nd 

Image from ‘Canvas 

to Campus’, Frank 

Cusack, Hawthorn 

Press, Melbourne. 

Collection Jim Evans 

Unknown maker 

AT Woodward’s 

paintbox (with contents) 

wood, metal, oil/ 

water paint tubes 

c1890–1943 



1996.41 

19

‘… nothing can be 

more shocking than 

this exhibition of the 

picture of a nude 

woman.’ 

José Gutiérrez 

de la Vega 

(Spain 1791–1865) 

The Spanish maiden 

1837 

oil on canvas 

Purchased 1912. 



1912.12 

at the School of Mines. 

The first four prizes held by 

Bendigo Art Gallery were the RHS 

Abbott Prize in 1938, the AT Woodward 

Prize in 1940, the George Mackay Prize 

in 1942 and the Charlotte Allan Prize in 

1943. These prizes were named after 

people who had rendered particular 

service to the Gallery and together 

with all subsequent prizes, were mostly 

financed from Gallery funds. In 1944 

the Victory Commemoration Prize was 

held, followed by the Churchill Prize 

in 1945 and the Victory Art Prize in 

1946. From 1947 this prize was held 

annually and known as the Bendigo Art 

Prize; it was discontinued in 1967 and 

replaced for several years by the Bendigo 

Invitation Purchase Exhibition. 

Today the Gallery offers two major 

prizes – one each for drawing and 

painting. The Paul Guest Prize is a nonacquisitive 

cash prize of $12,000 which 

is held every two years, highlighting 

contemporary drawing practice in 

Australia. The Prize was initiated 

by former Family Court Judge and 

Olympic rower, the Honourable Paul 

Guest QC, and encourages artists from 

across Australia to engage with the 

important medium of drawing. 

The Arthur Guy Memorial Painting 

Prize was initiated by Mr Allen Guy 

CBE in honour of his late brother 

Arthur Guy. Also held biennially, this 

prize is an acquisitive cash prize of 

$50,000. Arthur Guy was educated at 

Camp Hill State School in Bendigo 

and later at Ballarat Grammar School. 

He enlisted in the Royal Australian 

Air Force and in 1945 he was on a 

biscuit bomber mission when his plane 

was shot down near Lae, Papua New 

Guinea. 

THE OBSCENE, UNFINISHED AND 

MARVELLOUS 

Undoubtedly one of the Gallery’s 

most important roles is as keeper of 

a vast collection of Australian and 

international art. This impressive 

collection has not been without its 

share of controversy. Perhaps the most 

notorious case is that of The Spanish 

maiden, which was ultimately one 

of the reasons a permanent building 

was sought for the Gallery in 1890. 

The uproar caused by the display of 

this nude resurfaced in 1897 when 

Drury Court was first opened. The 

painting, by José Gutiérrez de la Vega 

(1791–1865) was given a prominent 

position in the new gallery, where it 

sparked renewed debate. Letters to the 

paper resulted: 

… obscene and very objectionable 

20 21

WED Stuart 

(born Great Britain 

1826, arrived Australia 

1859, died 1873) 

Pall Mall from Bull 

Street 

c1860 

oil on canvas 

Gift of the Council of 

the Sandhurst School 

of Mines, 1887. 



1887.1 

picture … nothing can be more 

shocking than this exhibition of the 

picture of a nude woman. There 

can be no question of prudery in 

the presence of such a picture … 

but that it should be tolerated in 

a Christian city in the nineteenth 

century is deplorable … I now 

appeal to Christian people of all 

denominations to do all in their 

power to get this picture removed 

before it is the cause of more sin 

than it has already been the occasion 

of … If nothing else can be done, 

buy it by subscription and publicly 

burn it. 30 

then) as it appeared in 1860. Stuart 

exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts 

almost every year from 1846 to 1858, 

his paintings were mostly of flowers 

and fruit. Despite this international 

recognition he struggled throughout 

his career, even serving time in the 

Sandhurst Gaol due to his inability to 

repay debts. It is a popularly held belief 

that his imprisonment could be the 

reason the work was never completed. 

An example of early colonial art, Pall 

Mall from Bull Street is the only known 

scene by Stuart to survive. 

The breadth of stories associated 

with the collection is astounding and 

it is of course impossible to detail 

them all here. Instead, a short focus 

on a selection of people and artists 

intimately linked to the Gallery is more 

feasible; many famous names in the 

art world have been associated with 

Bendigo Art Gallery. 

One such example is Arthur Thomas 

Woodward, who was closely associated 

with Bendigo Art Gallery and involved 

in the formation of Bendigo Art 

Gallery Society in 1920. ‘Woodward 

was a generous supporter and member 

of the Gallery Committee for many 

years and regularly presented lectures 

on important works in the permanent 

collection and other Australian and 

John Walker 


Marquette of the Robert 

Burns bust 

plaster and bronze 

paint 

c1910 

Gift of Mrs J Nobbs, 

1982. Collection 


1982.1 

public’. 32 

The English-born Art Director 

of the School of Mines, Woodward 

was ‘… an accomplished painter and 

teacher … with extensive training in 

the art schools of London, Paris and 

Antwerp [and] teaching experience 

on the staff of … Birmingham 

School of Art’. 33 He was known 

as a talented teacher and under his 

guidance ‘… there emerged a group 

of local painters of considerable ability. 

Several continued their studies in 

Paris’. 34 His teaching methods and 

growing reputation attracted many art 

students. Under the expert guidance of 

Woodward, artists such as Ola Cohn, 

Madge Freeman, Agnes Goodsir, 

Marion Jones, Norman Penrose and 

John Walker developed successful 

artistic careers – and the Gallery’s 

collection holds examples of each of 

these artists’ works. 

One of Woodward’s most celebrated 

students, Agnes Goodsir moved to 

Bendigo from Portland in 1898 to 

learn from this esteemed art teacher 

at the Bendigo School of Mines. 

Following encouragement from 

Woodward, she left for Paris to further 

her art training, where she remained 

for the rest of her life. She became an 

established artist, exhibiting extensively 

at the Royal Academy of Arts and the 

Paris Salons. The Gallery’s collection 

holds five works by Goodsir, including 

the celebrated painting Girl with 

Cigarette (1925). The Agnes Goodsir 

Archive, comprised of photographs, 

ephemera and art medals is also housed 

at Bendigo Art Gallery. 

John Walker, a talented local sculptor, 

was also trained by Woodward at the 

School of Mines. He too studied in 

Paris before returning and settling 

in Bendigo. Over the course of his 

career he received numerous public 

commissions which can be viewed 

throughout the City of Bendigo. The 

bust of Scottish poet Robert Burns, 

made of Carrara marble, was presented 

in 1911 by public subscription, initiated 

by the Bendigo Caledonian Society 

and assisted by the Gallery Committee. 

The unveiling of the work was 

conducted by the Governor of Victoria, 

Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael. This 

work was Walker’s first attempt with 

marble. 35 The bust is on permanent 

display at Bendigo Art Gallery and 

each year the Caledonian Society pay 

homage to Robert Burns by laying a 

wreath in his memory. 

Also purchased early in the Gallery’s 

history is the unassuming painting, 

Afternoon tea (1887) by Emma Minnie 

However, The Spanish maiden also 

had its admirers: considered ‘high 

art’ 31 it remained on display, and is 

now a favourite of the collection. In 

the 21st century it seems difficult to 

comprehend the initial uproar this 

work created. 

An exploration of the collection 

would not be complete without 

making note of the Gallery’s first 

acquisition. The first recorded 

acquisition is Pall Mall from Bull Street 

by WED Stuart (c1830–1873). A 

gift of the Council of the Sandhurst 

School of Mines in 1887, this large 

unfinished and unsigned painting 

shows Bendigo (or Sandhurst as it was 

international collections for the general 

22 23

WH Robinson 


1890s–1920) 

Unveiling of Robert 

Burns’ bust by Sir 

Gibson Carmichael 

1911 

Jacob Cohn (standing 

in second row with 

top hat) 

Mayor William Henry 

Wilkie (second left 

seated) 

RHS Abbott (fourth 

left seated) 

Collection Dennis 

O’Hoy 

Emma Minnie Boyd 


Afternoon tea 

1888 

oil on canvas 

Purchased 1888. 



1888.1 

Boyd, acquired in 1888. It is an 

important work in the collection’s 

story as it was the first purchase of 

a work by a female artist. Boyd was 

exhibiting as a professional artist before 

she had turned 21; at this time only 

a few female artists could claim this 

standing. Ultimately becoming the 

matriarch of an artistic dynasty, 36 Boyd 

exhibited at the Victorian Academy of 

Arts in 1875. Considered her favourite 

painting, 37 Afternoon tea remains 

a proud member of the Gallery’s 

permanent collection. 

These few works cannot of course 

offer a comprehensive survey, but 

instead offer a small insight into 

the diversity of a collection which 

holds close to 5000 works. Today the 

Gallery is committed to collecting 

contemporary Australian works. The 

collection holds works from a range 

of media including painting, sculpture, 

works on paper, digital media and 

indigenous art that showcase the 

development of Australian art and of 

course the continuing evolution of the 

Australian art world. 

FORGING AHEAD 

2013 marks 126 years of Bendigo 

Art Gallery as public institution. 

Brought about by the need for a 

cultural establishment in Sandhurst, 

Bendigo Art Gallery continues to 

collect, preserve and display works 

of art for the pleasure and education 

of the public. Leaving behind any 

small-town quaintness and manifesting 

into one of the most profiled regional 

galleries, it now attracts exhibitions of 

international standard. Our Gallery’s 

humble beginning provides a great tale, 

paving the way for an institution to 

exist for the people, and one of which 

we can all be proud. 

Driven by exceptional and 

unprecedented growth in recent 

years, the further redevelopment and 

expansion will provide the Gallery 

with additional exhibition spaces, to 

better showcase major national and 

international exhibitions; accommodate 

increased visitor numbers; and better 

house and display the Gallery’s 

significant and growing collection. 

Delving into the archives of Bendigo 

Art Gallery, this exhibition brings to 

light some of the unique and rarely 

seen items and stories from the archives 

of our Gallery’s past and reminds 

people of the story so far of the 

treasured people’s gallery. 

Simone Bloomfield 


24 25

NOTES 

26 

1 A member of the Gallery’s Committee, Dr 

Paul MacGillivray, devised the Gallery’s 

motto in 1890 

2 Hayes, P 11 May 1887, ‘Letter to the 

principal citizens’, Bendigo Art Gallery 

archives 

3 As written in the Gallery’s mission 

statement 

4 Jordan, Dr Caroline, Art Outside the 

Metropolis: Regional Galleries in the 

Nineteenth Century, http://www. 

academia.edu/1060661/Art_outside_the_ 

Metropolis_Regional_Galleries_in_the_ 

Nineteenth_Century), viewed June 2013, 

unpaginated 

5 Thomas, David, date unknown, The Private 

faces of a public art gallery, Bendigo Art 

Gallery archives, p.80 

6 Rymer, JW, 5 April 1887, The Bendigo 

Advertiser, p.4 

7 Short, William, 6 April 1887, The Bendigo 


8 Author unknown, 14 April 1887, The 

Bendigo Advertiser, p.2 

9 Thomas, David, date unknown, The 

Private faces of a public art gallery, Bendigo 

Art Gallery archives, p.80. The Spanish 

Maiden later experienced stronger, renewed 

controversy which is discussed later in 

the context of the development of the 

collection. 

10 According to Peter Ball, Vice President & 

Museum Curator at Bendigo & District 

RSL Military Museum, an army of parttime 

rifle, artillery and engineer corps 

made up of common citizens occupied 

the Orderly Room, utilising it as an 

administration office. Usually a junior 

ranked officer would have supervised the 

office, a place where army personnel would 

come in to discuss rations or any problems 

they may have had. It was also an office 

where businesses and groups could come 

to arrange an ‘honour guard’ for specific 

events. Phone interview 2 July 2013 

11 Jordan, Caroline, unpaginated 

12 150 years of Defence Forces in Bendigo 

http://www.bendigorsl.com.au/150years/ 

orderlyRoom.php, viewed June 2013 

13 Andrew, BS, c1975, Bendigo Art Gallery (A 

Short History), Bendigo Art Gallery archives 

14 Bendigo Art Gallery Committee, Minute 

book 1893 – 1899 in Jordan, Caroline, 

unpaginated 

15 Bendigo Art Gallery Committee, minutes 

of 6 January 1896, Minute Book Feb 1893 to 

1899 

16 The caretaker’s cottage existed on Park 

Lane along the entire length of the 

Gallery. John Ashbridge Little was the 

first caretaker from 1925 until his death 

11 years later. His son, Walter Fleming 

Little took over this position in 1936 until 

1963 when he suffered a heart attack 

while working in the Gallery. While no 

images survive of the caretakers cottage, 

Peter Little (great grandchild of John 

Little) remembers the cottage from his 

childhood. In an interview with Peter 

Little on 4 February 2013, he recalled the 

small residence having two bedrooms and 

a sleepout. There was a small office and a 

long narrow dining room, with a kitchen 

across the courtyard. The kitchen doubled 

as a bathroom – a large wooden board was 

placed over the bath to act as the benchtop. 

There were three small associated buildings 

along Park Lane – a toilet, a laundry and 

a woodshed. The role of the caretaker 

was broad. It included acting as security 

(living at the Gallery meant being on 

Unknown 

photographer 

John Ashbridge Little 

standing outside 


First caretaker of 


c1930s 

Collection Peter and 

Dale Little 

call 24 hours a day), cleaning the Gallery, 

collecting the money from visitors: in 

those days there was an entry fee. The 

Caretaker was also responsible for handling 

the artworks and making any changes to 

displays. For this reason, there were few 

changes to the display and few special 

exhibitions. 

17 Bendigo Art Gallery Committee, minutes 

of 4 May 1896, Minute Book Feb 1893 to 

1899 

18 Cohn, Jacob, 1895, ‘President’s report’, 

Bendigo Art Gallery 1895 annual report, 

Bendigo Art Gallery archives, p.10 

19 Arnall & Jackson, 1888, The Victorian 

Municipal Directory and Gazetteer for 1888, p. 

103 

20 Mackay, George, 1938, Annals of Bendigo 

1851 – 1935, Cambridge Press, Bendigo, 

p.340 

21 Kizilos, Katherine, 10 March 1989, ‘A 

goldmine of a gallery’, The Herald, p.15 

22 Thomas, David in Kizilos, Katherine, p.15 

23 Thomas, David, 13 October 1990, Bendigo 


24 Thomas, Pauline, 1990, RHS Abbott 

Benefactor, Bendigo Art Gallery archives 

25 Mitchell, Harvey, 27 March 1984, ‘The 

good oil on a French collection’, The 

Bulletin, p.34 

26 Andrew, BS, 10 February 1977, ‘Letter 

to Mr & Mrs AL Newson’, Bendigo Art 

Gallery archives 

27 Andrew, BS, 10 February 1977 

28 Author unknown, 22 August 1905, ‘My 

dear Maude’, article from Bendigo Art 

Gallery newspaper cuttings book – blue 

leather bound. Likely from The Bendigonian 

29 Author unknown, 22 August 1905, ‘My 

dear Maude’ 

30 Fern, Fanny, 10 December 1897, article 

from Bendigo Art Gallery newspaper 

cuttings book, likely from the Bendigo 

Advertiser 

31 Author unknown, 13 December 1897, ‘A 

bold, bad woman’, article from Bendigo 

Art Gallery newspaper cuttings book, likely 

from the Bendigo Advertiser 

32 Cooper, Tracy, 2003, Songs from a studio: 

Arthur Woodward and his circle, Bendigo Art 

Gallery, Bendigo, p.4 

33 Cusack, Frank, 1973, Canvas to campus, A 

history of the Bendigo Institute of Technology, 

Hawthorn Press Melbourne, p.83 

34 Cusack, Frank,p.83 

35 John Walker artist file, Bendigo Art Gallery 

archives 

36 Emma Minnie Boyd artist file, Bendigo Art 


37 Emma Minnie Boyd artist file, Bendigo Art 


27

Further Reading 

Unknown 

photographer 

Victoria Court, Bendigo 

Art Gallery (detail) 

1906 

Image from Annals of 

Bendigo 1851–1935, 

George Mackay, 

The Cambridge Press, 

Bendigo, 1938 p.341 

Bendigo Art Gallery/Karen Quinlan, 

Selected Works, Bendigo Art Gallery, 

Australia, 2004 

Frank Cusack, Canvas to Campus: 

A history of the Bendigo Institute 

of Technology, Hawthorn Press, 

Melbourne, Australia, 1973 

George Mackay, Annals of Bendigo 

1851 – 1867, The Cambridge Press, 

Bendigo, Australia, 1938 

Dr Caroline Jordan, Art Outside the 

Metropolis: Regional Galleries in the 

Nineteenth Century, http://www. 

academia.edu/1060661/Art_outside_ 

the_Metropolis_Regional_Galleries_ 

in_the_Nineteenth_Century viewed 

June 2013 

Karen Quinlan and David Stuchbery, 

Gift of Rod Fyffe, Published Bendigo 

Art Gallery, Australia 2008 

Tracy Cooper and Louise Tegart, Songs 

from a studio, Arthur Woodward and his 

circle, Bendigo Art Gallery, Australia 

2003 

Karen Quinlan, In a picture land over 

the sea… Agnes Goodsir 1864 – 1939, 

Bendigo Art Gallery, Australia, 1998 

28 1

2 

51–67 pall mall 

Bendigo VICTORIA 3550 

T 03 5434 6179 

postofficegallery 

@bendigo.vic.gov.au

Art for the People: Bendigo Art Gallery 1887 - 2013

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