National Gallery of Victoria

The biggest collection of Australian art in the world is housed in this gallery, which also plays host to international masters and top-class touring exhibitions.

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is also the oldest gallery in Australia, having opened its doors in 1861. It is made up of two distinct locations – the NGV International in Southbank, and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia in the central Federation Square.The first thing that strikes the visitor to the NGV International is the building’s design, with its stark grey exterior offset by surrounding water features and the waterfall tastefully flowing down along the glass entrance. A kaleidoscope of light and shade awaits inside, underneath one of the largest stained-glass ceilings in the world.Over 66,000 works of art make up the collections at the NGV International, ranging from classical painting to sculpture, furniture and antique design to photography. This art originates from all over Oceania, Europe, Asia and America, with artists of the calibre of Bernini, Cézanne, Correggio, Manet, Monet and Picasso populating the international collections. Exceptional touring exhibitions are also welcomed from across the world.The collections housed in the Ian Potter Centre have Australian art as their exclusive focus. Aboriginal and non-aboriginal works are exhibited from the colonial period (1792-1901), and there is also a wide array of Australian art leading right up to the present day. Decorative arts and fashion are exhibited, and indigenous art plays a major part in the centre's collection.The development of Australian art is lovingly traced in the National Gallery. The renowned Heidelberg School movement is well worth checking out, with its attempts to explore the essence of life, light and the natural environment in Australia.NGV International is open daily except for Tuesdays, while the Ian Potter Centre is closed on Mondays, and both are closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day. The main exhibitions are free, but there may be a fee for temporary or travelling exhibits. Tours and audio guides are also available, again for a fee.The two buildings which together make up the National Gallery of Victoria are only a short stroll from one another the NGV International is on St. Kilda Road, and the Ian Potter Centre is found on Federation Square. Both galleries are a brief walk from Flinders Street Station, Melbourne’s main train terminal.