19th Century Australian Art

Bendigo Art Gallery is fortunate to hold many works by important 19th century Australian artists. The collection includes those who documented the history of Bendigo. For example, Thomas Wright's Sandhurst in 1862, George Rowe's Kangaroo Flat, c 1857, and S.T. Gill's Eaglehawk Gully, Bendigo (c1852) capture and reflect the initial goldrush on the Bendigo goldfields, through to the city's formation as a burgeoning regional centre.

The Gallery also has a strong collection or eary 20th century Australian art including works by proponents of the Heidelberg School such as Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts and Walter Withers. The collection has a special focus on expatriate Australian artists from the turn of the century to the 1940s, artists who for many decades were forgotten by the Australian public, including Agnes Goodsir, Bessie Davidson and Mary Cecil Allen.