NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA, MELBOURNE

The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites. The main gallery, known as NGV International, is located on St Kilda Road, in the heart of the Melbourne Arts Precinct of Southbank, with a branch gallery at Federation Square.

The St Kilda Road Gallery, designed by Sir Roy Grounds, opened in 1968. and redesigned by Mario Bellini. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square was designed by LAB Architecture Studio.

At the time when the gallery opened, Victoria was an independent colony for just ten years, but in the wake of the Victorian gold rush, it was easily the richest part of Australia, and Melbourne the largest city. Besides donations of works of art, donated funds from wealthy citizens have been used by the Gallery to purchase large collections of overseas works from both old and modern masters. The Gallery currently holds over 65,000 works of art.

The Felton Bequest, established by the will of Alfred Felton, has acquired and donated over 15,000 works of art to the Gallery. The National Gallery of Victoria Art School, associated with the gallery, was founded in 1867. It was the leading centre for academic art training in Australia until about 1910. The School’s graduates went on to become some of Australia’s most significant artists.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of Toby's Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors meme.

The imposing St Kilda Rd façade of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne

The rather grand entranceway to the Gallery. Entry is free tot he Gallery, although a fee is usually charged for special exhibitions

The water windows at the Gallery entrance delight both young and old...

But especially so the young! 

The Gallery has expansive spaces, many of which are brightly lit with natural light, as can be seen in the foyer area here 

The sculptures of the figures visible here are English sculptor Antony Gormley's stainless steel 'Inside Australia' installation in the foyer of the Gallery 

The Gallery shop on the Ground floor of the Gallery is a treasure of books on art, architecture, craft and related disciplines. As well as books, the shop sells catalogues, postcards, art, gifts and other art-related merchandise

The Great Hall, created by Leonard French between 1963-1967 is a magnificent space, often used for performances, concerts and all sorts of other functions. The ceiling is high (13.72 metres), vast (60.9 x 15.24 metres) and so heavy with glass and steel that its downward projecting triangles need to be held up by a series of slim steel columns.

Looking up, one becomes aware of the wonder of one of the largest glass ceilings in the world. The kaleidoscopic tent of light suspended high above the NGV International's Great Hall is part of the building's fabric and an iconic part of the National Gallery of Victoria

Leonard William French OBE (born 8 October 1928) is an Australian artist, known principally for major stained glass works. French was born in Brunswick, Victoria. His stained glass creations include a series of panels in the cafe and foyer of the National Library of Australia in Canberra, and this stained glass ceiling for the great hall at the National Gallery of Victoria

The sculpture garden of the Gallery at its back end

Another view of the garden

Henry Moore's "Draped Seated Woman" of 1957-58, with a mosaic in the background, a recreation of Fernand Léger's "Grand Parade with red Background" made in 1985

Auguste Rodin's sculpture of "Monument to Balzac" (1891–1898)  Rodin had a modest attitude toward his art. When he finished his "Balzac", which remains the incontestable point of departure for modern sculpture, he declared, "It is now that I would like to begin work."

There are several cafés and places to refresh oneself in the Gallery. Here is the very cosy  first floor "Tea Room"

 The gallery's collection includes 66,000 objects: Sculptures, paintings, prints, costumes, furnishings, photographs and artefacts. Here is the "Triptych with the miracles of Christ" (1479-1491), painted by the workshop of  the Master of the Legend of St Catherine 

A detail of the  "Triptych with the miracles of Christ" 

"Triptych of the Virgin and Child with Saints" - Cologne School, c.1510-20 

Detail of  "Triptych of the Virgin and Child with Saints"

The Rembrandt Cabinet

Detail of "The Two Philosophers" (1628) by Rembrandt

One of the 16th-17th century galleries

Giambattista Tiepolo's "The Finding of Moses"  (1740-1745)

Giambattista Tiepolo's stunning "The Banquet of Cleopatra" (1743–44)

Three decorative art pieces from the extensive collection of similar type in the Gallery. These are Minton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire bone china pieces, two baskets (1873) and a covered vase (ca. 1885). The vase was decorated by Henry Mitchell (active 1860-1875)

A 17th-18th century gallery

One of the 19th century galleries

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes' enormous cartoon of "St Geneviève Ravitaillant Paris Assiégé" (1897-1898)

Another of the 19th century galleries decorated in the salon style typical of the early to mid-19th century

James Tissot's "An Interesting Story" (1872)

Claude Monet's "Vétheuil" (1879)

Frederick McCubbin's "Lost" (1907)

Paul Nash's "Landscape of the Summer Solstice" (1943)

Detail from John Longstaff's portrait of Alfred Felton of 1932.  Alfred Felton (8 November 1831 – 8 January 1904) was an Australian entrepreneur, art collector and philanthropist. His sizeable and very generous bequest to the National Gallery of Victoria made the gallery what it is today - the best in the Southern Hemisphere and certainly one of the best in the world. My short photographic foray has hardly done it any justice

JIM STYNES' FUNERAL, MELBOURNE 27 MARCH

James "Jim" Stynes OAM (23 April 1966 – 20 March 2012) was a prominent Irish Australian best known for his career as a professional Australian rules football player and administrator but also as a philanthropist, charity worker and writer. During his 264 game career with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) between 1987 and 1998, Stynes become the only non-Australian-born VFL/AFL player to win the prestigious Brownlow Medal, which he achieved in 1991 and he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Stynes had a high profile in both Australia and Ireland as a result of his involvement in the Melbourne Football Club's ambitious international recruitment program (now known as the "Irish experiment"). Born in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, where he was a promising Gaelic footballer, Stynes made an ambitious move to Australia at the age of 18 following his side's win in the 1984 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship. Debuting in the Australian Football League in 1987, he played a league record 244 consecutive games between 1987 and 1998. He also represented Victoria in interstate football matches, and both Australia and Ireland in international rules football, a hybrid of Gaelic football and Australian rules football.

Following his football career, Stynes focussed on youth work using his profile to launch the Reach Foundation, which he co-founded in 1994. As a result of his work with young people in Victoria he was named Victorian of the Year twice, in 2001 and 2003, and with the expanded profile of Reach nationally, awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007. Stynes also served as president of the Melbourne Football Club from 2008 and was involved in fundraising efforts which brought the club out of debt. In 2009, Stynes was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma and continued to work during his treatment for brain metastasis. He died in March, 2012 and was honoured by a state funeral which was held at St. Paul's cathedral in Melbourne on Tuesday, 27 March 2012.

Melbourne Town Hall with the flag flying half-mast. St Paul's Cathedral in the back

The crowd outside the Cathedral

Federation Square opposite the Cathedral

The crowd outside Flinders Street Station

St Pauls Cathedral 

The Cortege leaving the Cathedral

The cars of the family and close friends following the hearse and proceeding through the guard of honour

Even a cocky decided to attend the funeral... 

Crowd in Federation Square, many wearing the Melbourne Football Club scarf

The Melbourne Football Club flag was flying

A lot of heartfelt emotion was evident, and this was one of the quietest crowds that I have experienced...

Crowd dispersing after the funeral is over

A rare site on Flinders St - traffic completely stopped and the street converted to a pedestrian mall! 

Vale, Jim Stynes! (Photo courtesy of ABC, taken by David Crosling)

RIPPONLEA ESTATE, MELBOURNE

Located only 20 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD, Rippon Lea Estate is one of the last of Australia’s grand suburban estates. It is a grand property that is National Heritage listed and a visit there is like peeking through a window that allows you to travel back in time and offers a unique glimpse into the lifestyles of the wealthiest Australians of the Victorian era.


Rippon Lea Estate consists of a lavish urban mansion, a large garden, orchard and associated outbuildings (including the stable complex, the lodge, the conservatory and glasshouses, the fernery, the porte-cochere, the 1930s swimming pool, and the 1930s ballroom). The property has integrity as an uncommonly large and intact suburban estate, which survived subdivision and encroachment by suburbia.


In 1868, Marian and Frederick Sargood bought 11.3 hectares (23 acres) of scrub land at Elsternwick, naming it after Frederick’s mother Emma Rippon (Lea is an old English word for meadow). Frederick had arrived in the colony as a 15 year old, first working for the Public Works Department and then joining his father’s expanding clothing and drapery importing firm which supplied soft goods to the diggers. Like many of the merchants active during the gold rush, Sargood made his fortune and Rippon Lea was the result of his newfound prosperity.

Sargood was knighted in 1890 and when he died in 1903, Lady Sargood sold the property to the Premier of Victoria, Sir Thomas Bent, who was intent on subdividing the property - fortunately, he died before his plan became reality.  Rippon Lea’s next owner, Benjamin Nathan moved into Rippon Lea with his family in 1910. His daughter, Mrs Louisa Jones inherited the property in 1935.  Louisa and her family loved entertaining and Rippon Lea, after its redecoration in 1938, became the scene of lavish balls, parties, family weddings, and musical performances.  During the 1960s and early 1970s Louisa, with her children’s support, fought a compulsory acquisition order to give four acres of Rippon Lea’s pleasure grounds to the adjoining Australian Broadcasting Commission. The fight was won and upon her death in 1972, Rippon Lea passed to the care of the National Trust.

The main drive leading up to the mansion. Extensive gardens and significant tree plantings flank the driveway.

Designed by architects Reed and Barnes in 1868 in the Lombardic Romanesque style , Rippon Lea joins a list of well known public buildings commissioned from this respected Melbourne architectural firm.  

The Mansion is imposing from all angles and provides wonderful opportunities for the photographer.

A view of the conservatory/orchid house, which is also accessible from the Drawing Room, inside the house.

In late nineteenth century, Sargood and his second wife Julia began updating the estate – the house was extended and the interiors re-decorated. A porte cochére was installed to create a commanding entrance and provide shelter to guests arriving in their carriages.

Ornamental stained glass, elaborate embossed wallpapers and ceiling papers contributed to the refurbishment. Much of Rippon Lea’s architectural decoration consists of garden motifs, possibly chosen because Sargood’s love of the garden. Here is the view of the main entrance from the Entrance Hall.

The mansion was ‘modernised’ in the early twentieth century by its last owner Mrs. Louisa Jones, who updated many of the nineteenth century features, ‘jazzed up’ the house in 1938.  Incorporating the latest interior design fashions from Europe, in particular the work of Syrie Maugham, a neo-baroque scheme – known as the Hollywood style - was chosen to grace the interiors. This is seen to advantage in the grand Drawing Room here.

Two conservatories were added to building – these could be accessed from the interior rooms and brought the garden and Sargood’s passion for orchids, indoors. 

The Entrance Hall, looking towards the Dining Room. To the left is the Drawing Room and to the right the more modest lounge, which also communicates with the Dining Room.

The Lounge Room, perfect for pre-dinner drinks, some music-making or some relaxation.

An elaborate drinks cabinet catering to the cocktail-swigging crowds of the 1930s.

The Argus , published in Melbourne from 1846-1957, was the quality newspaper of record in the nineteenth and first part of the twentieth century. Here is the January 1st, 1938 issue. 

The Dining Room also shows the extravagance of the glamorous Hollywood style so beloved of Louisa Jones.

A grand staircase leads to the bedrooms of the first floor.

A beautiful stained glass window in the stairwell, showing more examples of Sargood's botanical motifs.

The upper floor corridor, leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms to the left and the balcony straight ahead. A magnificent Victorian bookcase full of period volumes. Ripplea Bear, peeking from behind the bookcase, has lived at Rippon Lea House & Gardens for over 140 years – Clara Sargood and all her brothers and sisters were his first friends.  They used to play hopscotch in the Fernery, row boats around the lake and cuddle in front of the fire. Today, Ripplea still loves to play around the Estate –children visiting love to go looking for him in every room of the house!  

The main bedroom, redecorated to Julia Jones Hollywood taste...

As Sargood ensured that the estate was equipped with the most advanced technology, the house was one of the first in Melbourne to install electricity. The basement kitchens, plumbing and bathroom facilities were updated. The suite of servants rooms in the extended kitchens have survived to this day in their 1880s configuration.  

Original photograph of Frederick and Marian Sargood taken around the time of their wedding, ca. 1858.

A small but functional home office shows state of the art technology for the 1930s...

The back lawn of the Mansion with the Ballroom to the left.

The swimming pool in front of the Ballroom.

Louisa Jones' Hollywood Ballroom. The addition of the swimming pool and ballroom allowed Louisa and her husband Timothy, to throw extravagant parties.

The windmill of the garden is functional as well as decorative. Beautiful beds of a great variety of dahlia cultivars are in the foreground.

The fernery is a large, impressive shade house created by Sargood in 1884 to replace a smaller pre-existing structure. Built to provide protection from scorching sun and hot, dry winds, the fernery provides an environment that allows the collection of about 200 species of ferns and related plants to flourish. It is arranged in an imitation of a fern gully, such as may be seen in the Dandenongs.

Originally developed in 1868 in the Gardenesque style with geometric beds and paths, the garden was re-designed for the Sargood family by William Sangster in 1882. The Picturesque garden layout, with its irregular design and rustic devices such as the lake bridges, asks the viewer to see the garden vistas as a picture. This Romantic notion, part of the Picturesque aesthetic, encourages the visitor to use associations and ideas when viewing the garden.  To establish and support his exotic European style garden, Sargood constructed a stormwater harvesting, collection, storage and recycling system, which pumped water from the surrounding suburbs into the lake and then, throughout the garden. The National Trust is in the final stages of reinstating this system and intends to return the gardens to being a self-sufficient user of water.

The boat shed where the pleasure boats were lodged when not used for leisure activities on the lake.

A duck revels in the lake, the surface of which is covered with duckweed (Wolffia microscopica). Although it is unsightly, the plant is used as food by many aquatic animals and birds.

A garden folly or rotunda, sitting on top of a small mound provides a shady, cool place to rest in or to admire sweeping views of the garden and house.

A lovely view of the garden, lake and one of the ornamental bridges.

A lawn maze with the mansion in the background. In August 2006, Rippon Lea became the 33rd site to be included on the prestigious National Heritage List. The listing was announced by the then Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell.Rippon Lea is important as a surviving example of a large intact late nineteenth century private suburban estate consisting of an urban mansion, large garden and outbuildings.The house is an outstanding example of the Victorian Italianate style, which was a popular expression in Victoria's gold boom period. Rippon Lea is one of the finest polychrome buildings in Victoria and established a fashion.The extensive garden, originally in the Gardenesque style by the owner Sargood was later redeveloped by him in a more naturalistic style. The estate is intact and has not been significantly reduced by subdivision. The watering system at Rippon Lea is one of the earliest, most complex and relatively intact examples of nineteenth century underground engineering works found in Australia to maintain a private garden.Rippon Lea has a strong association with the National Trust community which has undertaken major conservation works and re-established historic cultivars in the garden. It is important for its association with the Melbourne community and has been publicly accessible for over 30 years. It has been selected as a setting for films and documentaries because of the high degree of integrity of the historic buildings and garden.