In the winter of 1955 John Brack stood in a doorway in Collins Street on successive nights between 4.45 and 5.30pm and observed and sketched office workers on their way home from work. Painted in dark and light brown, with touches of ochre colour, the composition exudes a monochromatic drabness and is universally hailed as a most powerful statement on the routine and seemingly mundane existence of urban society.

John BRACK
Australia 1920–99

Oil on canvas
114.8 x 162.8 cm
Purchased, 1956
3302-4

Dr William O'Mullane (1811 - 91) and his future wife arrived in Melbourne in 1839. O'Mullane became a prominent medical practitioner, land speculator and businessman. In 1852 Mrs O'Mullane engaged William Strutt, Melbourne's leading painter, to teach her children drawing.

William STRUTT
Great Britain 1825–1915

oil on canvas
68.1 x 90.3 cm (oval)
Purchased, 1976
A33-1976

William Barak was a senior member of the Wurundjeri people who lived on the land presently occupied by the city of Melbourne. He began painting in the 1880s and left a remarkable record of Aboriginal life and culture.

William Barak
Wurundjeri (c. 1824)–1903

Pencil, gouache, earth pigments, charcoal on paper
48.5 x 58.5 cm (image and sheet)
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of the Alcoa Foundation, Governor, 1994
O.1-1994

Melbourne in the 19th century was a maritime city. Frederick McCubbin's painting shows the large vessels that travelled up the Yarra River to the turning circle in front of the Customs House. Exhibited at the Victorian Artists' Society and illustrated in the catalogue, the painting was subsequently cut in half, with one half remaining in a private collection.

Frederick McCUBBIN
Australia 1855–1917

oil on canvas on (wood panel)
112.4 x 99.0 cm
Gift of Mr Hugh McCubbin, 1960
727-5

Founded in 1835, Melbourne's development is richly recorded by artists working in many media. Henry Burn's view, painted a decade after the beginning of the gold rushes, shows the town in the process of becoming a bustling city. Looking along the first Princes Bridge (replaced with the present bridge in 1888), the Coroner's office and morgue can be seen on the future site of Federation Square.

Henry BURN
born Great Britain (c. 1807), arrived in Australia 1853, died 1884

oil on canvas
71.8 x 92.2 cm
Gift of Mr John H. Connell, 1914
754-2

The Melbourne Cricket Ground is regarded as hallowed turf in the popular imagination.

This early lithograph shows its beginnings in a paddock with the crowd picnicking, promenading and climbing trees for a better view. A century later, the MCG was the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games, an event that proved to be a significant turning point in how Melburnians viewed themselves in relation to the rest of the world.

UNKNOWN

colour lithograph, watercolour and engraving
26.1 x 35.7 (image) 27.8 x 37.4 cm (comp) 35.3 x 45.6 cm (sheet)
Purchased, 1948
1945-4

Melbourne is often referred to as 'the garden city'. The early planners endowed the city with magnificent public gardens such as the Fitzroy and Botanic Gardens. Promenading was a popular Victorian pastime.

Henry GRITTEN
born Great Britain 1818, died 1873

oil on cardboard
22.7 x 37.5 cm
Felton Bequest, 1964
1414-5

Popularised by Joan Lindsay's haunting story Picnic at Hanging Rock, day-trippers and tourists have visited this mysterious rock formation since Melbourne's early settlement.

William FORD
born Great Britain (c. 1820), arrived in Australia (c. 1870), died (c. 1886)

oil on canvas
79.2 x 117.5 cm
Purchased, 1950
2255-4

Collins Street became Melbourne's financial centre. During the 1920s and 1930s, Dora Wilson was the major painter of Melbourne, known for her charming views of tree-lined streets, lengthening shadows, toy trams and automobiles. She exhibited more than sixty images of Collins Street.

Dora WILSON
born Great Britain 1883, arrived in Australia (late 19th century), died 1946

oil on plywood
40.6 x 32.8 cm
Felton Bequest, 1931
4532-3

Situated as it is on Port Phillip Bay, life in Melbourne has been closely associated with beach culture. The coast and the freedom that it symbolises has inspired local artists from the 19th century to the present day.

Tom ROBERTS
born Great Britain 1856, died 1931

oil on canvas
30.8 x 61.4 cm
Felton Bequest, 1940
1078-4

Melbourne is often referred to as 'the garden city'. The early planners endowed the city with magnificent public gardens such as the Fitzroy and Botanic Gardens. Promenading was a popular Victorian pastime.

John MATHER
born Great Britain 1848, arrived in Australia 1878, died 1916

oil on canvas
(58.0 x 88.2 cm)
Purchased, 1895
p.402.6-1

Dame Nellie Melba (1861 - 1931) was Melbourne's most famous export during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The celebrated soprano was depicted by many artists, including Australians Bertram Mackennal, Rupert Bunny and John Longstaff.

Bertram MACKENNAL
born Australia 1863, died Great Britain 1931

marble
198.5 x 61.3 x 61.5 cm
Gift of Madame Melba, 1900
60-2

Dame Nellie Melba (1861 - 1931) was Melbourne's most famous export during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The celebrated soprano was depicted by many artists, including Australians Bertram Mackennal, Rupert Bunny and John Longstaff.

Rupert BUNNY
Australia 1864–1947

oil on canvas
245.5 x 153.0 cm
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of Dinah and Henry Krongold CBE, Founder Benefactors, 1980
A70-1980

Café society has played a prominent role in the development of multi-cultural Melbourne. Georges Mora arrived in Melbourne from Paris and established the Balzac Café in Collins Street. The Balzac Café became a meeting place for the city's leading artists.

Walter Burley GRIFFIN (designer)

born United States 1879, died India 1937
H. GOLDMAN MANUFACTURING CO. (manufacturer)

pine (Pinus radiata), blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon)
74.2 x 91.6 x 61.2 cm
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria Founder Benefactor, 2000
2000.53

Alfred Felton (1831-1904) was a Melbourne industrialist. His magnificent bequest has, since 1904, provided major international and Australian works of art for the National Gallery of Victoria's collection.

John LONGSTAFF
Australia 1861–1941

oil on canvas
(136.6 x 93.0 cm)
Felton Bequest, 1932
4657-3

Brack's painting evokes the familiar journey by car that became common with post-war prosperity.

John BRACK
Australia 1920–99

oil on canvas
41.0 x 102.2 cm
Purchased, 1956
3301-4