Rodney James

When he first entered the art world as a critic in the 1940s and then again in the 1950s, Victoria's public galleries were in a parlous state. Low attendances, shoestring budgets, lack of professional staff, poor remuneration, deteriorating buildings and an inability to conserve or preserve collections adequately (as well as scant support across all levels of government) meant that four long-established provincial galleries at Ballarat (1884), Bendigo (1887), Geelong (1896) and Castlemaine (1913) were struggling to survive, let alone maintain appropriate museum standards. The fifth, Warrnambool (1886) was effectively no longer operating. (p.245)

Despite its enthusiastic start the economic downturn of the 1890s brought the Collection to a halt. In 1910 the Council took control of the Mechanics Institute and ran the Gallery there until 1963 when the building was allocated for municipal offices.

The Collection was dispersed on loan to galleries in Shepparton and Hamilton and not reunited until 1971. In 1986 the Gallery’s Centenary year, a permanent home was built next to the ‘Civic Green’ and named in memory of one its champions Sir Fletcher Jones O.B.E. [of Fletcher Jones clothing company fame].