Take a look inside Rockhampton’s new $36m Museum of Art

It’s been decades in the making – and now it’s finally opening. Check out the video and photos inside Rockhampton’s new showpiece attraction.

It started as a pipedream and now it is a fully flourishing, magnificent reality.

The Rockhampton Museum of Art officially opens on Friday, February 25, after a journey that has spanned decades, beginning with iconic former mayor Rex Pilbeam.

Mr Pilbeam was mayor for a record 30 years, from 1952 to 1982, and was also Liberal MP for Rockhampton South from 1960 to 1969.

In 1976, a Federal Government scheme was created to help Australian artists and Mr Pilbeam led an Art Acquisition Fund, including other community leaders Bishop John Bayton, architect Neil McKendry (who designed the Pilbeam Theatre) and Rockhampton Art Gallery Director at the time, Don Taylor, to buy about $500,000 worth of art for just $60,000.

The Rockhampton Museum of Art will be officially opened on February 25, 2022.

That 1500-piece collection is now worth more than $17 million and includes works from famous artists Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale, Charles Blackman, John Brack and Jeffrey Smart.

The former Rockhampton Art Gallery at the Pilbeam Theatre couldn’t display all of the pieces and the collection was stowed away for decades.

Former mayor Margaret Strelow always had a vision to bring it to life, and the official plans first came to the council table in 2017.

This Quay St building next to Customs House was demolished to make way for the new art gallery.

Discussions began about having the art gallery moved to Quay Street, floating the idea of Customs House and then the SGIO building, with a connecting walkway from East Street to Quay Lane.

Renders vs reality: The laneway between East Street and Quay Lane.

More planning continued and it was decided it was best to knock down the building at 212 Quay Street and that demolition began in August 2019.

DEMOLITION COMMENCES: Capricornia MP Michelle Landry, Rockhampton region mayor Margaret Strelow and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack demolish the building to make way for the new art gallery.

The new building was designed by Lindsay and Kerrie Clare, who designed Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) on Southbank, along with Conrad Gargett and Yeppoon architect Brian Hooper.

The three-storey building includes a double volume exhibition space on the lower floor and an upper level gallery for semi-permanent exhibitions, including the council’s collection, along with a gallery shop, cafe, multi-purpose areas, education spaces, administration, storage and back-of-house areas.

The project gained funding from state and federal governments, and from Rockhampton Regional Council’s budget.

It was first projected to cost $31.5 million, but has gone to $36 million.

In 2019, it was reported the project generated 170 jobs in construction and 165 ongoing.

Construction in October 2019.

In January 2020, a 25 metre tower crane was erected on site and remained a fixture for months, as ground works began and the new building started to take shape.

In November 2019, the name for the new art gallery was decided.

The shortlist was Rex Gallery Rockhampton, Thozet Art Gallery and the name we now know that was chosen, Rockhampton Museum of Art.

With a few hurdles in the process and a global pandemic, the final touches were put on the building this week and the Welcome Home exhibition installed, ready for the grand opening.