Work set to begin on new $88m Darwin art gallery after basement dig unearths hidden treasures

Work is set to begin on Darwin’s new multimillion-dollar art gallery, with work so far unearthing some hidden treasure from the past. See what was underground.

NT builder Sitzler has hit a significant construction milestone in its build of the Darwin central business district’s new Northern Territory Art Gallery.

Excavation on the building’s basement has been finished with construction work now set to begin on the $88m landmark.

The project is expected to take two years to complete as part of the $145m State Square upgrade.

Almost 200 workers have so far been involved in the project and hundreds more are expected to be employed or involved throughout the project’s life.

The proposed State Square Art Gallery. Picture: Supplied

In announcing the latest milestone on Monday, project manager Michael Sitzler said the gallery would be a world-class facility.

Meanwhile, the construction work is also uncovering treasurers.

As diggers excavated about 8m into old Darwin, troves of post-European — and some pre-European — items emerged from the dirt.

“As part of the basement construction we’re recycling and reusing about 1800 tonnes of the porcellanite that will go into the finishes of the building and some of the landscaping elements,” he said.

“We’ve discovered a bit of the history of Darwin in excavating this basement, this was the area that was really the heart of the government centre in the early days.

“Under the basement areas we’ve found pre-existing buildings and basements that were there before so it’s been really fascinating to dig this basement and find out a bit more about the history of Darwin.”

Some of the historic stash uncovered during basement excavations at the new NT Art Gallery.

The uncovered items will be handed to the government’s heritage agency or the Larrakia Development Corporation.

Ms Lawler said as well as tourists visiting the gallery, the upgraded State Square precinct would also be a valuable addition for locals.

“It will be a stunning site when it’s completed,” she said.

“We’ll have the art gallery, there’s a cafe area, a forecourt area, then we have the central heart that will be a beautiful area for Territorians.

“It has been a tired old area, I think people that come to the Supreme Court see that old bitumen, the gardens are looking rundown, just how ugly it’s been.”

Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler (centre) with Infrastructure NT senior director Leanne Taylor and Sitzler construction manager Michael Sitzler.

An announcement is expected soon on the redevelopment of Liberty Square, another part of the State Square precinct, which will include accessible seating on elevated decking which will surround the 200-plus-year-old banyan tree between the court and Parliament House.

Ms Lawler said a number of road closures are expected as part of the project, including the section of Smith Street that runs adjacent to the gallery.

“Smith Street in front of Brown’s Mart is not going to be there, that will go and the greening will continue between Civic Park and it will be landscaped in front of the gallery and there will be a central heart design,” she said.

The new gallery will work in conjunction with the Museum and Art gallery of the Northern Territory in Fannie Bay.