Australian Galleries was established in Melbourne by Tam and Anne Purves in June 1956. The space was originally the Purves’ pattern manufacturing business in the inner suburb of Collingwood. They supplied the all-important patterns to the local fashion industry which was centred around the warehouses in the adjoining streets.
Together their vision and driving force resulted in the development of what was then, an extraordinary idea. They started a commercial gallery to show the small group of culturally important post-war Australian artists emerging in Melbourne who at the time had nowhere to seriously show and sell their work. The first painters to exhibit at Australian Galleries included artists who went on to become some of Australia’s greatest ever, such as Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and John Perceval.
Anne and Tam pioneered the professional exhibiting and marketing of contemporary art in Australia. From the beginning, their gallery developed a reputation for representing prominent Australian artists and along with the aforementioned, included other great names, John Brack, John Olsen, Fred Williams and Brett Whiteley.
Stuart Purves, the youngest of three children, joined his parents in the gallery in 1966. After the death of Tam in 1969, Stuart and Anne ran the gallery until her death in 1999.
Now under the sole directorship of Stuart Purves, and with 15 staff, Australian Galleries continues to represent significant contemporary Australian artists including Jeffrey Smart, Inge King, William Robinson, John Coburn, Garry Shead, Colin Lanceley, John Wolseley, Peter Neilson, Lewis Miller, Peter Churcher and Graeme Drendel, along with an involvement in the estates of George Baldessin, Brett Whiteley, Lloyd Rees and Arthur Boyd. (see full artists list on home page).
