FROM THE YARRA VALLEY TO BENDIGO VICTORIA’S REGIONAL GALLERIES OCTOBER 20-27, 2020 TOUR LEADER: DR NICK GORDON

Overview The combined collections of Victoria’s Regional Galleries constitute one of the finest collections of Australian heritage and modern art. The story of these collections themselves speaks to a wider arc in Australian history, from colonial settlement and grazing, to the ambitions of new cities in the Gold Rush, and the revival of interest in regional centres as destinations for the cultural traveller. This 8-day tour takes you on a journey through Australian art, from the excellent modern art collections at Heide, TarraWarra and McClelland Sculpture Park, through the history of Australian art, from its early giants, such as von Guerard, Streeton and McCubbin and the unique new directions taken by artists in the 20th century, such as Preston, Boyd, Nolan, and Williams. Throughout the tour we complement gallery visits with travel to historic sites, such as the beautifully preserved Gold Rush town of Maldon, the 42-room bluestone Barwon Park and the Point Nepean Quarantine Station, and through inspirational landscapes: the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley, the temperate forests of the Dandenongs, the panoramic coastline of the Mornington Peninsula and the uniquely Australian terrain of the gold fields. Each of these landscapes has been immortalised by the artists whose work we see in the galleries, providing further insight into the rich heritage of Australia’s art and history. Throughout the tour, we stay in hotels that combine the spirit of regional Victoria with modern comforts, and we round out the tour with fine dining in some of the region’s best restaurants.

Your tour leader Dr Nick Gordon holds a University Medal and PhD in History from the University of Sydney, and has taught at Australian universities for 10 years. He has presented numerous popular art history courses at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Continuing Education, and is a regular speaker in the Nicholson Museum’s public lecture series. Nick’s academic expertise is complemented by the specialised knowledge he has gained as a

practicing artist, and he brings these insights to the art enjoyed throughout this tour. Nick has been leading tours for Academy Travel since 2007. Previous participants on tour with Nick have remarked:

“Nick was an extremely knowledgeable guide; he organised us very well; he was calm and unflappable; and his lectures were excellent.”

“Nick Gordon was an excellent tour leader with deep and

comprehensive knowledge, excellent rapport and organisational skills.”

FROM THE YARRA VALLEY TO BENDIGO Tour dates: October 20-27, 2020

Tour leader: Dr Nick Gordon

Tour Price: $3,650 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $590 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Qantas

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Bendigo (3 nights), Queenscliff (2 nights), Yarra Valley (2 nights)

Date published: May 14, 2020

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email hannah@academytravel.com.au

MODERN ART IN VICTORIA Victoria’s reputation as the ‘arty’ state is well founded, and we take in a number of its excellent small galleries. Enjoy visits to Heide Museum of Modern Art, founded by the Reeds and one of the best collections of Australian modernism, the Besen’s TarraWarra Museum of Art, and the McClelland Sculpture Park, funded for decades by Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

HISTORIC SITES See the fascinating history of regional Victoria, from early colonial settlements on Port Philip Bay, to the graziers of the Victorian plains and the Gold Rush. Enjoy visits to the Point Nepean Quarantine Station, with nearly 50 heritage buildings, the beautiful Gold Rush town of Maldon, and stays in heritage hotels in Bendigo and Queenscliff.

DIVERSE LANDSCAPES The importance of the landscape to ideas of Australianness is reflected in the traditions of landscape painting that have developed in Australia. See the artists who shaped these ideas of Australia and experience Victoria’s landscapes, from the temperate forests of the Dandenongs, to varied coastlines, wool country and the rugged bush of the goldfields.

WINE COUNTRY Experience some of Victoria’s premier wine regions, from the fertile hills of the Yarra Valley to the cooler climates of the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas. Enjoy vineyard lunches on the Mornington Peninsula and at Tahbilk, a historic winery operating since 1860 on the Goulburn River.

Tour Highlights

BENDIGO AND BALLARAT Explore Australian history in Bendigo and Ballarat, and see how their gold-rich citizens used their wealth to beautify their cities and endow them with rich art collections. Enjoy the two largest regional galleries in Australia, whose collections range from iconic works of Australian painting to decorative arts and excellent, special exhibitions.

Above: Arthur Streeton’s Buffalo Mountains (c.1913), at the Castlemaine Art Museum. Streeton was a key member of the Heidelberg school of Australian impressionism – the first distinctively Australian school of painting which defined a unique image of this country Below: The discovery of gold in the soils of Bendigo during the 1850s made it one of the most significant Victorian-era boomtowns in Australia – pictured is Bendigo’s Sacred Heart Cathedral; and The Drover (1912), by Walter Withers, who won the inaugural Wynne Prize

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Tuesday 20 October Castlemaine and Maldon

The tour begins at 10:30am this morning, when we gather at Melbourne Airport (Terminal 3) to travel by coach to Bendigo. On the way we stop at Castlemaine, for a lunch break and a tour of Castlemaine Art Museum. The museum, which was saved from closure recently by a very generous anonymous donation, has a fine collection of Australian heritage art, including works by Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton, which is complemented by a strong collection of modernists from Margaret Preston to Jeffrey Smart. After our visit, we continue to Bendigo, stopping at Maldon, an exceptionally well-preserved town from the Gold Rush – the source of the wealth that led to the creation of many of Victoria’s excellent regional galleries. In the evening we meet for a welcome dinner in one of Bendigo’s fine restaurants. Overnight Bendigo (D)

Wednesday 21 October Bendigo

The discovery of gold in 1851 on what would become the 7th largest gold field in the world led to the rapid development of the city of Bendigo. The townspeople quickly developed their own civic identity and wished to make their home the “Vienna of the South”. These ambitions led to the construction of many elegant public buildings, and also to the foundation of an art gallery in 1887. Bendigo Regional Gallery has gained an international reputation, over the past decade, especially following its expansion, its acquisition of contemporary Australian art, and its temporary exhibitions that are of a standard rarely seen outside of the main state galleries in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. This morning, after a talk, we visit the impressive gallery, touring its permanent collection of Australian art and visiting its temporary exhibitions. In the later-afternoon, following a break for lunch and some time at leisure, we take a walking tour of Bendigo’s historic buildings, products of the Gold Rush that are emblematic of the citizens’ aspirations, and visit the Golden Dragon Museum, which houses a fantastic collection of Chinese decorative arts and the world’s two longest Imperial Dragons. Overnight Bendigo (B)

Thursday 22 October Shepparton & the Goulburn Valley

Today we travel to Shepparton, in the Goulburn Valley. The town, although much less prestigious and much smaller than Bendigo and Ballarat, also owes its early development to the Gold Rush, and subsequently to farming and the railways that linked the fertile valleys of northern Victoria to Melbourne. We visit Shepparton Art Gallery this morning, which has a strong collection of Australian ceramics, as well as paintings, prints and contemporary Australian art. We then travel to Tahbilk, a historic winery founded in 1860 on the banks of the Goulburn River.

Above: a detail of Marlene Gilson’s Chinese on the Goldfields (2018), at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. Gilson offers an Indigenous perspective on Australian history, using a delicate naïve style that evokes directness and simplicity. The Victorian Government imposed a ten-pound landing fee on the Chinese. To avoid the fee, the Chinese instead landed in South Australia and walked to the Goldfields in Ballarat Below: John Kelly’s Alien at McClelland Sculpture Park, one of over 100 large sculptures to be found throughout the park and bushland setting

Here, we enjoy lunch together, before exploring the wetlands by boat and strolling among the historic buildings of the vineyard. Returning to Bendigo in late afternoon, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Bendigo (B, L)

Friday 23 October Ballarat

Ballarat, whose name is derived from indigenous words for resting place (Balla Arat), was established as a township in the 1850s, when 20 000 diggers turned up to exploit the newly discovered goldfields (and whose rebellion against strict licensing and heavy taxation shortly afterwards at Eureka shot the town to further prominence). Ballarat’s place in the birth of the national story was further enhanced in the 1880s when the citizens of the town established Australia’s first regional gallery as a way of providing access to art for the people on the one hand, and advancing the city’s status on the other. This morning, we visit the excellent collection at Ballarat Regional Gallery, which has works by almost every major Australian artist from the 1870s to the end of the 20th century. The recent hang also breaks with tradition by bringing together the masterpieces by Australian female artists in the main exhibition space. After a break for lunch, we visit Lake Wendouree and the botanic gardens, before continuing on to Queenscliff. Evening at leisure. Overnight Queenscliff (B)

Saturday 24 October Barwon Park and Geelong

This morning we explore the history of grazing in Victoria with a visit to Barwon Park to tour the 42-room bluestone mansion built for the squatter Thomas Austin (who is generally thought to have introduced rabbits to Australia). The manor, now a National Trust estate, is perfectly indicative of the wealth acquired by the squattocracy in the 19th century. We then travel to Geelong, a city that has played a major part in the growth of the Australian economy as the main port of the Victorian wool industry. With the decline of the port and the revitalisation of the waterfront, however, the city is taking on a new role. Geelong Regional Gallery, part of a multimillion-dollar arts facility, has a strong collection, especially of works that highlight the region’s history. Returning to Queenscliff, the later afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Queenscliff (B)

Sunday 25 October The Mornington Peninsula

Today we explore the Mornington Peninsula, starting with a ferry crossing from Queenscliff to Sorrento and a visit to Point Nepean Quarantine Station, which operated for over a century and has almost 50 heritage-listed buildings. After our visit of the site, we continue to lunch at one of the peninsula’s excellent vineyards. In the afternoon, we continue north along the peninsula to McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, a private endeavour started by the May family in the 1970s, which has been mostly supported through philanthropy – notably, the generous contributions over the decades by Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. The 16-hectare open-air museum displays over 100

Above: made on an easterly slope at the top of the Dandenongs, Cloudehill is made out of a historic ‘working garden’ on a property pioneered originally by George Woolrich back in the 1890s Below: TarraWarra Museum of Art combines stunning architecture with the very best of modern and contemporary art; and the entrance to the purpose-built museum space at the Heide Museum of Modern Art. The architecture of Heide Museum of Modern Art is a stunning reflection of the site’s transformation from a rural homestead to the public art museum it is today

large sculptures in park and bushland settings, including ground-breaking works by Inge King, Patricia Piccinini and Ken Unsworth. In the late afternoon, we continue to the upper Yarra Valley, where we enjoy the quiet and seclusion of our hotel on the Upper Yarra River. Light dinner together. Overnight Oscars on the Yarra (B, L, D)

Monday 26 October The Dandenongs

Today, after a leisurely start we travel through the Dandenong Ranges, in whose temperate forests and secluded valleys artists such as Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts found inspiration for an emerging Australian landscape painting style. Our first stop is the National Rhododendron Garden, whose extensive plantings overlook the Yarra Valley. After exploring the gardens we break for lunch at Olinda before visiting Cloudehill – a beautiful cool climate garden owned by the Diggers Club (a society who maintain heirloom seed and plant stock). Returning to the Yarra Valley, we enjoy a wine tasting. In the early evening there is a talk in the hotel, followed by dinner together. Overnight Oscars on the Yarra (B, D)

Tuesday 27 October Tarrawarra and Heide

This morning we visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. This collection, founded by Eva and Marc Besen, is housed in a stunning modern space surrounded by the estate’s vineyards. The collection includes works by many of Australia’s most prominent artists, including Brett Whitely, John Olsen, Fred Williams and Rosalie Gascoigne, and the foundation is well known for its highly-regarded temporary exhibitions. After visiting the collection, we have a break for lunch in Healesville. In the afternoon, we visit the Heide Museum of Modern Art. John and Sunday Reed, art patrons who transformed their acreage outside of Melbourne into a haven for writers and artists, including Sidney Nolan and Albert Tucker, founded this gem of a collection in the 1950s. It is now one of the premiere collections of Australian modernism, with works by Nolan, Boyd, and Albert Tucker, and its sculpture garden has works by Anthony Caro, Anish Kapoor and Inge King. After our visit, we continue to the airport, arriving at about 5pm, in time for evening flights. (B)

Hotels For this tour, we have selected hotels that preserve the history of regional Victoria while providing modern comforts.

Bendigo, The Shamrock Hotel (3 nights) hotelshamrock.com.au

Queenscliff, Vue Grand (2 nights) vuegrand.com.au

Yarra Valley, Oscar’s on the Yarra (2 nights) oscarsontheyarra.com.au

Tour Price The tour price is $3,650 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $590 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions

Included in the tour price

7 nights’ accommodation in selected hotels All breakfasts, and selected lunches and dinners as

indicated in this itinerary Land travel by air-conditioned coach All entrance fees to sites mentioned in this itinerary Tips to local guides and drivers Services of a tour leader

Not included

Domestic or international airfares to and from Melbourne

Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Qantas which offers flights into and out of Melbourne Tullamarine from most Australian cities. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy and Business Class airfares.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email hannah@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour October is a good time to travel in regional Victoria, with spring enlivening the gardens and landscapes, and an average maximum temperature in the low 20s. It can be cool at night, and Queenscliff often has wind blowing off Bass Strait, so we recommend bringing a light coat, and some items of warmer clothing. Some sites, such as McClelland Sculpture Park, are best managed with closed toe shoes.

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

GRADE ONE

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you instead to consider carefully your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade One tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility. You should be able to comfortably participate in up to three hours of physical activity per day on most days, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, climbing stairs and standing in galleries. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 2-3 kilometres at a moderate to slow pace with

only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums negotiate stairs and bridges get on and off a coach, ferry or boat with steep stairs

unassisted move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You may have to miss certain activities and may not get the full value of the tour. Before submitting your booking form, please contact Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.

McClelland Sculpture Park