Considered one of the city’s most significant architectural achievements, Bendigo Town Hall is a shining reflection of a city built on gold. While closed for a major refurbishment, the equally celebrated Bendigo Art Gallery team will present a series of exhibitions, installations and new commissions in this much-loved heritage building.
Bendigo Art Gallery Director Jessica Bridgfoot said the Town Hall residency was a key element in the Gallery’s ongoing commitment to bringing quality art experiences to Bendigo while the Gallery is closed. “We know this program will create a great deal of excitement, as Bendigo Town Hall is widely regarded as one of the City’s greatest architectural feats, but is not always open to the public,” said Bridgfoot.
“Built in 1859, the Town Hall was extended and remodelled in the 1880s by celebrated Bendigo architect William C. Vahland, and is considered one of our finest, most opulent buildings, exemplifying the highly ornamental, classical style for which he is known. For audiences, this is a rare opportunity to see Vahland’s exceptional work, animated with resonant artistic interventions.”
The Gallery will present two distinct programs, the first from Thursday 1 October through to Sunday 13 December. Further details of the second program will be announced soon.
“We will present works not seen before in Bendigo, and experiences designed to complement the classical architectural environment. Rosie Deacon’s colourful, immersive installation Thrifty Swifty, created from items collected from op shops and art disposal centres, references Bendigo’s endangered swift parrots and is a new commission specially created for Bendigo Town Hall,” said Bridgfoot.
“We are also thrilled to present a major work in partnership with ACMI, Australia’s museum of screen culture. CHARGE! Agincourt by Back to Back Theatre is an immersive new exhibition by Geelong’s acclaimed contemporary performance company, Back to Back Theatre. It brings a fresh perspective to the story of Henry V in a new screen commission.”
“Historic artworks and treasures from the City’s Civic Collection will also be presented throughout the building, illuminating some interesting stories and personalities from Bendigo’s history,” added Bridgfoot.
Bendigo Art Gallery at Bendigo Town Hall: Season one – 1 October to 13 December 2026
Rosie Deacon: Thrifty Swifty
Contemporary artist Rosie Deacon is renowned for creating spectacular, playful and immersive installations that draw upon her love of colour, kitsch and the flora and fauna of Australia. Growing up in Nyngan in regional New South Wales, where country fetes, agricultural shows and street stall sales were unmissable social events as much as a showcase of hand-made talent, Rosie developed a creative practice that is both craft-led and community-engaged.
Utilising a wide variety of materials including discarded junk and items collected from op shops and art disposal centres, Rosie will create a monumental site-specific installation, drawing inspiration from local wildlife with a special shout-out to the bright and showy Swift Parrot.
With the gold-adorned splendour of the Town Hall as a backdrop, Rosie Deacon’s immersive and experiential world will be a calming and inviting habitat for surreal and wonderful creatures, providing a joyful retreat for the local community and passersby, who are invited to stop in and create their own addition to the artwork.
CHARGE! Agincourt by Back to Back Theatre
A dramatic and multisensory immersive experience, CHARGE! is a dynamic new collaboration between Australia’s acclaimed Back to Back Theatre and ACMI. In their contemporary reimagining of the battle of Agincourt, Back to Back bring a fresh perspective to Shakespeare’s timeless story of Henry V’s impossible victory on French soil.
In this retelling, the fateful events unfold inside a modern day paper factory in Victoria’s west. With not much more than stirring words, the king leads his people through a battle that represents the tragedy and extremities of war.
Directed by Bruce Gladwin, with cinematography from Rhian Hinkley, Agincourt builds on iconic adaptations from cinema history, including Laurence Olivier’s Technicolor take in 1944, Kenneth Branagh’s grittier 1989 effort and Timothée Chalamet’s turn in The King (2019).
It’s led by the company’s ensemble of actors who are perceived to have intellectual disabilities: Sarah Mainwaring, Simon Laherty, Scott Price, Grace Kenny, Nathan Legg and Jessica Walker, with contributions from over 100 community members. Back to Back Theatre’s Agincourt is an ACMI Commission, generously supported by Rachel Griffiths and Andrew Taylor.
Bendigo Art Gallery at the Town Hall is part of a series of projects organised by Bendigo Art Gallery while it is closed for a major refurbishment, including the recent installation of Ronnie Van Hout’s Quasi sculpture on the rooftops of the View and Mackenzie Street corner, and the exhibition CURIOSITY: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO® Bricks, a unique collaboration between Bendigo Art Gallery and Discovery Science and Technology Centre.
The largest-ever civic infrastructure project to be led by the City of Greater Bendigo, the Bendigo Art Gallery refurbishment project will include a second level blockbuster exhibition space, a learning centre, theatrette and a Traditional Owner Place of Keeping for Dja Dja Wurrung cultural materials.
For more information about Bendigo Art Gallery at Bendigo Town Hall, visit: www.bendigoregion.com.au for details.
Images: Jessica Bridgfoot and Lauren Ellis at Bendigo Town Hall (supplied) | Rosie Deacon, SPAGHETTI-STACK-SNUFFLE-SHUFFLE, Bunjil Place, 2022 – photo by Bri Hammond | Back to Back Theatre, Agincourt, 2024 – photo by Jeff Busby