CITY COLLECTION

The Geraldton Regional Art Gallery is the home of the City of Geraldton-Greenough Collection, a collection of 404 artworks, principally paintings and works on paper. The City Collection was initiated in 1949 with a bequest of 40 artworks to the town by Western Australian millionaire, Sir Claude Hotchin. The City Collection continues to grow with a focus on artworks that feature aspects of Geraldton and the Mid-West region or created by local or Western Australian artists.

The Wingrove bequest came into the City of Geraldton-Geraldton collection through the widow of Keith Wingrove, a long time friend of  Norman Lindsay, who died in 1998.  In 1990 the book Norman Lindsay on Art, Life and Literature was edited by Keith Wingrove.  Mary Wingrove who owns a Lindsay oil painting of the Batavia, heard an ABC Radio National interview about the history of the Batavia with Geraldton maritime historian Max Cramer.  She contacted the Geraldton Regional Library and the then Chief Librarian Pat Gallagher put her in touch with the then Geraldton-Greenough Regional Art Gallery Director, Damian Kelly.  On a visit to South Australia in 2000, Kelly met with Mrs Wingrove who gave him sixty-four Lindsay works which her husband had collected.  Mary Wingrove died in 2001.

Elizabeth Durack was commissioned by the Town of Geraldton to produce 90 drawings on paper of the Geraldton area, Dongara to Northampton and out to Carnamah.  It is the only surviving collection of this type in Western Australia.

Artists represented in the City of Geraldton-Greenough Collection include Hans Heysen, Robert Juniper, Elizabeth Durack, Max Ragless, Paul Lucas, Scott Jackson and many more.

                    Norman Lindsay