Anne Miles
Dormant Landscape
(2005)

Ian Chandler
Light Month (1973) carrigy

Peter Carrigy
Piping Shrike (1973)

The Riddoch Art Gallery is South Australia’s largest regional art gallery. It is publicly funded with assistance from Country Arts SA, Mount Gambier City Council and Grant District Council. It provides gallery space for local artists and community groups and provides both state and national touring exhibitions.

Vision

Riddoch Art Gallery seeks to inspire, challenge, educate and present the visual arts in a way that promotes an understanding of the world with a local, national and international perspective.

Mission

To be an innovative centre and creative hub for visual arts in the Limestone Coast region
To develop and present inspiring and challenging exhibitions
To provide forums for stimulating and challenging ideas
To maintain A class gallery status
To develop and maintain the collection in trust for future generations
To provide access to the visual arts for our diverse communities
To be a partner in visual art education in the Limestone Coast region
To engage with Limestone Coast artists and provide professional development opportunities
To attract and retain professional and skilled staff
To maintain a leadership role in regional galleries in South Australia
To provide an environment where staff, Board Members, Volunteers and Friends of the Riddoch Art Gallery are valued and respected

History

The building of the Riddoch Art Gallery was built in 1906 and was officially opened by the honourable George Riddoch in 1907. In 1962 a projection room was installed and in 1939 it was known as the Ozone Theater, it was then changed to the Kings Theatre in 1952. This theatre continued until 1981 when the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre was completed.

History of John Riddoch

John Riddoch grew up in Scotland and came to Australia when the gold fields of Victoria were discovered. He landed in Melbourne in 1852 and walked to Bendigo where he learnt the business of gold mining. He then went to Ovens Valley gold rush that same year. He became a trader and gold buyer on the diggings. He went to Geelong, was married and in 1861 began sheep farming in the Limestone Coast.

John Riddoch was responsible for recognizing the Terra Rossa Soil, which Coonawarra became famous for. In 1845 he was elected to the South Australian Parliment, he was th first resident South East member prepared to make the sea voyage or coach travel to Adelaide, (this took 6 weeks). He did this for 8 years. He became the inaugural chairman of the Penola District Council in 1869. He held this position for 25 years. The Limestone Coasts main arterial road is called the Riddoch Highway. He died in 1901.

The foundation collection was donated by John Riddoch and the Riddoch Art Gallery inherited this collection from the Institute.

History behind the Town Hall

The Town Hall was built in 1882 with the clock and tower donated by Thomas Elliott of Benara Station added in 1883. Council used the building for council meetings and Council institute offices from 1882 to 1981 when the Civic Center was built.

The foundation stone for the ground floor was laid by John Riddoch in 1868, and offically opened in 1869. In 1887 John Riddoch laid the memorial stone to commemorate the second story addition to the buiding which he donated money to. The first Gallery operated from 1887 on the second floor in conjunction with the Institute library.

In 1911 the Hall was used to show silent movies until 1926.

Alterations and extensions in 1959 formed the city hall.

The Institute library ceased in 1981.

Alterations and extensions are currently underway in a new re-development due to be finished in the second half of 2011. To view photographic progress of the re-development please click here