Christmas arrives early for local art lovers on Friday 19 December, with the opening of a new exhibition space at Newcastle Art Gallery, unveiling more than 130 significant works of Australian art valued at over $30 million.

The presentation brings together colonial-era works and modern Australian icons, including pieces by Joseph Lycett, Sir William Dobell, Grace Cossington Smith and Margaret Preston, offering a broad view of Australian art history within the Gallery’s expanded footprint.

The opening will be marked by the return of the Gallery’s Friday Night Sounds after-hours program, featuring live music by Newcastle singer-songwriter Nina Romeru, alongside a wildlife drawing workshop led by local artists.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM described the unveiling of this fourth new space as an important step toward the Gallery’s full reopening in February 2026, following strong community engagement since the first new galleries opened to the public in September.