Architect Appointed for New Hamilton Gallery
Published on 15 September 2025
Southern Grampians Shire Council has taken another major step toward delivering the New Hamilton Gallery, one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the Shire, endorsing the progression of the project to the detailed design stage.
Following the successful completion of the concept designs, Council has awarded the detailed design contract to internationally renowned architectural firm Angelo Candalepas and Associates (ACA).
ACA was awarded the concept design contract in September 2024 through a competitive tender process which included 28 submissions from some of Australia's most highly regarded architects.
ACA has worked closely with the Southern Grampians community over a four-month period through a co-design process and will now bring those ideas and aspirations to life through detailed design stage.
A closed tender process was undertaken for the detailed design stage, with only one tenderer evaluated. This was due to several factors, including the reluctance of other architectural firms to proceed with detailed design if they were not involved in the concept phase. Engaging a new architect at this stage often leads to reworking the concept design, resulting in increased costs and potential delays.
An independent Probity Consultant was engaged to oversee the process and ensure it met the highest standards of fairness, accountability, and transparency and to assure that the project is being completed with the maximum benefit to our community. The state government agency, Office of Victoria Government Architects, who are the largest procurer of architectural services across the state, contributed their time and expertise with two senior principal advisors sitting on the evaluation panel.
Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor Dennis Heslin praised the decision to move forward with ACA, calling it the best possible outcome for the project.
“ACA have already demonstrated their ability to combine world-class design with a deep respect for our community’s vision,” Mr Heslin said.
“This next stage ensures we keep that momentum going, whilst positioning us strongly to secure further investment from our government and philanthropic partners. ACA are a world-renowned firm, designing buildings of national and international cultural significance such as the new National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. I am very pleased that we have been able to retain such a celebrated and decorated architect.”
The contract for Stage 2: Detailed Design, is valued at $3.35 million, with the vast majority of funding coming from sources external to Council. This includes $2.9 million from the Federal Government’s Regional Partnerships and Precincts Program grant and a generous philanthropic donation of $400,000.
A saving of $382,150 was made from the concept design stage and a carry forward of $55,451 will be contributed by Council to the detailed design stage. Council has a capped commitment of up to $10 million towards construction, conditional on additional funding support from State and Federal governments and philanthropic partners. The total construction cost of the gallery is currently estimated at $48.9 million.
Council also acknowledged the recent bequest from the late Venise Alstergren, a celebrated artist and ardent supporter of Hamilton Gallery. Her gift of funding and artworks to the gallery is both a tribute to her love of the arts and a reminder of the philanthropic support building around the project.
Independent reviews confirmed that the current gallery building would not be suitable to deliver the conditions needed to house and display major artworks, with structural, environmental and spatial limitations making a purpose-built facility the only viable option.
“This is about building a gallery that can stand proudly on the national stage, attract major exhibitions, and showcase our outstanding collection for generations to come. Artwork from the Hamilton Gallery collection has been exhibited in every major Gallery across Australia including recently the National Gallery of Australia and Hobart’s MONA. Other galleries and other communities are benefitting from our collection, and I’d like to see our community reap the rewards from the collection our Gallery has built,” Cr Heslin concluded.
The New Hamilton Gallery is one of the most exciting and significant cultural projects ever undertaken in the Southern Grampians and is expected to deliver long-term economic, social and cultural benefits for the region.
To view the concept plans, please visit the website. To stay up to date with all things Council, consider signing up to our newsletter.
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