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Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery

Name: Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
Address: Art Gallery at 2 Wellington Street, Launceston and Museum at 2 Invermay Road, Launceston, Launceston, TAS, 7250, AU
Telephone: + 61 3 6323 3777
Price range: Not applicable
Rating: 4.8

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Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery

The City of Launceston Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is Australia's leading regional museum. Closed Christmas Day. Welcome to QVMAG.
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Proudly owned and operated by City of Launceston and the Tasmanian Government. The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) is a major destination for art, history and natural sciences in Northern Tasmania. The Art Gallery and Museum each enjoy a national profile for its collections of Australian colonial art, decorative arts and design, Tasmanian history and natural science. The Art Gallery

and Museum are located on two key sites: the 19th century railway workshop at Inveresk which houses the natural science and history collections, Planetarium, and The Blacksmith Shop; and its 1891 Royal Park building on Wellington Street which was officially opened as a dedicated Art Gallery in September 2011. QVMAG stands on the ancestral lands of the Stoney Creek nation, comprising the Tyerrenotepanner, Leterremairrener and Panninher clans. We acknowledge and pay respect to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which QVMAG now stands and waters it adjoins. QVMAG is owned and operated by the City of Launceston with ongoing support from the Tasmanian Government. Our collection has been in the making since 1842, and includes significant acquisitions and donations from across the world. History, Natural Sciences and Visual Arts and Design are our key collection areas, cared for and exhibited for the community of Northern Tasmania. We are continually working with the community and peers to build and better understand this extensive and diverse collection as well undertaking new research into both existing and new collections and research areas. Open 363 days of the year, QVMAG offers a fun-filled, educational and intriguing day out. We look forward to your visit. QVMAG social media community guidelines avaliable here: www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/About/Reports-and-Policy/Social-media-community-guidelines

29/05/2026

It’s been a frogtastic few weeks at the Museum at Inveresk 🐸🧶✨

Last week, the creations from our Knit-a-Frog workshops were officially unveiled, with 24 handmade amphibians added to The Last Plague – the striking frog skeleton installation by Michele Beevors currently featured in Anatomy Lessons.

More than 40 participants joined the free workshop series, gathering in the QVMAG Friends Lounge to knit, create and connect. A special thank you to Edwina Brown for guiding and facilitating the sessions 🙌

You can now spot these new additions in Anatomy Lessons – now entering its final week at QVMAG. Don’t miss your last chance to experience this fascinating exhibition before it closes next Sunday.

ANATOMY LESSONS
Museum at Inveresk, 2 Invermay Road
CLOSING 4pm, Sunday 7 June 2026
Free entry | 10am to 4pm daily

See what’s showing at your QVMAG 👉 www.qvmag.tas.gov.au

28/05/2026

What can fossil plants reveal about Tasmania’s ancient landscapes? 🌿🔍

Earlier in the year, we welcomed visiting researcher Dr Andrew Rozefelds from the Queensland Museum to explore QVMAG’s fossil plant collections.

Andrew’s research focuses on plants linked to widespread volcanic activity across eastern Australia – including Tasmania – around 20–30 million years ago. In these remarkable fossils, silica has infilled the plant tissues, preserving them in extraordinary detail. This process, known as silicification, allows even delicate cellular structures (like those in fruits, seeds, stems and roots) to be retained.

“The preservation of plant tissue in some of these fossils is simply extraordinary,” Andrew noted.

This level of preservation means scientists can compare these ancient plants closely with modern species, helping to build a clearer picture of past environments and ecosystems.

Fossil floras like these are known from sites including Macquarie Plains and Flinders Island, but many remain relatively underexplored. During his visit, Andrew assessed the potential of some specimens in our collection for future research – highlighting the important role museum collections play in unlocking new scientific discoveries.

By supporting visiting researchers and making collections accessible, QVMAG helps connect Tasmania’s natural history to global research – ensuring these stories continue to be studied, shared, and understood.

The best of northern Tasmanian arts, history and natural science – straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today and stay in touch with the latest news from QVMAG👉 mailchi.mp/qvmag/sign-me-up

27/05/2026

OPENING THIS WEEKEND: Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop celebrates forty years ✨🎉

Experience the latest exhibition at the Art Gallery at Royal Park, exploring connection, contrast and the spaces in between.

Through powerful contemporary works, Beautiful Tensions brings together the four current partners of Gray Street Workshop – Jess Dare, Lisa Furno, Sue Lorraine and Catherine Truman.

Two years in the making, the exhibition celebrates the witty, playful and poignant practices of each artist while revealing the shared themes that connect them – the embodiment of how the group works "separately together".🎨💍

Join us for one – or both – of our weekend events:

🎨 BEAUTIFUL TENSIONS OPENING EVENT
Saturday 30 May 2026 | 3pm-5pm
Be among the first to experience this stunning new exhibition at the official opening celebration.

🎤 IN CONVERSATION WITH GRAY STREET WORKSHOP ARTISTS
Sunday 31 May 2026 | 11am-12:30pm
Join Gray Street Workshop artists Jess Dare, Lisa Furno, Sue Lorraine and Catherine Truman, alongside author and original founding member Anne Brennan, for an insightful discussion about the exhibition and the workshop's forty-year history.

Both events are free, but seats for the In Conversation are strictly limited. Reserve your place today 🔗 bit.ly/49m90sL

BEAUTIFUL TENSIONS: GRAY STREET WORKSHOP CELEBRATES FORTY YEARS
30 May 2026 – 30 August 2026
Art Gallery at Royal Park, 2 Wellington Street
Free entry | Open 10am to 4pm daily

Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop celebrates forty years is a JamFactory touring exhibition supported by the Visions of Australia touring program, an Australian Government program aiming to improve access to cultural material for all Australians.

📷: Sue Lorraine, Goggles, 2024, repurposed mulga wood souvenirs, heat coloured mild steel, acrylic paint, ribbon, 60 x 125 x 95 mm; Lorgnette 2024, repurposed Mulga wood souvenir, oxidised cast bronze, copper, heat coloured steel, double convex uncut glasses lens, 295 x 130 x 30 mm. Photographer: Grant Hancock | Jess Dare, Impermanence, 2024, installation (detail), porcelain, mild steel, 360 x 1800 x 720 mm. Photographer: Grant Hancock | Lisa Furno, the after party…, 2024, (detail), metal foil polyethylene, jen's 40th party decorations, 700 x
400 x 50 mm. Photographer: Grant Hancock | Catherine Truman, Non-stick, 2024, fallen red gum and eucalypt twigs found Tungkillo, South Australia, fallen cypress pine found Gippsland, Victoria, thermoplastic, paint, magnets, vintage wood and
glass analytical scales display case, 780 x 480 x 200 mm. Photographer: Grant Hancock

25/05/2026

Final days to experience 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪'𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪 ✨

Don't miss your chance to explore the profound work of Billy Missi. Bringing together more than 50 significant prints, the exhibition celebrates Missi’s contribution to Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) printmaking and his enduring artistic legacy.

📆 Visit before it closes on Sunday 31 May to experience the artworks, stories, and culture at the heart of 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪'𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪.

𝘉𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘠 𝘔𝘐𝘚𝘚𝘐’𝘕 𝘞𝘈𝘒𝘈𝘐𝘕 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘔𝘈𝘐
CLOSING 4pm, Sunday 31 May 2026
Art Gallery at Royal Park, 2 Wellington Street
Free entry | Open 10am to 4pm daily

𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪'𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪 is an exhibition developed by NorthSite Contemporary Arts (Gimuy/Cairns) and touring Australia in partnership with Gab Titui Cultural Centre/Torres Strait Regional Authority (Waiben/Thursday Island) and Museums & Galleries Queensland. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government's Visions of Australia program.

Image: Billy Missi, 𝘎𝘢𝘣𝘶 | 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘢𝘮, 2009, lithograph printed from stone and hand coloured, 230 x 315mm (irregular) (print matrix). Courtesy of Editions Tremblay.
© Billy Missi | Copyright Agency, 2024

23/05/2026

Final weeks: Anatomy Lessons ⏳

There are only a few weeks left to experience this thought-provoking and poignant exhibition by Michele Beevors at the Museum at Inveresk ✨

One of the exhibition’s most striking works, The Wreck of Hope, features a meticulously hand-knitted dolphin skeleton – the piece that first sparked Beevors’ fascination with comparative anatomy.

🐬 Inspired by a childhood visit to the Australian Museum in the 1970s, Beevors recalls seeing a dolphin skeleton among displays of lions, mice and other animals. This encounter came at a time when dolphins captured the public imagination through television shows like Flipper and the growing ‘Save the Whales’ movement.

But beneath the nostalgia lies a deeper reflection on our changing relationship with marine life. Once celebrated in marine parks and live performances, dolphins are now protected internationally, yet still face threats including plastic pollution, mercury toxicity, boat strikes and commercial fishing bycatch.

Don’t miss your final chance to experience Anatomy Lessons at QVMAG – closing at 4pm on Sunday 7 June.🧶

See what’s on at your QVMAG 👉 www.qvmag.tas.gov.au

22/05/2026

Happy Volunteer Week ☕💛

This week, QVMAG celebrated the ongoing of our incredible volunteers with a special morning tea.

We’re lucky to have 35 volunteers working behind the scenes in our natural science, archives and history collection areas, as well as in the Launceston Planetarium.

It was a bittersweet moment as we farewelled Ann Power – a QVMAG volunteer for 24 years assisting with our history collection.

We’re grateful for the time, passion and support our volunteers bring to QVMAG and our community every day.

Happy National Volunteer Week to all volunteers across Tasmania and Australia ✨

The best of northern Tasmanian arts, history and natural science – straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today and stay in touch with the latest news from QVMAG.
👉 mailchi.mp/qvmag/sign-me-up

21/05/2026

Have you ever ‘q***r’-ied the stories of the stars? 🌈✨

Journey through the cosmos this Pride Month with StarGayzing – a special live Planetarium show with award-winning science communicator Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson.

Taking place on Sunday 14 June at the Launceston Planetarium, this fascinating presentation explores the hidden LGBTQIA+ stories woven throughout the night sky.

Discover myths and figures behind the names of the constellations, whose stories challenge modern ideas of gender and sexuality – from q***r love stories to trans and non-binary identities found in ancient mythology.

Guided by Dr Catriona, audiences will travel through space while uncovering the connections between astronomy, storytelling and identity. An accomplished educator, broadcaster and advocate for diversity in STEM, Dr Catriona brings warmth, humour and insight to this unique Pride Month experience.

Recommended for ages 13+, this once-only event invites you to see the stars from a whole new perspective ✨🌌 Book today at bit.ly/4dPV6Sg.

STARGAYZING WITH DR CATRIONA NGUYEN-ROBERTSON
Launceston Planetarium, Museum at Inveresk, 2 Invermay Road
Sunday 14 June, 2:30-3:30pm
Ticketed event 🔗 bit.ly/4dPV6Sg

Discover what’s on at your QVMAG 👉 www.qvmag.tas.gov.au

20/05/2026

One exhibition – two special celebrations ✨

Join us at the Art Gallery at Royal Park for our latest exhibition celebrate four decades of contemporary art-making with Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop celebrates forty years.

This major touring exhibition brings together bold new works by Gray Street Workshop artists Jess Dare, Lisa Furno, Sue Lorraine and Catherine Truman.

Beautiful Tensions honours the legacy of one of Australia’s most influential artist-run studios – renowned for pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, jewellery and collaboration over the past 40 years.

You’re invited to the opening event on Saturday 30 May from 3pm to 5pm, where you’ll have the chance to be among the first to explore this stunning exhibition.

Continue the conversation on Sunday 31 May, 11am–12:30pm, with a special artist talk featuring the four exhibiting artists – alongside founding member and author of the exhibition’s companion publication, Anne Brennan.

This rare in-conversation event offers unique insight into the workshop’s history, creative practice and enduring impact on Australian contemporary art ✨

Both events are free, but seats for the in-conversation are strictly limited. Reserve your place today via bit.ly/49m90sL 🎨💍

BEAUTIFUL TENSIONS: GRAY STREET WORKSHOP CELEBRATES FORTY YEARS
Art Gallery at Royal Park, 2 Wellington Street
30 May-30 August 2026
Free entry | 10am to 4pm daily

📷: Current Gray Street Workshop partners Lisa Furno, Sue Lorraine, Jess Dare and Catherine Truman. Photo: Connor Patterson | Installation view of Beautiful Tensions: Gray Street Workshop celebrates forty years. Photo: supplied.

19/05/2026

Artists on artworks: Billy Missi on 𝘒𝘶𝘭𝘣𝘢 𝘠𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭 | 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘓𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘴

“In our culture, stories and other knowledge of our world have always been handed down orally from generation to generation since time immemorial. It is this knowledge that provides guidance. From the boys’ perspective, it is their uncles, fathers and sometimes grandfathers who teach them this knowledge. This plays a big role later in life.

"𝘒𝘶𝘭𝘣𝘢 𝘠𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭 teaches us to read the stars, the moon and the sea. This image symbolises 𝘒𝘶𝘭𝘣𝘢 𝘠𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭 that describes our environment, our culture and also our identity. The piece is divided into three parts: the constellations of the stars, the land and the four seasons of the Torres Strait. There are important 𝘡𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘣𝘢𝘭 (star constellations) that move through the sky and are intimately connected to the four seasons.

“One of the most important 𝘡𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘣𝘢𝘭 is the 𝘉𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘮 (shark) which is closely observed in the Western Torres Straits as a signal for changes in the tides, wind and seasons. The four seasons are represented as 𝘚𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 (south-east trade winds), 𝘎𝘢𝘣𝘶 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘳 (winter), 𝘕𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘪 (the calm Northerly wind before monsoon) and 𝘒𝘶𝘬𝘪 (the monsoon).

"The relationship between the stars and the seasons determines when we can cultivate, hunt and harvest the land. The swaying pattern that runs diagonally from the top left to the bottom right symbolises all of this complex knowledge, that is known as 𝘒𝘶𝘭𝘣𝘢 𝘠𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭.”

– 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪’𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦.

✨ View this captivating artwork at the Art Gallery at Royal Park as part of 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪'𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪 - exclusively on display in Tasmania at QVMAG for a strictly limited season.

𝘉𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘠 𝘔𝘐𝘚𝘚𝘐’𝘕 𝘞𝘈𝘒𝘈𝘐𝘕 𝘛𝘏𝘈𝘔𝘈𝘐
CLOSING 4pm, Sunday 31 May 2026
Art Gallery at Royal Park, 2 Wellington Street
Free entry | Open 10am to 4pm daily

𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪'𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪 is an exhibition developed by NorthSite Contemporary Arts (Gimuy/Cairns) and touring Australia in partnership with Gab Titui Cultural Centre/Torres Strait Regional Authority (Waiben/Thursday Island) and Museums & Galleries Queensland. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government's Visions of Australia program.

Image: Billy Missi, 𝘒𝘶𝘭𝘣𝘢 𝘠𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭 | 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘓𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘴, 2006, linoleum cut printed in black ink from one block, 470 x 850mm (print matrix). Courtesy of NorthSite Contemporary Arts and Billy Missi Estate.© Billy Missi | Copyright Agency, 2024

18/05/2026

A major milestone for Tasmania’s biodiversity collections 🌱

Almost 20,000 QVMAG Botany Collection records are now live and publicly available through the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), with more than half of those records including specimen images.

This has been possible through the 2025 Biodiversity Data Mobilisation Program grant, supported by the ALA, and QVMAG is incredibly grateful to be part of this important national initiative.

The project is helping improve the representation of Tasmanian flora in national biodiversity datasets, particularly from northern and inland regions that are still underrepresented – despite their ecological importance.

These records include specimens collected from Tasmania as far back as the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can see a few images of these records in this post – including a 1950 specimen collected by a person named "Plomley" - perhaps a relative of the former QVMAG Director N.J.B. “Brian” Plomley?

QVMAG Senior Curator Natural Sciences, Dr Alfonsina Arriaga Jimenez, notes that mobilisation is more than simply photographing specimens: “It also involves curating and validating the information connected to collections, reviewing taxonomy, updating scientific names, and checking locality data and coordinates so the records are accurate and useful for research, conservation and environmental decision-making.

“We are especially grateful to our volunteers and our digitisation officer for the huge amount of work involved in imaging specimens and helping make these collections accessible to everyone.”

ALA’s ongoing program highlights the significance of museum collections. Beyond recording history, these collections are snapshots of biodiversity through time – supporting research, conservation and a better understanding of Tasmania’s unique flora now and well into the future.

The best of northern Tasmanian arts, history and natural science – straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today and stay in touch with the latest news from QVMAG.
👉 mailchi.mp/qvmag/sign-me-up

Images: Leaping spider orchid (𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘴); QVM_1991_B_0100 | Southern ladyfern (𝘋𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘦); QVM_1905_B_0022 | Celery top pine, (𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘶𝘴); QVM_1950_B_0022.

Address

Art Gallery At 2 Wellington Street, Launceston And Museum At 2 Invermay Road, Launceston
Launceston, TAS
7250

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+ 61 3 6323 3777

Website

https://www.qvmag.tas.gov.au/

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