The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition
AUSTRALIANS IN THE 1880s were the world’s richest people per capita. Gold had brought money and ideas flooding into Melbourne’s population, which swelled between 1881 and 1891 from 268,000 to 473,000. Visiting English journalist George Sala described the emerging metropolis as “marvellous Melbourne”. Nationalism rose and people yearned for stories and images reflecting a new identity.
It prompted a strong appreciation of the arts, which saw the National Gallery of Victoria established in 1861. The gallery’s
