For over 30 years MGA’s benefactors have been instrumental in the development of the only public collection solely dedicated to Australian photography, and it all started with a tapestry donated by Harry Seidler...

Since its inception MGA has forged its own trailblazing path, never wavering from its commitment to champion and support Australian photography and its artists. MGA has long been praised for being progressive and innovative, especially when in the early 1980s it took the bold, unfashionable and revolutionary step to focus on Australian photography.

In doing so, MGA became the only public collection solely dedicated to Australian photography and soon came to hold one of the nation’s most significant collections of Australian photographs.

Now numbering over 3 100 Australian photographs, MGA’s collection illustrates the story of photography in Australia and its development is in no small part due to the generosity of donors. Collectors, supporters and artists have been critical to the collection’s development with over half the collection built through donations.

LEGACY. Your collection. Our story. celebrates the impact benefactors have had on the development of one of the nation’s most unique and important collections, a collection dedicated to Australian photography and its artists. LEGACY teases out the fascinating and compelling stories behind the works and their donors, and along the way showcases significant works that chart the history of MGA, from a Joseph Albers tapestry donated by Harry Seidler, the architect of MGA’s building, through to the most recent donated works.

Curator: Anouska Phizacklea 

Exhibition Partner

MGA is thrilled to welcome Mercedes-Benz Waverley as our Exhibition Partner for LEGACY. Your collection. Our story.