Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (Royal Park)

The Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (Royal Park) in Launceston, Tasmania, is one of Australia’s oldest regional museums. Located in the heart of the city, this museum offers visitors the chance to explore Tasmania’s history, art and culture. It forms part of a dual-site institution alongside the museum at Inveresk and the two locations comprise Australia’s largest museum not located in a capital city.

The Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (QVMAG) was founded in 1891. Over the years, the institution has grown to become a key centre for preserving and showcasing Tasmanian culture. It holds an extensive collection of artefacts, artworks and natural history exhibits.

The Royal Park site is particularly focused on art, while its sister site at Inveresk specialises in natural history and science.

What to See at Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (Royal Park)

Visitors to the Royal Park site can explore a diverse range of exhibits, with a particular focus on art and local history.

Highlights of the collection include a display about Tasmania’s Aboriginal heritage and the Guan Di Temple as well as a collection of Australian and Tasmanian art.

First Tasmanians: our story is a display about Tasmania’s Aboriginal heritage that presents Tasmanian Aboriginal perspectives on architecture, astronomy, climate change and creation stories.

The Guan Di Temple is an excellent exhibit featuring a working temple that contains artefacts from Chinese temples from Tasmanian mining towns. The temple provides an insight into Chinese religious practices in Tasmania during the 1880s.

The gallery has an impressive collection of Australian art, including colonial works, modernist paintings and contemporary pieces. Tasmanian artists feature prominently, offering insights into the island’s artistic heritage.

Nearby Royal Park provides a tranquil setting for the museum. Here you can enjoy the landscaped gardens, which offer a peaceful spot to relax before or after exploring the gallery.

Temporary exhibitions

The museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions that cover a wide range of themes. These may include international art, photography and installations by emerging artists.

ArtStart: The Next Generation
ArtStart 2025 presents work by primary school students from across northern Tasmania. The exhibition (until 9 November 2025) is open to children from Kindergarten to Grade 6, with this year’s theme drawn from NAIDOC Week: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. Students respond through painting, drawing, photography and mixed media. ArtStart has been a regular QVMAG initiative, encouraging early engagement with the visual arts through school and community participation.

Shapeshifting: The Art of Helen Wright
This exhibition (until 1 February 2026) surveys over forty years of work by Tasmanian artist Helen Wright. It includes painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Wright’s practice frequently returns to motifs such as vessels, birds and damaged landscapes. These forms appear across media and reflect ecological and social concerns. The exhibition considers how Wright’s work moves between disciplines and explores shifting states of meaning.

Sam Jinks: Mortal Reflections
Sam Jinks is known for hyperreal sculptures that explore human experience and vulnerability. This exhibition (until 8 March 2026), his first major presentation in Tasmania, brings together works not usually available to the public. Figures are shown in lifelike detail, often conveying themes of mortality and transition. The entire upper level of QVMAG’s Royal Park site is dedicated to the display, offering a sustained encounter with Jinks’ practice.

Traces: Chris Bell
This exhibition (20 September 2025–15 February 2026) surveys over thirty years of photography by Chris Bell. Moving to Tasmania in 1972, he joined the campaign to save Lake Pedder. His images explore traces and patterns in landscapes, shifting between wilderness and art photography. Bell’s work often focuses on threatened species and vulnerable places. It reflects a long-standing engagement with conservation and questions about humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Visiting Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (Royal Park)

QVMAG’s Royal Park site is on Wellington Street, a short walk from the city centre.

The museum is open daily throughout the year and entry is free of charge. However, some temporary exhibitions may involve an admission fee.

The museum is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and lifts to assist visitors with mobility needs.

Visitor amenities include a small on-site cafe and the central location means that there are plenty of other options to eat and drink nearby including picnic spots in nearby Royal Park.

2 Wellington Street, Launceston TAS 7250
Bus Tiger (stop: Cenotaph)
Website www.qvmag.tas.gov.au
Admission free
Open 10am–4pm daily