Founded in 1945 with an art collection consisting of 123 works donated by Roland Pope which was conditional on the construction of a gallery to hold it, the museum opened its doors in 1957.

This collection encompasses the leading ceramists: Les Blakebrough, Louise Boscacci, Penny Byrne, Pippin Drysdale, Marea Gazzard, Victor Greenaway, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Col Levy, Jenny Orchard, Peter Rushforth, and Bernard Sahm.

Artists represented by sculptures in the collection include Karl Duldig, Robert Klippel, Clement Meadmore, Margel Hinder, Akio Makigawa, Kathleen Shillam, Hossein Valamanesh, Rosalie Gascoigne, Fiona Hall and Patricia Piccinini.

[17] Iconic Australian artist Brett Whiteley is represented by several artworks, including the large scale Black Totem II, located near the entrance of the gallery.

The print collection includes colonial era material such as Richard Browne engravings and work by S. T. Gill, Eugène von Guérard, Walter Preston and Joseph Lycett.

The collection includes complete suites, series and folios by artists such as, Arthur Boyd, John Coburn, Imants Tillers, Jesse Traill, George Baldessin, Bea Maddock, Mike Parr, Margaret Preston, Thea Procter, Jan Senbergs, and Salvatore Zofrea.

[19] Photography is represented by some of Australia's leading contemporary artists, including Jane Burton, Destiny Deacon, Fiona Hall, Bill Henson, Rosemary Laing, Julie Rrap, Darren Siwes, and Robyn Stacey.

This collection spans colonial work by Joseph Lycett, Australian Impressionists such as Arthur Streeton, Hans Heysen, Elioth Grüner, Sydney Long, and Lloyd Rees, through to the leading twentieth-century modernists such as Newcastle-born William Dobell and other modernists Grace Cossington Smith, Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Robert Dickerson, and Charles Blackman.

[23] Arthur Boyd, David Boyd, Rupert Bunny, Judy Cassab, Grace Cossington Smith, John Coburn, William Dobell, Karl Duldig, Donald Friend, Bill Henson, Joy Hester, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Tracey Moffatt, Margaret Olley, John Olsen, Patricia Piccinini, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott, Margaret Preston, Lloyd Rees, Brian Robinson, Alex Seton, Ken Thaiday Snr, Brett Whiteley, Michael Zavros.

[1] John Olsen's The sea sun of 5 bells, 1964, was donated by Ann Lewis AO following her death; it had previously hung in her dining room from the ceiling for 45 years.