By Jessica Anstice
The developers behind a proposed world-class art gallery in Harkaway, that will house a $500 million art collection, are reassuring residents that their $50 million investment will benefit the community in more ways than not.
Publicity-shy businessman and local, Lindsay Hogg, is in discussion with the State Government to have his enormous art collection donated to a proposed art gallery at 193-209 King Road, called Rosemaur.
Under the proposed plans, which are currently being assessed by the Planning Minister, the eight hectare site would accommodate about 600 patrons and feature a 140-seat restaurant and function centre, plus two dwellings for the gallery.
While the proposal is currently undergoing a six-week community consultation, there has been a community uproar, with residents opposing the idea in fear of it “changing the amenity” of Harkaway.
Residents are also concerned the site would damage the green wedge zone and is “entirely out of character for the area”.
But Rosemaur architect and project coordinator, Danielle Peck, has assured residents that the facility will attract visitation to the area, which will have beneficial effects for all local businesses, and will create future job opportunities.
In response to the site affecting the green wedge zone, she said Rosemaur will protect, conserve and enhance the biodiversity, natural resources, scenic landscapes and heritage of the area with its proposed natural regeneration of the landscape through planting, management and the establishment of a bird sanctuary.
“Rosemaur will protect and enhance the existing rural living areas by delivering 75,000 square metres of open space, and provide benefit to the local community through access to these grounds during operating hours for their enjoyment,” she said.
“It will preserve the landscape as the proposal does not seek to subdivide the land.
“Rosemaur will also deliver sustainable land management practices and infrastructure provision with the inclusion of numerous low-lying native gardens, tree planting and a bird sanctuary.”
Another major concern among residents is increased traffic along the otherwise quiet country road.
Traffic engineers at Cardno reported that King Road currently sees about 250 vehicle movements per day.
The report anticipates additional traffic generation resulting from an average of 165 vehicles a day from Monday to Thursday and 255 vehicles a day Friday to Sunday.
“Although this obviously represents additional traffic to this section of King Road, it’s our firmly held belief that it will be manageable and cause minimal disruption to the local community,” Ms Peck added.
If approved by Casey Council at its 20 October meeting, Ms Peck said the development would provide around 300 jobs during the construction phase and 150 jobs once established, providing opportunities for locals, and their children.
The site will also offer a classroom or community space for schools and groups in the region to utilise and the gallery will be open for local artists to exhibit their work.
A private man, over the past four decades Mr Hogg has amassed one of the country’s most prized private collections of art, comprising more than 150 works.
“Putting together this art collection for the past 40 years has been my passion,” Mr Hogg said.
“But as I got older, I had to ask myself what I would do with a collection that boasts some of the great art work of Europe.”
His collection includes iconic pieces of art from Horace Vernet’s Battle of the Pont d’Arcole to Francis Bacon’s Blood on the Floor; Luca Giordano’s Lucretia to Egon Schiele’s Eros; from Gustav Klimt’s Three Ages of Woman to Otto Dix’s Three Women; from CRW Nevinson’s Road to Ypres to L.S. Lowry’s Industrial Landscape; and Stanley Spencer’s Altar Piece, Crucifiction to his Adoration of Girls.
“These works of art describe the extremes of the human condition in a very personal way. One thing I do know is that breaking it up is not an option,” he added.
“This country, where my parents Rose and Maurice came as migrants from Britain in the mid-1930s, has been wonderful to our family, and I fervently believe by donating this collection to the people of Victoria I honour my parents, whom, along with Australia, I owe everything.
“Our vision for this project has always been one that sits in harmony with the picturesque rolling landscape of the Dandenong foothills, and offers the greater region an extraordinary cultural asset.”
To ensure Rosemaur meets Mr Hogg and his team’s “lofty” ambitions, he said they have spared no expense to make sure it meets international gallery loaning standards.
He said the restaurant will deliver a significant dining and tourism experience to the City of Casey.
“I have no doubt the exceptionally designed buildings that house the restaurant, which is essential for Rosemaur’s ongoing viability and development as a creative institution, will contribute to Australia’s culinary tourism experiences,” Mr Hogg said.
“I also envisage Rosemaur supporting aspiring artists of Victoria and interstate and giving local community groups and schools access to internationally recognised art works unavailable in Australia.
“If we can achieve this then it will help ensure Victoria remains a leader in the arts sector by diversifying its offering and supporting suburban and regional investment.”
Berwick resident and former Harkaway Primary School principal Ray Heatcote is all for the proposed site.
“I think it would be a great thing for the area – it would be very similar to what Tarrawarra’s done for Healesville and for that area out there,” he said.
“It certainty fits into the landscape well so I’m pretty sure that it would be something that wouldn’t be offensive.
“Basically the paintings are going to cost nothing and it’s an amazing collection of work that would bring people to the area and of course the spin off would be that people would then come down into Berwick and other suburbs and bring their business to the townships.”
Richard Nagy, an Australian art dealer who runs a gallery in the most prestigious art street in the world – London’s Old Bond Street – said the Rosemaur collection is known around the world, not by name, as Mr Hogg has guarded his privacy fiercely, but by the reputation of the works.
“The greatest museums have requested loans, from the late 1980s to as recently as 2019, with the names of these institutions – they include the National Gallery in Washington DC, The Tate Gallery in London, the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Albertina Museum in Vienna and at least 30 other similarly distinguished museums – shouting out the quality of the works in the Rosemaur collection,” Mr Nagy explained.
“From the first purchase back in the early 1980s, Lindsey’s focus was on quality.
“All this adds up to a rare opportunity for the people of Melbourne and Australia to see a concentrated, but highly refined selection of the finest examples of these artists’ work that to see otherwise would mean travelling across the globe.”
Mr Hogg’s belief is that Rosemaur will deliver “marvellous” benefits to the Casey community and beyond through its significant art collection, education programs and new opportunities for international partnerships with loan exhibitions and through its design to international gallery standards.
“It’s a big picture project that will deliver a world-class art institution that will always be available to the public.”
