Images: City of Unley
A major new cultural destination is rapidly taking shape in Unley, with construction on the $6.12 million Unley Museum and Galleries redevelopment now more than halfway complete.
The project is transforming the existing museum precinct on Edmund Avenue, combining three heritage cottages at 78, 82, and 84 Edmund Avenue with a contemporary new gallery building. The redevelopment has been designed by Grieve Gillett Architects, with construction being delivered by G-Force Building and Consulting.
And there is now a much clearer idea of what the finished space will look like.
Structural steel and framing for Galleries 1 and 3 have been completed, while the northern façade facing the Village Green is beginning to take shape alongside the historic cottages. Inside, careful renovation of the existing cottages is also underway.
City of Unley Mayor Michael Hewitson said reaching the halfway point was a significant milestone.
“I’m delighted we’ve reached the halfway mark on the Unley Museum and Galleries project, with construction on time and on budget,” he said.
“This is an important investment in our City’s future. UMaG will provide a contemporary display space for our museum collection, dedicated areas for artists in residence and new opportunities for people of all ages to create, learn and connect.”
The new gallery space will be ten times larger than those in the former museum, allowing several exhibitions to run simultaneously and give Unley the capacity to host touring exhibitions on a scale that was previously impossible.
Council is already working with cultural institutions across Australia on future national touring exhibitions and is also exploring opportunities to bring international touring exhibitions to Unley.
The first of those major shows will arrive from day one. When UMaG officially opens in April 2027, it will launch with a major nationally significant touring exhibition, alongside permanent interactive exhibitions exploring local history and two temporary locally curated art and history exhibitions.
“Creativity is much more than arts and culture. It includes design, architecture, fashion, media, marketing, digital content, photography, branding and professional creative services,” Mayor Hewitson said.
“These enterprises generate ideas, solve problems, bring places and products to life, and help drive innovation across the wider economy”.
A purpose-built collections storage facility will provide controlled conditions for the City’s historic artefacts and photographs, while dedicated classroom and workshop areas will allow UMaG to accommodate school groups and community programs.
There will also be improved library and research facilities and a dedicated studio for residencies by artists, historians, researchers, designers and other creative practitioners. An accessible main entrance will connect the facility with the Village Green.
“Our original museum provided our children and the wider community with a sense of where we have come from and where we are going,” Mayor Hewitson said.
“I thank the team of volunteers who worked with our Museum Curator Karen Paris for both its success and vision. We will be able to take a classroom of children instead of just 10 a time.”
The architectural design will retain and restore the heritage façades of the Edmund Avenue cottages while the contemporary extension creates the additional exhibition and program space behind them. An Indigenous artwork will also be incorporated into the new façade, with details of the artist and work to be announced at a later date.
The redevelopment has received $2.66 million from the Australian Government’s Thriving Suburbs Program, with the overall project budget approved by Council at $6.123 million in April 2025.
Building works are expected to be completed in December, before exhibitions are installed and the museum prepares for its public opening in April 2027.
Until then, the Unley Museum is operating from its temporary home at 39 Oxford Terrace, where visitors can also see the free Becoming the UMaG exhibition exploring the redevelopment and history of the cottages.
