Convent Gallery

The Convent Gallery is a historic art gallery housed in a former 1860s mansion and Holy Cross Convent at Daylesford in the Hepburn Shire, Victoria. Perched on Wombat Hill with panoramic views over Daylesford and surrounding countryside, it operates as a multi-gallery art space, museum and cultural venue. Notable for its preserved chapel, original architecture, extensive Australian art collection and landscaped gardens, it is a prominent cultural attraction in the Daylesford-Hepburn Springs region.

Visitors can explore a restored 1860s convent building set on Wombat Hill with eight gallery spaces, a preserved chapel with stained glass, original period rooms, and landscaped gardens with sculptures and panoramic views over Daylesford. Inside are rotating exhibitions of Australian contemporary art, ceramics, textiles and historic artefacts. The site includes a cafe, gift shop and outdoor terraces. Self-guided exploration of galleries, chapel, gardens and heritage architecture is the main experience.

Originally built in the 1860s as a private mansion for goldfields-era residents, the building was acquired in the 1880s by the Sisters of the Holy Cross and operated as a convent and boarding school for nearly a century. After the convent closed, it was restored and reopened in 1991 as the Convent Gallery, preserving original features including the chapel, staircases and period rooms.

A significant cultural venue for the Hepburn Shire and Daylesford region, the gallery supports Australian artists through rotating exhibitions, houses an extensive collection of contemporary art and ceramics, and functions as a community cultural hub retaining the religious and educational heritage of the former convent.