National Gallery of Victoria Victorian Heritage Register. Designed by Lab Architecture Studio, the Ian Potter Centre opened in 2002 and houses the gallery's Australian art collection. Victoria gained independence from New South Wales in 1850 (effective 1 July 1851). In the wake of the Victorian gold rush that began in (August) 1851, it became Australia's richest colony, and Melbourne, its capital, the largest and wealthiest city in Australia. With Melbourne's rapid growth came calls for the establishment of a public art gallery, and in 1859, the Government of Victoria pledged £2000 for the acquisition of plaster casts of sculpture. These works were displayed in
Coat of arms of Victoria (Australia) Coat of arms of Victoria (Australia) The Coat of Arms of Victoria is the official symbol of the Australian state of Victoria. Victoria was the second state of Australia to gain arms, granted on 6 June 1910 by royal warrant of King George V. The state had been named in 1851 after his grandmother, who was Queen at the time. Following the adoption of the pink heath ("Epacris impressa" Labill.) as Victoria's floral emblem, Queen Elizabeth II signed a royal warrant on 28 March 1974 adding a Compartment from which the heath could grow. Although the rest of the arms