British Art for Australia, 1860-1953: The Acquisition of Artworks from the United Kingdom by Australian National Galleries

This book explores, for the first time, the engagement of the five 'national' art galleries of the different regions of Australia with the UK art market. It deals with the trade in British artworks during a crucial period when the Australian colonies transitioned to become first dominions then a united Commonwealth. Through these developments Australia's relationship with the British empire was fundamentally changed, and I explore the collecting activities of these institutions in order to offer insights into the cultural diplomacy Australians engaged in to negotiate their own hybrid British identity. It challenges views that ‘imperial’ relations led Australian art galleries to blindly follow UK examples and instructions