New Hamilton Gallery

SBG Advisory assembled a team including renowned architectural firm Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) and leading quantity surveying firm Donald Cant Watts Corke (DCWC) to submit a competitive tender for master planning design (DCM), cost planning (DCWC) and business case development (SBG Advisory) services for a New Hamilton Gallery.

Upon appointment, DCM performed an assessment of several sites within the City of Hamilton and its surrounds. DCM recommended a site on the shores of Lake Hamilton as the preferred location for a New Hamilton Gallery and this recommendation was endorsed by Southern Grampians Council for purposes of developing a business case.

SBG Advisory developed the business case for provision of a New Hamilton Gallery located at Lake Hamilton. In developing the business case, SBG Advisory performed substantial demographic analysis and market assessment including bench-marking regional galleries in Victoria and museums of art worldwide and in Australia that have contributed to revitalization of cities and communities. This element of the business case involved assessment / analysis of socioeconomic challenges facing the City of Hamilton and the Southern Grampians Shire, relationships with surrounding Shires and examined visitation patterns to significant tourist destinations such as Warrnambool / Great Ocean Road, the Grampians and Budj Bim World Heritage listed National Park.

A substantial amount of data has been generated by SBG Advisory regarding the potential of a New Hamilton Gallery to engage with the community and its contribution to gross regional product, and this data is a solid foundation to a business case for a New Hamilton Gallery wherever it is to be located in Hamilton.

SBG Advisory also performed an analysis of the attributes unique to the Lake Hamilton site for purposes of identifying visitation patterns and forecasts, and performed an options analysis and a sensitivity analysis for the preferred option. SBG Advisory performed a thorough analysis of Hamilton Gallery’s historic visitation (source and pattern) and cost structure was also undertaken. We also performed an analysis of the existing collection in order to develop a coherent spatial analysis that identifies requirements for display and storage of the collection across all medium and allowances for growth of the collection. Outputs from SBG Advisory’s work along with DCM’s concept design served as the basis of the cost plan developed by DCWC.

SBG Advisory has developed a complex financial model comprising operational and capital expenditure budget analysis, including forecast visitation, direct revenue and costs, and economic benefits that would result as a consequence of developing a New Hamilton Gallery. A summary of sources and applications of funds has also been prepared to assist Southern Grampians Council to develop its funding strategy for the project.

SBG Advisory has successfully brought to bear 25-years extensive specialist experience developing major arts / cultural heritage facilities to ensure the final outcome satisfies expectations and objectives of Southern Grampians Shire. SBG Advisory is pleased to have been engaged by Southern Grampians Shire to prepare a business case that is robust and is designed to assist Southern Grampians Shire as it considers the future of Hamilton Gallery and as it communicates with stakeholders and engages with Victorian and Australian Governments.