South Australia's collection of Australian and international works of art.

The Art Gallery of South Australia holds one of Australia's finest art collections housed in one of Adelaide's most beautiful historic buildings. It is centrally located on leafy North Terrace.

Today's visitors can trace the history of European art from the 15th to 20th century, particularly the development of landscape and portrait painting.

The gallery's permanent display of Australian art is outstanding and the largest anywhere, enabling the visitor to track the development of Australian art from the beginning of the colonial period through Federation to the present day. Its collection of 19th century colonial art is without rival, and contains fine examples of early oil painting, watercolours, sculpture, silver and furniture. The Australian 20th century collection is large and comprehensive.

The gallery also collects Aboriginal art from all parts of Australia and has the finest collection of Aboriginal desert dot paintings from Central Australia, dating from the beginning of that painting movement in the early 1970s.

The highlight of the gallery's Asian collection is its holdings of South East Asian ceramics that is the finest museum collection of such material in the world. The Asian collection began with the acquisition of Chinese export porcelain, Japanese prints and decorative arts, Persian ceramics and Indian and Persian miniatures. During the 1960s and 1970s the gallery began acquiring Thai and Vietnamese export ceramics, Khmer ceramics, Indian and Indonesian textiles. More recently, important Japanese screens, Indian sculpture and contemporary works from Asia have been added to the collection.

The current Elder Wing was in fact the original building, designed in 1897 and opened in early 1900. In 1936 the two level Melrose Wing was added, another wing at the back of the Gallery opened in 1962 and the West wing extensions, which doubled the size of the Gallery, opened in early 1996. The new West Wing, as well as including collection display space and very large underground temporary exhibition galleries, has an enlarged bookshop, cafe, function hire rooms and lecture theatre.

The collections are divided geographically into three main areas - European, Australian and Asian. From its beginning in the 1880s up until the 1950s the Art Gallery's European collection was primarily focused on British painting and sculpture. Now the gallery has one of the finest collections of British art outside Britain dating from the 16th century to the present day. The collection was expanded to include prints, drawings and decorative arts in the early 20th century. In the mid-20th century, the gallery extended its collection of other European cultures from earlier periods to the present day.

Come for free lunchtime talks 12.45pm most Tuesdays, 15 minute talks on works in the collection or in special exhibitions given by gallery staff and guest.

You can become a member of the Art Gallery and receive invitations to functions, film screenings and talks, tours, discounts and various publications. To join telephone 08 8207 7050. The Eye Spy Club meets on the second and fourth Sunday of each month at 3pm for children accompanied by an adult. Family drop in days fourth Sunday of each month at 3pm - free art and craft and reduced price exhibition entry for families.

The Art Gallery Bookshop is Adelaide's specialist Art and Design Bookshop and sells a wide range of publications on the collections, as well as gifts, catalogues, prints and cards. Open daily 1000 to 1645. Enquiries telephone 08 8207 7029.

Admission charges may apply for temporary and touring exhibitions.

The Discover Adelaide Card can be used at the Art Gallery of South Australia