About us

Heide is a public art museum and sculpture park located on a stretch of the Yarra River in Melbourne that has long served as a meeting point and as a creative hub.

Once a significant Wurundjeri gathering place, the site later attracted the artists of the Australian impressionist School before becoming the home of art patrons John and Sunday Reed in 1935.

The Reeds and their circle of artists and writers embraced the brave and the new in art and ideas and their spirited legacy inspires the museum’s activities today, from collaborating with emerging and mid-career artists to celebrating those who have made major contributions to Australian and international art.

Set on 6.5 hectares of parkland with five gallery spaces, award-winning architecture and a distinctive collection of more than 3,800 works of art, Heide holds a special place in the cultural landscape of Australia.

The Heide Spirit

To make the most of tomorrow, by understanding where we’ve been.

Vision

To uphold and evolve the Heide spirit across art and ideas, increasing audience diversity and deepening engagement, securing a more sustainable future, and ensuring our ongoing relevance.

Mission

We will work to bring Heide’s stories, and its remarkable collection and landscape, to life in innovative and inclusive ways. We will inspire creative talent, improving exposure for emerging and mid-career artists, and we will attract a wide range of audiences—the loyal, the new and the virtual. We will forge new partnerships and generate new investment. We will build on Heide’s sustainability practices and protect our unique cultural and environmental heritage.