From On The Beach to magic to Cloudy Day

The Greater Frankston and Mornington Peninsula regions inspire creatives and invigorate their souls. There are so many talented artists who have called these regions home or home away from home. Musicians with smash hits include Tones And I, Australian Crawl, Gotye, and Mark Seymour from Hunters & Collectors. Inspired to put pen to paper are authors Garry Disher, Paul Jennings, and Greg Sugars. Paul Mercurio and Hugh Jackman also call the region home, as does award-winning magician Cosentino. For actors, authors and artists, this area is both inspirational and a mecca for all things creative. Television shows and films have frequently taken advantage of the eclectic and spectacular scenery across the area since 1959, when On The Beach, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, was partly filmed in Frankston. Nevil Shute, who wrote the novel on which the movie was based, lived in the area. Also in Frankston you’ll find Mulberry Hill, the historic house and estate that was the home of painter and printmaker Sir Daryl Lindsay, who was knighted in 1957 for his services to Australian art, and Lady Joan Lindsay, an artist and writer best known for her novel Picnic At Hanging Rock.

Hit the pavement to experience the area that’s inspired so many, and check out the Peninsula’s many galleries. A visit to Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery is a must. MPRG will host the Archibald Prize 2023 regional tour from mid-September until early November. As the only Victorian host of the tour, the gallery is expecting to draw tens of thousands of art-lovers to the display of 57 finalist works, including Clown jewels, Andrea Huelin’s Packing Room Prize-winning portrait of New Zealand comedian Cal Wilson. Tickets for the Archibald Prize 2023 regional tour go on sale on July 1 at mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au

Don’t forget to check out what’s on at Frankston Arts Centre and the adjacent Cube 37, where you’ll be able to enjoy festivals, music, theatre, exhibitions and all forms of the performing arts. Go to fac.com.au to see what’s on during your stay.

The Manyung Gallery Group has been exhibiting an inspiring collection of affordable art and sculpture since the 1960s. With galleries in Strathmore, Malvern, Mount Eliza, Sorrento and Flinders, as well as a warehouse in Mornington, Manyung is where you can find more than 2000 amazing pieces to enhance your home and your life. What better way to make your winter holiday even more memorable than taking a piece of the Peninsula back home with you.

Top image: Clown jewels, Andrea Huelin’s portrait of New Zealand comedian Cal Wilson, won the 2023 Packing Room Prize.

Bottom image: Find paintings by Darren Doye at Manyung Gallery.