The Old Castlemaine Gaol, home to The Bromley Collection Museum, has been placed on the market.
The property at 36-48 Bowden Street was listed by agents Black Diamonds Concierge Sydney on Real Estate.com last Thursday.
The Express understands the museum housed within the former gaol has been closed for some weeks with owners Bromley & Co reportedly citing issues with staffing.
The Old Gaol was purchased by Australian artist David Bromley and his wife and designer Yuge Bromley in April 2019 and the couple officially took over the venue from the previous local owners Gary McClure, Don Culvenor and Trevor Butcher and managers Calum and Gayle McClure, who had transformed it from an unoccupied site to a popular food and tourism destination on October 1, 2019.
It is believed that the Bromleys paid about $1.5 million for the 1.73 hectare property. The property was sold to the previous private developers by Mount Alexander Shire Council in September 2012 for $550,000 despite more than 100 objections from the community and Friends of Old Castlemaine Gaol.
The venue sat idle for several years before it was ‘reimagined’ as The Bromley Collection Museum and opened its doors to the public on April 23, 2023.
At the time owners David and Yuge Bromley described their collection as, “deeply personal and diverse; the rattling minds of two people who are pure and simply consumed with art and creative output. We wanted to shift the axis of what the Gaol was known for, a place of despair, sadness and trauma into a place that evoked a sense of life, joy and art.”
The museum houses the Bromleys’ personal collection of works by artists from across Australia and the world including photographs, paintings, sculpture, and collectables such as rare dolls and other artefacts.
The Old Gaol has also been a canvas for the artist himself with David’s artworks and sculpture featured throughout the buildings and grounds and Yuge’s design influence present throughout.
The museum includes a gift shop featuring prints of original works and memorabilia and the couple reportedly had plans to open a cafe within the precinct to cater to visitors.
According to the real estate advertisement the unique curated collection will be sold along with the property giving the new owners the opportunity to take the museum into the next chapter.
EOI on the property will close on May 31, 2024 unless it is sold prior.
The Express had reached out to Bromley & Co for comment on the sale but had not received a response at the time of going to press.
