Ken Duncan to close Melbourne gallery at end of April

The Collins Street gallery of photographer Ken Duncan will close at the end of this month, a year and a half after the site was secured.

The move marks the end of the gallery’s physical presence in Victoria, after 17 years and three different locations in the state. The nature photographer also previously had a gallery in Melbourne's Docklands. In a public release, Duncan wrote that waiting four years for the repair of the Southern Cross Observation Wheel “hit [the gallery] very hard.”

Known for his panoramic landscape photography, Ken and his wife, managing director Pam Duncan, will focus on consolidating their main gallery on the New South Wales Central Coast. Last year, the Duncans sold their Matcham house and gallery property (pictured below) for $1.23 million.

The Ken Duncan gallery will be open on the ground floor of 500 Collins Street until the end of the month. Ken Duncan signed a five year lease with CBRE in October 2012, reportedly paying about $1000 per square metre. Savills is currently advertising a half-sized ground level gallery adjacent to the Ken Duncan gallery in 500 Collins Street for $1,400 per square metre. 

The mixed retail and office building was purchased by the Kador Group in 2002 and underwent significant upgrades to improve sustainability, becoming Australia’s first refurbishment project to receive a five star Green Star design rating. 

Office space in the building is currently available to rent at $390 to $440 per square metre. 

Ken Duncan received a Medal of the Order of Australia from the federal government for his services to landscape photography, publishing and the arts.