Our History
The City of Parramatta Art Society – 75th Anniversary Year
We are thrilled to share some wonderful news as we
celebrate our 75th Anniversary.
As part of this milestone year, we will soon be launching a
very special publication:
“Drawn Together”: The History of the Society
Written by Colina Grant
The details below will be confirmed......by 26th March.
Book Launch details:
Date & Time – Sunday, 19 April 2026 (time to be confirmed)
Venue – Club Parramatta - or Gallery – (to be confirmed)
Book Price – $(to be confirmed)
Silent Auction featuring Colina’s original watercolours and drawings
created for book
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In 1951 the City of Parramatta Art Society was formed,
making it the second municipal group to do so in NSW,
but it wasn't long before it was being referred to as
"the largest provincial art society in the Commonwealth".
Within a month of forming they were providing members with exhibitions, classes, demonstrations and painting excursions.
Making good use of newspaper articles and advertising they drew the interest of the crowds to view their exhibitions ensuring sales and involving the best artists available to judge their shows and give demonstrations.
CPAS were responsible for starting up "The Parramatta Art School" with the aid of the Education Dept.
A struggle to find good venues to display their annual shows was always an issue and the society was no more than a few months old when they were asking for help to find a permanent home, preferably with room for gallery space.
It took 64 years to finally call "The Hunter Street Gallery" home, involving half a dozen other venues over that time that never quite came up to the quality of what we can offer our members and visitors now.
Since 2015 the society has been able to provide first class hanging space with impeccable lighting for our member's work. The hanging committee do an admirable job every 6 weeks where each work is hung to advantage, providing an exciting, stimulating 'themed' exhibition. A Featured Artist also is given the opportunity to exhibit extra work on "the back wall", giving our members this time to familiarise other members and the public with a broader showing of their work.
Colina Grant
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