As part of its commitment to present exhibitions and events across Benalla throughout its redevelopment, Benalla Art Gallery has installed a new exhibition at the Visitor Information Centre.

The exhibition titled Threads of Kelly presents 13 watercolour illustrations by Desmonde Downing, a distinguished set and costume designer, actor and singer who contributed to Australian theatre in the 1950s and 1960s.

Downing was celebrated for the originality of her stagecraft.

She designed sets for Gertrude Johnson’s National Theatre Arts Festival, notably Lohengrin and Cavalleria Rusticana (1952), and for the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust’s production of The Magic Flute (1956–57, revived 1968).

The suite exhibited includes Downing’s costume designs for Ned Kelly, Douglas Stewart’s verse play, staged in Sydney in 1956 under John Sumner’s direction.

With characteristic dedication to realism, Downing distressed the costumes once completed - tearing seams, removing buttons, and adding paint - to ensure a convincingly rugged appearance.

Benalla Art Gallery director, Eric Nash, said the exhibition was a fitting choice for the venue.

"It provides an opportunity to exhibit more works from the Benalla Art Gallery collection for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike, while sitting in dialogue with the Benalla Historical Society’s Kelly collection - most famously Ned’s green sash,” he said.

Desmonde Downing: Threads of Kelly is on show at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre at 14 Mair Street until 22 March, 2026.