A new cultural precinct in Melbourne's inner south will house a performing arts theatre, exhibition spaces and the Jewish Museum of Australia.
Melbourne’s Jewish Arts Quarter is pushing into its next stage, with site-readiness works confirmed for the Elsternwick cultural precinct.
The Victorian government announced that early works will soon begin at 7 Selwyn Street, where the existing structures will be demolished ahead of full-scale construction. The Jewish Arts Quarter will bring together a performing arts theatre, exhibition spaces, co-working facilities, retail shops, cafes and public spaces under one roof — and become the new home of the Jewish Museum of Australia, one of the city’s most significant cultural institutions.
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The precinct will become the new home of the Jewish Museum of Australia
Minister for Small Business Natalie Suleyman made the announcement at the In One Voice Festival in Elsternwick. The precinct is expected to generate $65 million in investment during the construction period, create 210 building jobs and support 31 ongoing positions once it’s up and running.
“We’re continuing to invest in the future of our vibrant multicultural precincts by backing projects that boost economic activity and opportunities for small business owners and celebrate local cultural diversity,” she said.
What the Jewish Arts Quarter will include
The precinct is designed as a gathering point for arts, education and community connection. Alongside the museum and theatre, the building will feature co-working spaces for community organisations, retail tenancies, cafes and open public areas. It’s being positioned not just as a hub for Melbourne’s Jewish community but as a destination for the broader public — somewhere between a cultural institution and a neighbourhood anchor.
Historic artworks by sculptor Karl Duldig will be conserved throughout the demolition process and woven into the new building’s design, linking the precinct’s future to the area’s existing cultural heritage. The Jewish Arts Quarter sits within the broader Elsternwick Cultural Precinct, alongside the Melbourne Holocaust Museum and Sholem Aleichem College — a cluster that’s set to make Selwyn Street one of Melbourne’s most concentrated cultural corridors.
Melbourne’s growing network of cultural precincts
Melbourne’s Jewish Arts Quarter is pushing into its next stage, with site-readiness works confirmed.
The project joins a wave of major arts infrastructure shaping the city’s cultural map. The Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation in Southbank is bringing an 18,000-square-metre urban garden and upgrades to Arts Centre Melbourne, while other projects across the city’s gallery scene and theatre landscape continue to expand Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s arts capital. The Jewish Arts Quarter adds a distinct community-driven layer to that story.
How the Melbourne precinct is being funded
The Victorian government has contributed $7 million to the project to date, including $2 million allocated through the 2023/24 Victorian Budget. That funding is now enabling the precinct to move into early works, coordination and site preparation ahead of full construction. The Jewish Museum of Australia, which has operated from St Kilda for decades, will relocate to the new Elsternwick building once complete — a significant shift for one of the country’s oldest Jewish cultural institutions.
With performing arts, visual culture and community programming all under one roof, the Jewish Arts Quarter is shaping up as a major new addition to Melbourne’s inner south. For a city that keeps building cultural infrastructure at this pace, Elsternwick is staking a serious claim as the next precinct to watch.
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