The Lyon Collection was established in 1990 following a visit by Corbett Lyon to the Albert Tucker retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1990. Interested in purchasing a work by Tucker Lyon made a visit to the artist’s dealer gallerist Georges Mora at Tolarno Galleries in South Yarra. Mora instead persuaded Lyon to invest in the work of young contemporary Australian artists and to consider building a collection of works by these artists who were his contemporaries.

The first works in the collection, ‘Nude in a Landscape, 1989’ by Linda Marrinon and ‘Orange Building Site, 1990’ by Louise Forthun, were acquired for the Collection in early 1990.

Now in its twenty second year, the Lyons’ private collection includes works by many of Australia’s most recognised contemporary artists including Howard Arkley, Patricia Piccinini, Callum Morton, Brook Andrew, Daniel von Sturmer, and Shaun Gladwell.  The Collection includes paintings, sculpture, large scale installation works and video art.