Elvis: Direct From Graceland

The King’s personal treasures go on show in a former Gold Rush town.

Our adoration for Elvis Presley shows up in unlikely places: Parkes, in Central West NSW, welcomes more than 20,000 bedazzled pilgrims every January for its Elvis Festival; and Katoomba, west of Sydney, has hosted the Blue Mountains Elvis Festival since 2013. Now Bendigo, land of the Dja Dja Wurrung and the Taungurung Peoples of the Kulin Nation, only two hours north of Melbourne, is holding a delightfully eccentric exhibition of Presley pieces in partnership with the late singer’s Memphis estate, Graceland.

Bendigo Art Gallery (bendigoregion.com.au) has a long history of celebrating celebrity influences on style and culture and used its international connections to make Elvis: Direct from Graceland (until 17 July) a reality. “We were fortunate to build a relationship with the Graceland Archives team a couple of years ago with the support of our colleagues in Paramount Pictures Archive in Hollywood,” explains curatorial manager Lauren Ellis. “It’s one of the most logistically ambitious exhibitions we’ve ever mounted.”

A lot like The King himself, the displays are ostentatious, from sequinned Sin City jumpsuits to the flashy gold telephone that once graced Presley’s bedside table. “We shipped very large objects – including a motorbike and a car – as well as an array of very delicate and unusual items, from 1950s acetate records to his daughter, Lisa Marie’s, baby clothing.”

For Elvis true (or new) believers, there’s plenty to see before you leave the building, says Ellis. “It’s a fun show – love him or hate him, the man was audacious and unapologetic in style.”