UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2026: After more than a decade operating a physical business in Lane Cove, Stuart Leal has closed the Stuart Leal Gallery shopfront at 1/161 Burns Bay Road.
Stuart Leal Gallery is continuing as a local Lane Cove business, but is now operating online only.
Many of you will know the name Stuart Leal.
For more than ten years, Stuart has owned a business in Lane Cove. His gallery was previously located in The Village Shops before moving to a larger space at the Burns Bay Road shops near the IGA.
Stuart has a passion for Aboriginal art and learning about the artists behind the incredible paintings he sells. He has gained a real appreciation for the history of the artists and the long-held stories expressed on canvas.
ITC loved Stuart’s passion for art, but after speaking to him about his journey to becoming a local business owner, we knew there was much more to his story.
There’s More to Stuart Than Meets the Eye
Stuart has had a varied career.
At the age of 21, he managed the Sydney office of a diesel generator supplier, which took him across the country on various assignments, including working on film sets, television sets and at music concerts.
He has also worked on classic films including Gallipoli and counts having a front-row position at Midnight Oil’s legendary Goat Island show as one of his fondest memories from that period.
Stuart’s involvement in the film and music industry led to him meeting quite a few famous people.
He told ITC about the time he met Elton John at a Christmas party in the backyard of a factory in St Peters.
Elton admired Stuart’s tattoo of a 1959 Cadillac and the pair spoke about cars for around 30 minutes. As Elton was leaving, he asked Stuart to join him at a party at The Sebel later that night.
Stuart politely declined. He was going to see a rockabilly gig at the Lansdowne Hotel instead.
A Passion for Vintage Cadillacs Became a Business
After seven years of working long hours, Stuart decided to set up his own car hire business, turning his hobby of collecting vintage Cadillacs from the 1950s into a career.
His cars were used at his sister’s wedding, word spread and the business flourished.
Stuart’s cars were hired for proposals, weddings, anniversaries, celebrity funerals, dinner dates, formals and awards nights.
He chauffeured numerous international celebrities including Neil Diamond, George Foreman, James Belushi, Carrie Fisher, Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers.
His Australian passengers included Dame Edna Everage, Kimberley Davies, Alyssa-Jane Cook, Isla Fisher, Julian McMahon, Kate Fischer and Maria Venuti.
In 2000, one of Stuart’s Cadillacs was hired for Christine Anu’s Sunshine on a Rainy Day video clip.
He wasn’t actually supposed to be in the video.
When he delivered the Cadillac to White Bay Power Station, the production team liked the way Stuart was dressed and his 1950s haircut so much that they asked him to appear in it.
Watch closely. Stuart and his cars feature prominently.
By the time Stuart eventually sold the business, he had amassed what he says was the largest collection of 1950s Cadillacs in Australia.
There were 20 cars in his Rozelle warehouse, including white, pink, red and black Cadillacs, with sedans, stretch vehicles and convertibles. He also had a collection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
A New Passion Emerges
Stuart then transitioned from wedding cars to wedding photography.
Some locals may remember Stuart’s photography studio on Victoria Road in Drummoyne.
The transition was a natural one as Stuart had already been an avid hobby photographer.
At wedding location shoots he would often assist photographers, including helping position the Cadillacs and Harleys.
During his time as a professional wedding photographer, Stuart was hired for a number of celebrity and high-profile weddings.
He photographed the South China Sea wedding of Kahlia Chamberlain, daughter of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, at the Sipadan Kapalai Dive Resort. He also photographed the wedding of property magnate Lang Walker’s daughter, Georgia.
Following some lifestyle changes, Stuart decided to focus more on family portraits and corporate headshots.
He was looking for new premises when a friend suggested Lane Cove.
Stuart sat in Lane Cove Plaza and watched the world go by. He saw the mums and bubs, the activity around the village and what he thought was great potential for his business.
From Photographer to Art Gallery Owner
It was in Lane Cove that Stuart’s passion for Aboriginal art really took hold.
He researched artists and developed relationships with reputable dealers and contacts in the Northern Territory.
He started by displaying a couple of paintings in his photography studio. Then one day he looked around and realised his photography studio had effectively become an Aboriginal art gallery.
Stuart Leal Gallery in Lane Cove
Stuart’s gallery was originally located in The Village Shops before moving to a larger premises at 1/161 Burns Bay Road.
The larger gallery allowed Stuart to showcase a wider range of work, from striking decorative pieces through to works by significant artists sought by collectors.
The gallery became familiar to many local art lovers, with Stuart specialising in ethical and authentic Aboriginal art, particularly works from the Central and Western Desert regions.
A New Chapter: Stuart Leal Gallery Moves Online
In September 2026, Stuart closed the doors of the Burns Bay Road gallery after deciding not to renew the lease.
While the bricks-and-mortar gallery has closed, Stuart Leal Gallery has not.
Stuart remains local to Lane Cove and the business is now operating online, allowing him to continue selling Aboriginal art without being tied to a physical shop six days a week.
Stuart has also told ITC he may take part in art fairs and potentially operate pop-up galleries in the future.
So while you will no longer find Stuart behind the door at 1/161 Burns Bay Road, you can still follow Stuart Leal Gallery and keep up with his latest works online.
And if you didn’t already know the story of the man behind the gallery, now you know there is much more to Stuart Leal than meets the eye.
Facebook: Stuart Leal Gallery
Instagram: @stuart_leal_gallery
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0414 551 956
This is not a sponsored article. ITC originally published Stuart’s story because we thought his rather extraordinary journey from Cadillacs and celebrities to photography and Aboriginal art was one worth telling.
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