The prize is one of the most popular exhibitions across the country, with a touring version to be based in Ballarat for a number weeks next spring. 

Art Gallery of Ballarat director Gordon Morrison said the prize had a broad and popular appeal with almost 50,000 people expected to visit Ballarat over the five week period to see the exhibition  

"It is something that I am absolutely thrilled about," Mr Morrison said.

"We know because it has been to other venues before, how popular it is and how many people will come up the road from the big smoke to see all the celebrity images."

The prize is awarded annually to the best portrait, 'preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’.

Mr Morrison said the exhibition was almost like a gift. 

"But it is a gift that doesn't just get handed out to anyone, you have to have a facility that is capable of taking work like that and capable of receiving that number of people," he said.

He said the gallery had already had meetings with the City of Ballarat to discuss ways to ensure the facility would be able to handle the large crowds. 

Arts Minister Heidi Victoria said the Archibald was the most important portrait competition in Australia, with tens of thousands of people to flood the city to see it.    

"I think one of the things you have got here in Ballarat is an amazing in-house collection and what you do is go one step further and take on great touring exhibitions," she said. 

"There is only one Victorian place it visits every year, so it have been chosen as Ballarat 

"Ballarat is its home for the next two years."