As the temporary exhibition space at the National Gallery of Australia was undergoing a transformation this week in preparation for the winter blockbuster exhibition, dozens of paintings hanging on the walls were shrouded in black cloths to protect them from the light.

The 120 drawings, watercolours and oil paintings by J.M.W. Turner were being prepped to wow the crowds of art lovers who will be flocking to the gallery from Saturday.

The works, which arrived in Australia from Tate National in London in seven shipments, have been kept under tight security before the grand opening.

Gallery director Ron Radford said some of the works on show were the largest to have left the Tate, and some had been kept in storage for years.

''It is a big deal for the Tate, and we've been very grateful that they've lent so many of their important works, and so many of their large works,'' he said.

''They've done us proud, too, in that we asked for certain works and extra works and different works while we were in negotiations, and they've been very, very good. I thought they might call us a little bit greedy, but they've been very co-operative, and it's given them a bit of an excuse to show works that have been in storage at the Tate itself.''

He said while Turner was a renowned artist in Britain, he was also an important part of Australia's heritage in how he influenced early artists here. ''Also, Australians, I happen to know, do like Turner,'' he said. ''They get it.''

Indeed, the gallery's previous Turner exhibition, staged in 1997, was one of its most successful exhibitions to date, with 240,502 people queuing up to see the work of the famed ''painter of light''.

Dr Radford said the works were being shrouded while staff adjusted the lighting, and the cloths would be replaced after closing to protect the works against night lights.

In the meantime, staff were also busy unpacking merchandise in the all-important exhibition shop which, this year, has a British theme.

Head of commercial operations Elizabeth Malone said it had been a relief this time not to have a French theme in the shop, with not a frilled knicker or art-deco pendant in sight. Instead, there are bowler hats and paintboxes, Paddington Bear and Union Jacks, bottles of Pimm's and Wedgwood china cups.

''The starting point, of course, is always Turner and the art, and we do a whole range of merchandise ourselves around that,'' she said.

''But we tried this time to be contemporary and not of the Turner period with the set-up of the shop … A lot of the product is from companies who've been around since the 1700s, but there's also some new British designers, so it's really been good fun combining the two.''

Also included are the lines of boxer shorts and polo shirts worn by Daniel Craig in the James Bond movies.

Turner from the Tate: The Making of a Master opens at the National Gallery on Saturday and runs until September 8.