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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Burke

A big daddy of a beard; long; bushy; rugged, but not unkempt; typically found on the faces of explorers, bushrangers or others with an excessively developed sense of their own daring, potency and adventurousness.

Not uncommon either on men from other walks of life, it’s a style exemplifying the 1850s to 1870s idea that beards were an outward sign of the masculine qualities most valued in blokey Victorian times.

1 The Burke. 2 Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition, 1860-1861 Henry Samuel Sadd, Fergusson & Mitchell, Melbourne after Thomas Adams Hill. 3 William John Wills, 2nd in command of the Victorian Expedition, 1860-1861 Henry Samuel Sadd, Fergusson & Mitchell, Melbourne after Thomas Adams Hill. 4 Nicholas Chevalier, c. 1867 Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co. 5 William Saurin Lyster, mid to late 1860s Davies & Co. 6 Max Meldrum, 1951 Graeme Inson. © Harvey Shore.
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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