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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.

Rarely Everage

The Lives of Barry Humphries

Previous exhibition
from Saturday 23 November 2002 until Sunday 16 February 2003

The exhibition begins with Barry's childhood in Camberwell, Melbourne and chronicles his days as a struggling actor in Australia and England, his creation of characters including Barry McKenzie, Dame Edna Everage, Sandy Stone and Sir Les Patterson. Such satirical creations, at times, have led him into turbulent relationships with his country of birth and his many lives - as writer, comedian, artist, actor, entertainer, social provocateur and celebrity are explored.

Slim Dusty and Dame Edna Everage, Carlton Hill Station, WA, 10 July 1993
Slim Dusty and Dame Edna Everage, Carlton Hill Station, WA, 10 July 1993 John Elliott. © John Elliott

‘He is gifted with so many talents it is almost unfair. He can write, he can create superb comic verse, he can produce novels, plays, and he is an artist. His knowledge of art is such he should be on the board of the National Gallery. He has an amazing insight into esoteric Edwardian and Victorian writers and who knows as much about Art Nouveau? Ah, but this is the key to Barry Humphries, he is a one-man act. He can create all his own material and has the bravado to go ahead, utterly fearless, and put it on stage. Without doubt he is the most successful entertainer Australia has produced with the possible exception of Dame Nellie Melba.’

Keith Dunstan, Journalist

A highlight of the National Portrait Gallery year is the biographical exhibition, Rarely Everage: The Lives of Barry Humphries.

The exhibition begins with Barry’s childhood in Camberwell, Melbourne and chronicles his days as a struggling actor in Australia and England, his creation of characters including Barry McKenzie, Dame Edna Everage, Sandy Stone and Sir Les Patterson. Such satirical creations, at times, have led him into turbulent relationships with his country of birth and his many lives - as writer, comedian, artist, actor, entertainer, social provocateur and celebrity are explored.

Rarely Everage includes photographs, books, manuscripts, early drawings, Dada-inspired sculptures, paintings, dresses and fashion accessories.

The exhibition has drawn loans from public and private collections in Australia and overseas including many from the Barry Humphries-Dame Edna Everage Collection at the Performing Arts Museum, Victorian Arts Centre.

11 portraits

1 Sir Les Patterson, 1999 Polly Borland. © Polly Borland. 2 Dressed up as sailor, 1937 by Eric Humphries. 3 Bathing costume with sprinklers (aged 4 – 5), 1939 by Eric Humphries.

Related people

Barry Humphries

Rarely Everage tour dates

Originally shown at the National Portrait Gallery
Saturday 23rd November 2002 until Sunday 16th February 2003

Arts Centre Melbourne

Thursday 3rd July until Sunday 24th August 2003

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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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