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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.

Portrait of Captain James Cook RN

The hand of Captain Cook

Google Arts and Culture
Learning resources

Take a close look at a portrait with a hidden message in its hands. For Year 7 – 9 students.

Robert, Lindy, Grant

Immediately, there was a crackle

It's Complicated

A meeting of minds

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2009

Portrait Donors
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2000

Portrait Donors
Charlie, 2017 by Lee Grant

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2018 winner announced

23 March 2018
Archived media releases 2018

Finalists have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Winner and Highly Commended for the National Photographic Portrait Prize since December. It is our pleasure to announce the Winner for 2018 is Lee Grant for her portrait titled Charlie and Highly Commended has been awarded to Filomena Rizzo for her portrait titled My Olivia.

Maggie Beer AO and Del Kathryn Barton

In Conversation

Maggie Beer AO and Del Kathryn Barton
Watch

Join us with Maggie Beer AO, cook restaurateur and businesswoman and Del Kathryn Barton, artist, in celebration of the National Portrait Gallery's most recent commissioned portrait, Maggie, 2023 by Del Kathryn Barton.

William Bligh

Welcome home, Captain Bligh

27 March 2015
Archived media releases 2015

The National Portrait Gallery will, next Tuesday, unveil an exciting new acquisition of irrefutable importance to all Australians. Portrait of William Bligh, in master’s uniform c. 1776, attributed to John Webber, is one of the earliest portraits of the contentious, historical figure, and extends the Gallery’s remarkable collection of early colonial portraits.

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Founding Benefactors

$1,000,000+
Honour board
Robert H. Black MD

The artist and the doctor

Lust

Art, war, scandal

Robert Klippel

Hearts and craft

Passion

The long game

Julia Matthews

Of Burke, Wills ... and wills

It's Complicated

Infatuation and (ill-fated) exploration

Joan Sutherland

All the world's a stage

General content

Joan Sutherland, Robert Helpmann and Raigh Roe

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Supporters

$5,000+
Honour board
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Former Board Chairs

Honour board
Spencer 2016, by Warwick Baker

Tough & Tender Media Release

14 July 2016
Archived media releases 2016

Photographs from internationally acclaimed artists Robert Mapplethorpe, Larry Clark, Nan Goldin, Collier Schorr and Chris Burden along with contemporary Australian artists, Rozalind Drummond and Warwick Baker will call the National Portrait Gallery home during our extraordinary winter exhibition Tough and Tender.

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1999

Portrait Donors
© National Portrait Gallery 2025
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

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.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency