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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.

Dame Nellie Melba GBE / Search /

Portrait sketch of Nellie Melba

Nellie Melba

In their own words

In their own words

Madame Melba

Madame Melba

Madame Melba

Madame Melba, 1922

Harold Cazneaux

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2015

Nellie Melba

Fame or celebrity?

About Face article

A question lately cropped up in connection with Madame Melba as to whether fame and celebrity are not essentially the same thing. My feeling is that they are different.

Charles Haddon Chambers

Suave

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

Charles Haddon Chambers the Australian-born playboy playwright settled permanently in London in 1880 but never lost his Australian stance when satirising the English.

Portrait sketch of Nellie Melba

Doodles of the Diva

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

Three tiny sketches of Dame Nellie Melba in the NPG collection were created by the artist who was to go on to paint the most imposing representation of the singer: Rupert Bunny.

Nellie Melba

Nellie Melba

Nellie Melba

Nellie Melba, 1898

Ernest Walter Histed

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba, c. 1901

Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Florence Austral

Pretty in peach

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2008

It's remarkable that the inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond has produced two of Australia's most successful opera singers. Three decades apart, but within a short distance of each other, both Helen Porter Mitchell and Florence Wilson were born.

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba, c. 1890

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2007

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba,

an unknown artist

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on cabinet card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2007

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba, n.d.

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on cabinet card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2007

Great stylists: Caruso, Melba, Pavarotti, Bonynge and Sutherland

Great stylists: Caruso, Melba, Pavarotti, Bonynge and Sutherland

Great stylists: Caruso, Melba, Pavarotti, Bonynge and Sutherland

Great stylists: Caruso, Melba, Pavarotti, Bonynge and Sutherland, 1983

Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Eric Harding and Athol Hawke 2002

Portrait sketch of Nellie Melba

Portrait sketch of Nellie Melba

Portrait sketch of Nellie Melba

Portrait sketch of Nellie Melba, 1902

Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of the Mitchell Family and the Fullerton Family 2000

© 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