Skip to main content

What's on

Prizes

Watch

The Gallery

Governance & Board

Circle of Friends

Learn

Access

Search the website

close close

What's on The Portraits The Gallery Learn Watch More O

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.

Search / henry parkes

General information

The Parkes

The Parkes

It wasn’t uncommon for the pro-beard fraternity of the mid nineteenth century to cite beards as a sign of wisdom on the grounds that Socrates and other ancient philosophers had worn them.

The Lyster

The Lyster

A strong, silent type of beard; bushy and manly, but also shaped and contained, a restrained version of a Burke or a Parkes.

The Brougham

Beards

The Burke, The Parkes, The Lambert...

Lucy Escott

An international troupe of two

It's Complicated

Office romance

Blue Wolf, 2014

by Imogen Henry

General content

Finalist, MDPA 2014

Our only concern is the void, 2013 by Nik Lee, video: 12 minutes

Our only concern is the void, 2013

General content

Winner, MDPA 2013

Elvis in Australia

General content

Die-hard Elvis fans from Canberra and surrounding areas share their insights into the phenomenon that was Elvis Presley.

A map of the path for walking to the Gallery from Civic

Pedestrian Access

Directions for walking to the Gallery from Civic.

Arthur Streeton

The 1890s to the 1940s

Mo and beard timeline

Although the tough, weathered, hard-drinking bushmen of the kind mythologised by writers like Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson are popularly associated with the character of late nineteenth century Australia, it was also a time when alternative ideas about identity began to come into play.

Map of public transport near the National Portrait gallery

Public Transport

Transport Canberra bus routes run from the various city centres past the Gallery on a regular basis.

Kate

Favourite portraits

General content

National Portrait Gallery staff introduce their favourite portraits from the exhibition.

The Lawson

The Lawson

It’s curious that one of the writers most associated with the toughness of Australian bush life was himself not an exponent of the matted, rugged bushman sort of beard.

Canberra Marathon 2025 road closures

Temporary road closures

Sunday 13 April 2025

Road closures for the Canberra Marathon will block vehicle access to our building and carpark on Sunday 13 April until 3:00pm.

Parking

Parking

Plan your visit

Parking is available in our underground car park every day of the week. Fees apply.

Marianne Egan and her children Gertrude Evans Cahuac and Henry William Cahuac

Maritime disaster leaves poignant picture

Absence rends the heart asunder

NPG staff October 2019

Contact us

Find a contact at the National Portrait Gallery.

© 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