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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 Johnson Pilton Walker,
Inside the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra,
25 Hours 31 minutes, 22-23 May 2009 by Ingvar Kenne

Johnson Pilton Walker

General content

Sydney-based practice Johnson Pilton Walker designed the new National Portrait Gallery building.

An example of the wheelchairs available at the Gallery

Book a wheelchair or walker

Access

Wheelchairs and walkers are available at no charge. Please ask our friendly staff at the Information Desk or book here online. Wheelchair access is available in our public spaces, with lift access from the underground to the public ground level.

Untitled, 2013

by Brett Walker
General content

Finalist, MDPA 2013

The silent spectre of motion (Le spectre silencieux du movement), 2012 by Bridget Walker, video: 6 minutes

The silent spectre of motion (Le spectre silencieux du movement), 2012

by Bridget Walker
General content

Finalist, iD2012

The Tangles

The Tangles

Moustaches

According to an 1981 Australian Women’s Weekly profile of fast bowler Dennis Lillee, a moustache was a ‘compulsory’ accessory for sportsmen.

Sir George Grey

Nothing black and white about the Greys

It's Complicated

Marriage: a prolonged disaster

Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman

Friendship’s rhyme and reason

Nearest & Dearest

Poetic trio

Gordon Darling Hall, National Portrait Gallery

Architecture

About us

Natural light and human proportions – the design by Johnson Pilton Walker

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A magnificent rivalry

Australia's America's Cup challengers
General content

Alexander (Jock) Sturrock and Alan Bond

Guthugga Pipeline, Christmas Show, upstairs, The (old) Griffin Centre, Civic, 22 December 1979. Crowd, L-R : Ben Donaldson, Anne Redmond, Nick Vollis, Esa  Makela, Megan Woodrow (Mohawk), Andy Hall (scarf) 'pling

Capital Cool

Stop in all the byways, playin' rock 'n roll
General content

Outsiders tend to give Canberra a bad rap: sterile, plagued by politicians, a comatose capital for professionals and academics. Nick Cave once said he didn’t like the city because there were too many punks.

Angus Young, AC/DC, LA

Oz Rock

Gettin’ robbed, gettin’ stoned, gettin’ beat up, broken boned
General content

Two of the music industry’s highest-selling performers originated in suburban Australia. The Bee Gees started out in Brisbane, for instance, and AC/DC played their first gigs at a nightclub in inner Sydney.

Fans at an Easybeats concert, Sydney Stadium, 1965 Bob King

Oz Origins

A little bit louder now
General content

Australia’s passion for rock ‘n roll was kindled by American and British acts in the 1950s and 60s. The novel genre’s driving, licentious rhythms and voices captured imaginations and libidos, not to mention aspiring young musicians.

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Icons Syndicate

Lists alphabetically
Honour board
The Boys Next Door

Oz Punk

Sends a permanent shiver down my spine
General content

In 1976, without having been blooded on the Sydney or Melbourne pub circuit, The Saints recorded a single – ‘(I’m) Stranded’ – earning them the distinction of releasing a punk single before The Sex Pistols did.

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Portrait Donors

Listed by year
Honour board
Animation 1 from the series Hereinbefore, 2012 by Laura Moore

iD Digital Portraiture Award winner announced

2 August 2012
Archived media releases 2012

The inaugural winner of the $10,000 iD Digital Portraiture Award was announced this morning at the National Portrait Gallery.

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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