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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.

Suzie Petyarre
Suzie Petyarre
Suzie Petyarre

Suzie Petyarre, 1994

Greg Weight
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Ada Bird Petyarre
Ada Bird Petyarre
Ada Bird Petyarre

Ada Bird Petyarre, 1990

Anne Zahalka
Portrait, type C Duraflex print on paper

Gift of Leo Christie 2003. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Gloria Petyarre
Gloria Petyarre
Gloria Petyarre

Gloria Petyarre, 2005

R. Ian Lloyd
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Gift of the artist 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Gloria Petyarre
Gloria Petyarre
Gloria Petyarre

Gloria Petyarre, 1994

Greg Weight
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Ruby Hunter
Ruby Hunter
Ruby Hunter

Ruby Hunter, 1996 (printed 2012)

Jacqueline Mitelman
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2012

Philip Hunter
Philip Hunter
Philip Hunter

Philip Hunter, 2004

Julian Kingma
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2006

Bill Hunter
Bill Hunter
Bill Hunter

Bill Hunter, 1974

Janet Dawson
Portrait, charcoal on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2011

Captain John Hunter, Governor New South Wales
Captain John Hunter, Governor New South Wales
Captain John Hunter, Governor New South Wales

Captain John Hunter, Governor New South Wales, 1801

William Ridley
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Ted and Gina Gregg 2012

Captain John Hunter
Captain John Hunter
Captain John Hunter

Captain John Hunter, 1801

William Ridley
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Marc Hunter, Dragon. Sylvania Hotel, Sydney c. 1979 Stuart Spence

Marc Hunter, Dragon. Sylvania Hotel, Sydney c. 1979

Stuart Spence
Image
Portrait of Captain John Hunter

Goods and chattels

About Face article

I have been reading systematically through the ads in the earliest issues of the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, such a rich vein of information about certain aspects of daily life in Regency Sydney.

Portrait of Captain John Hunter
Portrait of Captain John Hunter
Portrait of Captain John Hunter

Portrait of Captain John Hunter, 1792

Daniel Orme after Robert Dighton
Portrait, stipple engraving on paper

Purchased with funds provided by Ross A Field 2008

Part of the crew of His Majesty's Ship Guardian endeavouring to escape in the boats

South-bound and down

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2013

Joanna Gilmour recounts the story of ill-fated sea voyages in the early stages of the Antipodean colony.

Robert Hunter, July 1978
Robert Hunter, July 1978
Robert Hunter, July 1978

Robert Hunter, July 1978, 1978 (printed 2012)

Robert Rooney
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2012

The Hunter

The Hunter

Clean shaven

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, ideas about equality and liberty had begun to filter through to fashion.

Semi self portrait, Hunter Valley
Semi self portrait, Hunter Valley
Semi self portrait, Hunter Valley

Semi self portrait, Hunter Valley, 1992 (printed 2000)

David Moore
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001

The Lino Hunter, 2015 by Janet Tavener

The Lino Hunter, 2015

by Janet Tavener
Image
Frog Hunter, Damien Wurrkidj, 2011 by Matthew Abbott

Frog Hunter, Damien Wurrkidj, 2011

by Matthew Abbott
Image
Miners, Pacific Colliery, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Miners, Pacific Colliery, Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Miners, Pacific Colliery, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Miners, Pacific Colliery, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, c. 1949 (printed 2000)

David Moore
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001.

Richard Walsh, Editor OZ magazine at the Hunter Street offices
Richard Walsh, Editor OZ magazine at the Hunter Street offices
Richard Walsh, Editor OZ magazine at the Hunter Street offices

Richard Walsh, Editor OZ magazine at the Hunter Street offices, c. 1966 (printed 2021)

Robert McFarlane
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased with funds provided by Tim Bednall 2021

The Captain

Clean shaven

Style guide
The Captain and The Hunter
The Billy Book
The Billy Book
The Billy Book

The Billy Book, 1918

David Low
Portrait, book

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Suzie Campbell 2001

Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin, 2005

Robin Sellick
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2006

Archie Roach
Archie Roach
Archie Roach

Archie Roach, 1992 (printed 2010)

Bill McAuley
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Purchased 2010

Elizabeth

Darling Portrait Prize 2020

Previous exhibition, 2020

The Darling Prize is a new biennial prize for Australian portrait painters, painting Australian sitters. The winner receives a cash prize of $75,000.

Yukultji and Yalti with their family, 2019 Ben Mcnamara

Yukultji and Yalti with their family, 2019

Ben Mcnamara
Image
Wendy Bowman, 2019 David Darcy

Wendy Bowman, 2019

David Darcy
Image
Ahn & Pete, The Bus Stop Project, 2012 by Simone Darcy

Ahn & Pete, The Bus Stop Project, 2012

by Simone Darcy
Image
William Charles Windeyer
William Charles Windeyer
William Charles Windeyer

William Charles Windeyer, c. 1857

an unknown artist
Portrait, daguerreotype

Gift of the Windeyer family 2009

Archie Roach
Archie Roach
Archie Roach

Archie Roach, 2008

Peter Hudson
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on composition board

Gift of the artist 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Tara Callaghan, Suzie Furness, and Angus Trumble

One Millionth Visitor to Portrait Gallery Touring Program

13 November 2017
Archived media releases 2017

The National Portrait Gallery is delighted to announce the Gallery’s Touring Exhibitions Program has welcomed its one millionth visitor.

Patrick White at Centennial Park, 1979–1980

White Whiteley

The portrait of Patrick White by Brett Whiteley
Previous exhibition, 2012

Eleven works by Brett Whiteley, centred around his scintillating 'Patrick White at Centennial Park 1979-1980'.

Steve Irwin

Crikey!

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2006

Robin Sellick captured a rare moment of quietude from the late conservation star Steve Irwin.

Charles Windeyer
Charles Windeyer
Charles Windeyer

Charles Windeyer, 1830s

an unknown artist
Portrait, watercolour on paper

Gift of the Windeyer family 2009. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Each morning when I wake up I put on my mothers face, 2000

Paths to portraiture

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

The life and art of Australian artist Jenny Sages is on display in the exhibition Paths to Portraiture.

Murray Tyrrell
Murray Tyrrell
Murray Tyrrell

Murray Tyrrell, 1978 (printed 2003)

Jon Lewis
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2003

Study for portrait of Helen Garner
Study for portrait of Helen Garner
Study for portrait of Helen Garner

Study for portrait of Helen Garner, 2003

Jenny Sages
Portrait, charcoal on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2007

Self portrait

Nolan Heads

Previous exhibition, 2001

Nolan Heads will focus on the portraiture of one of Australia's most original painters and one of the few to have achieved an international reputation

Study for portrait of Helen Garner
Study for portrait of Helen Garner
Study for portrait of Helen Garner

Study for portrait of Helen Garner, 2003

Jenny Sages
Portrait, pastel over digital print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

The Chess Player, 2011 by Andrew Campbell

Andrew Campbell

NPPP 2012 learning resource

An interview with the photographer.

Isabella Louisa Parry
Isabella Louisa Parry
Isabella Louisa Parry

Isabella Louisa Parry, c. 1826

an unknown artist
Portrait, watercolour on ivory

Purchased 2014

Maurice O'Shea
Maurice O'Shea
Maurice O'Shea

Maurice O'Shea, 1951 (printed 2003)

Max Dupain OBE
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2005

Patrick White with Tom Jones
Patrick White with Tom Jones
Patrick White with Tom Jones

Patrick White with Tom Jones, 1956

Axel Poignant
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2003

Study (d) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (d) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (d) for portrait of Helen Garner

Study (d) for portrait of Helen Garner, 2003

Jenny Sages
Portrait, charcoal, pencil and oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of J Sages Family Trust 2009
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Study (c) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (c) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (c) for portrait of Helen Garner

Study (c) for portrait of Helen Garner, 2003

Jenny Sages
Portrait, charcoal, pencil and oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of J Sages Family Trust 2009
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Study (b) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (b) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (b) for portrait of Helen Garner

Study (b) for portrait of Helen Garner, 2003

Jenny Sages
Portrait, charcoal, pencil and oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of J Sages Family Trust 2009
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Study (a) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (a) for portrait of Helen Garner
Study (a) for portrait of Helen Garner

Study (a) for portrait of Helen Garner, 2003

Jenny Sages
Portrait, charcoal, pencil and oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of J Sages Family Trust 2009
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Lieutenant King
Lieutenant King
Lieutenant King

Lieutenant King, 1789

William Skelton after J. Wright
Portrait, engraving on paper

Purchased 2010

Patrick White
Patrick White
Patrick White

Patrick White, 1990

Rick Amor
Portrait, woodcut on paper

Gift of the artist 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

David Collins Esq
David Collins Esq
David Collins Esq

David Collins Esq, 1804

Anthony Cardon after John T. Barber
Portrait, stipple engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Patrick White
Patrick White
Patrick White

Patrick White, 1987

Max Dupain OBE
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Timothy Fairfax AC 2003

An evening at Yarra Cottage, Port Stephens
An evening at Yarra Cottage, Port Stephens
An evening at Yarra Cottage, Port Stephens

An evening at Yarra Cottage, Port Stephens, 1857

Maria Brownrigg
Portrait, watercolour and collage on paper

Purchased 2017

William Francis King, 'The Flying Pieman'
William Francis King, 'The Flying Pieman'
William Francis King, 'The Flying Pieman'

William Francis King, 'The Flying Pieman', c. 1869

John Davis
Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite

Gift of the family of FW Macpherson 2010

Richard Windeyer
Richard Windeyer
Richard Windeyer

Richard Windeyer, c. 1828

Charles Richard Bone
Portrait, watercolour on ivory in a gold pendant with a lock of hair and gold thread

Gift of the Windeyer family 2009. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

John Williams
John Williams
John Williams

John Williams, 2000 (printed 2022)

Polly Borland
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Purchased 2022

Ruby Hunter

The Legend of Ruby and Archie

Devotion

A bond in song

image not online

Two gentlemen celebrating a birthday (Frank Watters and Geoffrey Legge), 1974

Bob Jenyns
Portrait, painted wood, denim, wool, plastic and candles

Gift of Frank Watters OAM 2018. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Self portrait, 1988

Sidney Nolan
Portrait, oil on composition board

Gift of Hon RL Hunter KC 2006. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Ann Mary Windeyer
Ann Mary Windeyer
Ann Mary Windeyer

Ann Mary Windeyer, 1847

G Ziegler
Portrait, pastel and gouache on paper laid down on backing sheet

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Joanna Russell Maher (née Windeyer) 2018

Peter Carey in Kelly country
Peter Carey in Kelly country
Peter Carey in Kelly country

Peter Carey in Kelly country, 2000

Bruce Armstrong
Portrait, synthetic polymer paint on board

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2001

La Perouse
La Perouse
La Perouse

La Perouse, 1830s

Thomas Woolnoth, William Mackenzie, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London & New York
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Ted and Gina Gregg 2012

Gloria Petyarre by R. Ian Lloyd

Studio

Australian Painters Photographed by R. Ian Lloyd
Previous exhibition, 2007

Studio: Australian Painters Photographed by R

Phillip Gudthaykudthay
Phillip Gudthaykudthay
Phillip Gudthaykudthay

Phillip Gudthaykudthay, 1986

Martin van der Wal
Portrait, inkjet print on rag paper

Purchased 2005

Mary Windeyer
Mary Windeyer
Mary Windeyer

Mary Windeyer, c. 1891

Freeman Brothers
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on studio mount

Gift of J.B. Windeyer 2018

Glenn Murcutt
Glenn Murcutt
Glenn Murcutt

Glenn Murcutt, 1980 (printed 2017)

Robert McFarlane
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2017

Mary Windeyer on the verandah at Tomago, NSW
Mary Windeyer on the verandah at Tomago, NSW
Mary Windeyer on the verandah at Tomago, NSW

Mary Windeyer on the verandah at Tomago, NSW, c. 1880s

an unknown artist
Portrait, glass plate negative

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Windeyer family 2012

Jane Windeyer
Jane Windeyer
Jane Windeyer

Jane Windeyer, n.d.

Madame Praeger
Portrait, carte de visite photograph

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Windeyer family 2012

Yango Mungo ye Yango of Bathurst's Plains
Yango Mungo ye Yango of Bathurst's Plains
Yango Mungo ye Yango of Bathurst's Plains

Yango Mungo ye Yango of Bathurst's Plains, 1824

Moses Griffith after John Lewin
Portrait, copper engraving, hand coloured on paper

Purchased 2011

Patrick White, Castle Hill, Sydney
Patrick White, Castle Hill, Sydney
Patrick White, Castle Hill, Sydney

Patrick White, Castle Hill, Sydney, 1963 (printed 2000)

David Moore
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001

Bill Neidjie
Bill Neidjie
Bill Neidjie

Bill Neidjie, 2000 (printed 2008)

Mark Lang
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Gift of the artist 2008

True Stories - Helen Garner

Jenny Sages

Paths to Portraiture
Previous exhibition, 2010

The exhibition Sages examines the process of portrait making through four large-scale portraits of women by Jenny Sages, paired with intimate preparatory drawings.

Sarah Engledow and Acorn, 2016 by Mark Mohell

Explore The Popular Pet Show

The artists and their furry friends
General content

Curator, Sarah Engledow, introduces the artists and the animals in The Popular Pet Show.

Imelda Roche
Imelda Roche
Imelda Roche

Imelda Roche, 2003

Paul Newton
Portrait, oil on canvas

Commissioned 2003

Maria Windeyer
Maria Windeyer
Maria Windeyer

Maria Windeyer, c. 1865-1868

Freeman Brothers after Edwin Dalton
Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite on brown paper studio folder

Gift of J.B. Windeyer 2018

Aden Ridgeway & pallbearers entering Sydney Town Hall, State Funeral for Kwementyaye Perkins AO, 25th October 2000
Aden Ridgeway & pallbearers entering Sydney Town Hall, State Funeral for Kwementyaye Perkins AO, 25th October 2000
Aden Ridgeway & pallbearers entering Sydney Town Hall, State Funeral for Kwementyaye Perkins AO, 25th October 2000

Aden Ridgeway & pallbearers entering Sydney Town Hall, State Funeral for Kwementyaye Perkins AO, 25th October 2000, 2000

Mervyn Bishop
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2001

Mary Windeyer
Mary Windeyer
Mary Windeyer

Mary Windeyer, 1850s

an unknown artist
Portrait, watercolour and gouache on ivory

Gift of the Windeyer family 2009. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Piper, the native who accompanied Major Mitchell in his expedition to the interior
Piper, the native who accompanied Major Mitchell in his expedition to the interior
Piper, the native who accompanied Major Mitchell in his expedition to the interior

Piper, the native who accompanied Major Mitchell in his expedition to the interior, c. 1836

William Fernyhough
Portrait, lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2016

Marilyn, Marlene and Kelvin Kong
Marilyn, Marlene and Kelvin Kong
Marilyn, Marlene and Kelvin Kong

Marilyn, Marlene and Kelvin Kong, c. 2000

Penny Tweedie
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2004

The Joy Of Life, 2002 by Janelle McKay

Headspace 3

Being Me
Previous exhibition, 2002

The self-portrait enables students to explore emerging and changing aspects of their own identity, their sense of self, their place in the world, their experience of being human

image not online

Mr Robert Oatley AO

Biography

Robert Oatley AO (1928–2016), businessman, was one of Australia’s most successful wine industry figures.

Richard Rouse (copy of drawing by William Griffith)
Richard Rouse (copy of drawing by William Griffith)
Richard Rouse (copy of drawing by William Griffith)

Richard Rouse (copy of drawing by William Griffith), c. 1847

an unknown artist
Portrait, pencil, ink and watercolour on paper

Gift of Pamela Glasson 2009
Collected by Leila Haigh (nee Rouse)

David Clarke
David Clarke
David Clarke

David Clarke, 1995 (printed 2018)

Gary Ede
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Purchased 2018

MacKenzie family silhouette

All there in black and white

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2007

The National Portrait Gallery acquired a beguiling silhouette group portrait by Samuel Metford, an English artist who spent periods of his working life in America.

Baz Luhrmann

Glossy 2

Faces, Magazines, Now
Previous exhibition, 2005

Following the success of Glossy: Faces, Magazines, Now in 1999 the National Portrait Gallery again highlights the huge array of contemporary portraiture in the pages of magazines.

Installing David Walsh

On the road again

Magazine article by Dr Deborah Hill, 2017

Deborah Hill talks figures with character, as the National Portrait Gallery touring exhibitions program welcomes its millionth visitor.

Kerry Walker
Kerry Walker
Kerry Walker

Kerry Walker, c. 1979

Stuart Campbell
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Estate of Stuart Campbell 2012

Woureddy [Wurati], an Aboriginal Chief of Van Diemen's Land
Woureddy [Wurati], an Aboriginal Chief of Van Diemen's Land
Woureddy [Wurati], an Aboriginal Chief of Van Diemen's Land

Woureddy [Wurati], an Aboriginal Chief of Van Diemen's Land, 1835

Benjamin Law
Portrait, cast plaster, painted

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

TW Edgeworth David and Vilhjalmur Stefansson
TW Edgeworth David and Vilhjalmur Stefansson
TW Edgeworth David and Vilhjalmur Stefansson

TW Edgeworth David and Vilhjalmur Stefansson, 1924

Annie May Moore
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Tanya by Jenny Sages

Observation point

Magazine article by Jenny Sages, 2015

Australian artist and Archibald Prize winner, Jenny Sages reflects on her work.

Patrick White #1
Patrick White #1
Patrick White #1

Patrick White #1, 1980

William Yang
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 1998

Canberra Close Up: Angus Trumble

Desert Island Discs

About Face article

I agonized over the choice of four songs to take with me to the ABC Studios for Alex Sloan’s Canberra 666 afternoon program, a sort of iteration of the old BBC Desert Island Discs.

Miss Frances Samuel
Miss Frances Samuel
Miss Frances Samuel

Miss Frances Samuel, 1840

Maurice Felton
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased 2011

Bungaree, late chief of the Broken Bay tribe, Sydney

Heads of the People

A Portrait of Colonial Australia
Previous exhibition, 2000

For Tom Roberts - Australia's best nineteenth-century portrait painter - neither a proto-national portrait gallery nor more popular collections of portrait heads, were sufficient public celebrations for the notables of Australian history

Margaret Fulton

Masters of Fare

Chefs, winemakers, providores
Previous exhibition, 2004

Masters of fare: chefs, winemakers, providores celebrates men and women who have championed the unique culinary characteristics and produce of Australia, enriching our lives with new ideas and new flavours over the past forty years.

Thomas Sutcliffe Mort and his wife Theresa

Husbands and Wives

Photographic Portraits from 19th Century Australia
Previous exhibition, 2010

'I have just been to my dressing case to take a peep at you.

Wendy Bowman, 2019 David Darcy

The People’s Choice Awards

16 June 2020
Archived media releases 2020

The votes have been counted, and the winners of the National Portrait Gallery’s People’s Choice Awards for the Prize exhibitions are...

Portrait of Captain James Cook RN

The Quiet Australian

Magazine article by Brian Dale, 2001

Robert Oatley talks about the repatriation of the John Webber portrait of Captain James Cook.

Self portrait

Elegance in exile

Portrait drawings from colonial Australia
Previous exhibition, 2012

Elegance in exile is an exhibition surveying the work of Richard Read senior, Thomas Bock, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright and Charles Rodius: four artists who, though exiled to Australia as convicts, created many of the most significant and elegant portraits of the colonial period.

Bob Hawke

Primed

Some Prime Ministers
Previous exhibition, 2019

Seventeen of Australia’s thirty prime ministers to date are represented in the contrasting sizes, moods and mediums of these portraits.

The mahi-mahi, 2019 Rob Palmer

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

Previous exhibition, 2020

The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.

James, Rebecca and Sam Mapu

Time and light

In Gallery Seven
Previous exhibition, 2023

This sample of 56 photographs takes in some of the smallest photographs we own and some of the largest, some of the earliest and some of the most recent, as well as multiple photographic processes from daguerreotypes to digital media.

Lee Kernaghan near Broken Hill

Australian of the Year

Inspiring a Nation
Previous exhibition, 2010

The Australian of the Year Awards have often provoked controversy about who is selected and whether their achievements are remarkable.

Ned Kelly death mask

Sideshow Alley

Infamy, the macabre & the portrait
Previous exhibition, 2015

Death masks, post-mortem drawings and other spooky and disquieting portraits... Come and see how portraits of infamous Australians were used in the 19th century.

Elle Macpherson

Australian Visit

Previous exhibition, 2006

The exhibition will include works of art from the NPG Canberra's permanent collection with some inward loans and aims to highlight the achievements of notable Australians.

Andy Thomas

Uncommon Australians

The vision of Gordon and Marilyn Darling
Previous exhibition, 2015

This exhibition showcases portraits acquired through the generosity of the National Portrait Gallery’s Founding Patrons, L Gordon Darling AC CMG and Marilyn Darling AC.

Wylie
Wylie
Wylie

Wylie, 1840-1841

Robert Neill
Portrait, steel engraving with later hand-colouring on paper

Purchased 2018

Ms Anna Burke MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives 2015 by Jude Rae

Hired guns, bounty hunters and horse whisperers

Magazine article by Jude Rae, 2016

Jude Rae contemplates the portrait commission.

Jon (Jon Muir)

Roam alone

About Face article

Jon Muir, adventurer and Portrait Gallery Collection subject, really knows about isolation.

Sydney Cove medallion, 1789 by Josiah Wedgwood

The medallion

About Face article

In recent years I have become fascinated by the so-called Sydney Cove Medallion (1789), a work of art that bridges the 10,000-mile gap between the newly established penal settlement at Port Jackson and the beating heart of Enlightenment England.

Sir Joseph Banks

In a good paddock

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2011

Celebrating a new painted portrait of Joseph Banks, Sarah Engledow spins a yarn of the naturalist, the first kangaroo in France and Don, a Spanish ram.

An evening at Yarra Cottage, Port Stephens

Maria Caroline Brownrigg

About Face article

At first glance, this small watercolour group portrait of her two sons and four daughters by Maria Caroline Brownrigg (d. 1880) may seem prosaic, even hesitant

Barry Humphries

Talking heads

About Face article

In their own words lead researcher Louise Maher on the novel project that lets the Gallery’s portraits speak for themselves.

General Birdwood, the Idol of Anzac, taking a dip in the sea after a hard days work 1915

In the thick of it

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

Projecting the splendour of the empire, and the resolve of its subjects, the bust of William Birdwood keeps a stiff upper lip in the National Portrait Gallery.

Self portrait, 1786 by John Kay

Alternative virtue

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2015

Joanna Gilmour presents John Kay’s portraits of a more infamous side of Edinburgh.

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1885-86 by 
John Singer Sargent

A feast of friends

Magazine article by Richard Ormond, 2015

John Singer Sargent: a painter at the vanguard of contemporary movements in music, literature and theatre.

Captain James Cook

Rethinking foundational histories

Magazine article by Kate Fullagar, 2019

A focus on Indigenous-European relationships underpins Facing New Worlds. By Kate Fullagar.

Sir William Charles Windeyer

Private virtues public lives

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2010

Family affections are preserved in a fine selection of intimate portraits.

Portrait of Elizabeth Gould with a raptor, possibly a red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), painted in her lifetime Artist unknown

Birds of a feather

Magazine article by Annette Twyman, 2021

Charting a path from cockatiel to finch, Annette Twyman explores her family portraits and stories.

Wesley Enoch and David McAllister

Splendid, many-splendoured

Magazine article by Sandra Bruce, 2021

Sandra Bruce gazes on love and the portrait through Australian Love Stories’ multi-faceted prism.

Kristin Headlam with Basil, 2016 by Mark Mohell

Kristin Headlam

Explore The Popular Pet Show

Basil grew into a speckled beauty – a long-legged leaper and an exceptionally vocal dog, with a great register of sounds, ascending in shock value from a whimper to a growl to a bark to a yelp that’s a violation of the ears.

Ned Kelly death mask

Getting a head

Magazine article by Alexandra Roginski, 2015

Alexandra Roginski gets a feel for phrenology’s fundamentals.

Waterfall in Australia, c. 1830 by Augustus Earle

Augustus serendipitous

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2016

The London-born son of an American painter, Augustus Earle ended up in Australia by accident in January 1825. 

The artist and her family, c. 1854 by Martha Berkeley

Presence and absence

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2018

The art of Australia’s colonial women painters affords us an invaluable, alternative perspective on the nascent nation-building project.

Louise Lovely feeding gulls in a park, 1969 Unknown photographer

Jewelled nights

Magazine article by Dr Anne Sanders, 2017

Anne Sanders celebrates the cinematic union of two pioneering australian women.

image not online

Portrait Donors

Listed by year
Honour board
© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
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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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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.

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