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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.

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General information

In the mirror: self portrait with Joy Hester

Spring exhibition program

Archived media releases 2020

The following on-line and physical exhibitions are planned to open at the National Portrait Gallery in coming months. For those who can’t travel at present, selected works from all exhibitions will be included online

James, 2012 by Myles Nelson

Myles Nelson

Finalist interviews

It was definitely a candid encounter as was the expression on the face. It was constructed insofar as the image was deliberately taken from a distance so as to minimize intrusion and to magnify the effect of the image.

Sid Myer AM

Foundation members announced

Archived media releases 2015

The newly-established National Portrait Gallery Foundation met for its inaugural meeting last Friday 15 May in Canberra.

Lucky Day, 2011 by Nikki Toole

Nikki Toole

NPPP 2012 learning resource

An interview with the photographer.

Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown

Australian Love Stories

Archived media releases 2021

A major new exhibition celebrating love in all its guises. Opening 20 March 2021.

Catherine Livingstone

Catherine Livingstone, 2018

General content

Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018

The uncertain recovery, 2012 by Arianne McNaught

Arianne McNaught

Finalist interviews

I think the most important thing in capturing candid shots is to never take the photo when people are expecting you to press the shutter. The more poignant moments are not the stock standard images of people looking at the camera smiling but after or before when they are really interacting with each other.

She – Unemployed Girl, 2003 by Yu Hong

Yu Hong

Featured Artists

Born 1966 in Beijing, China. Lives and works in Beijing.

Margaret Seares

Margaret Seares, 2018

General content

Commissioned with funds provided by the Sid and Fiona Myer Family Foundation 2018

Andrew Gaze

Andrew Gaze, 2018

by George Fetting

General content

Commissioned with funds provided by Trent Birkett 2018

Jack Charles

NPPP 2012 learning resource

Learning resource archive

Exploring select works from the NPPP 2012. For secondary students.

Barry Gibb

The 1950s to the present day

Mo and beard timeline

Certain European leaders (needless to name) had the effect of making certain styles of facial hair decidedly undesirable in the years immediately after World War 2.

Janet Dawson, 2016 by Mark Mohell

Janet Dawson

Explore The Popular Pet Show

When soulmates Janet Dawson and Michael Boddy moved from Sydney to a property, Boddy was clear about why: ‘Our marriage is one long conversation - we moved to the bush so we could talk to each other without so many interruptions.’

Arcadia: Sound of the sea

Exhibition introduction

General content

One night in the spring of 1970 in an old house in Whale Beach, north of Sydney, John Witzig, Albe Falzon and David Elfick put together the first issue of Tracks, playing Neil Young’s album Harvest over and over again as they pasted up galleys of type.

Announcing.... In their own words

24 November 2020

Archived media releases 2020

Inspiring Australians tell their own stories in a unique new gallery audio tour, developed in collaboration with the National Library of Australia.

William Shakespeare, c. 1600-1610 associated with John Taylor

Selected images

General content

Take a peek at a selection of the portraits you can see in the exhibition.

© National Portrait Gallery 2025
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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