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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.

Dream date delivers destiny

Australian Love Stories online
 

55 years ago, after his first date with Angelika Pfannenburg, nineteen year-old John Newcombe woke his hotel room-mate to say he’d just been out with the girl he would marry. As it turned out, he was right.

John Newcombe and family
John Newcombe and family, 1973 Lewis Morley. © Lewis Morley Archive LLC

‘She had to sacrifice a lot for me … trying to be the best tennis player I could become’, Newcombe reflected of his marriage to Pfannenburg. Partly influenced by her unstable childhood in war-torn Germany, Angelika put her own blossoming tennis career on hold to ensure that stability was central in the upbringing of the pair’s three children, while John worked to become one of the most successful players of his era, winning seven grand slam singles titles. This portrait is evidence of the shifting style of photographer Lewis Morley in the 1970s, with the intimate glimpse into Australian family life a contrast to his portraits of celebrity high-life in 1960s London.

That’s one to get your heart started! You are 9 stories away from seeing your love score...

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Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman

Poetic trio

Sir George Grey
Sir George Grey
Sir George Grey
Sir George Grey

Marriage: a prolonged disaster

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Charles Ulm
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Charles Ulm
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Charles Ulm
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Charles Ulm

Charles is my wingman

Lola Montes
Lola Montes
Lola Montes
Lola Montes

The king and the showgirl

Tommy Woodcock and Reckless
Tommy Woodcock and Reckless
Tommy Woodcock and Reckless
Tommy Woodcock and Reckless

The mane thing is trust

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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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