Skip to main content
Menu

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.

Retired Mounted Policeman, 2012

by Paul Mallam

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 Finalist

I photographed my father, Harl Mallam APM, in the parade uniform of the New South Wales Mounted Police, where he started his police career. This uniform has great significance to us as a family because we spent many hours spit polishing his boots and applying whitener to the sash, in order that he might receive the award for ‘Best turned out mounted policeman’ (which he did). The NSW Mounted Police is the oldest mounted police force in the world, so my father is depicted in a von Guérard-like vista of the Blue Mountains – proud, observant, casting a policeman's gaze back on his life.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2013

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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