Skip to main content
Menu
What's on Prizes The Portraits Watch
The Gallery Governance & Board Circle of Friends
Learn Access Search the website
close close
What's on The Portraits The Gallery Learn Watch More O

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.

Uncommon Australians

The vision of Gordon and Marilyn Darling

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.

More information on Uncommon Australians

Selected images

show all 62
hide captions
1
2
3
4
5
6
Andy Thomas
Andy Thomas, 2002 Montalbetti + Campbell. © Montalbetti & Campbell
General Cosgrove, Dili, East Timor 1999
General Cosgrove, Dili, East Timor 1999, 2006 Rick Amor. © Rick Amor/Copyright Agency, 2024
Professor Peter Doherty
Professor Peter Doherty, 2001 Rick Amor. © Rick Amor/Copyright Agency, 2024
Nick Cave
Nick Cave, 1999 Howard Arkley. © Estate of Howard Arkley. Licensed by Kalli Rolfe Contemporary Art.
Professor Mandyam Srinivasan
Professor Mandyam Srinivasan, 2014 Sam Leach. © Sam Leach
Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
Portrait of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, 2000 Australian Tapestry Workshop, Merrill Dumbrell, Christopher Pyett, Normana Wight. © Australian Tapestry Workshop
Dr John Yu
Dr John Yu, 2004 Ah Xian. © Ah Xian
Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham, 2004 Julie Edgar. © Julie Edgar
Portrait of Deborah Vernon Hackett
Portrait of Deborah Vernon Hackett, c. 1905 Florence Ada Fuller
Sketch portrait of Sir Alex Onslow
Sketch portrait of Sir Alex Onslow, 1896 Tom Roberts
Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira, 1958 Sir William Dargie CBE. © Roger Dargie and Faye Dargie
Nancy Wake - The White Mouse
Nancy Wake - The White Mouse, 2001 Melissa Beowulf. © Melissa Beowulf/Copyright Agency, 2024
show all 62
hide captions
1
2
3
4
5
6

Related information

Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton

Portrait Quest!

Civics and Citizenship (upper primary)

9:15am, Tue 20 May

Join us for an interactive, curriculum-aligned program that explores the lives and contributions of significant Australians.
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton
Marcia Langton

Reconciliation Week highlights tour

1:00pm, Tue 27 May – Tue 3 Jun

Join us for a free Reconciliation Week highlights tour to discover some of the remarkable, resilient and inspirational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on display, exploring our shared histories, cultures and achievements.
Dr John Yu
Dr John Yu
Dr John Yu
Dr John Yu

Portrait Exploration: Art and Identity

Visual Arts (upper primary)

9:15am, Tue 3 Jun

Join us for an engaging and interactive program tailored for upper primary students, where they’ll develop the confidence and critical thinking skills to interpret portraits.
Home Contact Media Privacy statement User agreement Social media and community guidelines
© National Portrait Gallery 2025
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