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.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Preparatory study of Tom Hughes

2003
Jiawei Shen

brown chalk and pastel on paper (sheet: 41.9 cm x 29.5 cm)

Hon Thomas Hughes AO KC (b. 1923), lawyer and former politician, was born in Sydney and educated at Riverview before serving in the RAAF during World War 2. He studied law at the University of Sydney and was called to the NSW bar in 1949. Between 1963 and 1972 he served as Liberal member for Parkes and then Berowra. In 1969 he became Commonwealth Attorney General, a position he held until 1971. A photograph of Hughes brandishing a cricket bat at anti-Vietnam demonstrators outside his home became one of the telling images of the turbulent period, after which he became well known as a stylish man-about-Sydney. A specialist in defamation cases, from the 1950s until 1993 he appeared regularly on behalf of Australian Consolidated Press, but throughout his career he has upheld the impartial tradition of the Bar by appearing on behalf of a wide variety of clients. In 1985 he led the much-publicised challenge to charges laid against Labor High Court judge Lionel Murphy; he appeared for footballer Andrew Ettinghausen against HQ magazine; and has appeared both for and against the Fairfax organisation.

Commissioned with funds provided by Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull 2003
© Jiawei Shen

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Jiawei Shen (age 55 in 2003)

Tom Hughes AO KC (age 80 in 2003)

Subject professions

Law and justice

Supported by

Lucy and Malcolm Turnbull (3 portraits supported)

© 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