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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.

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Chips Rafferty

1970
Anthony Browell

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 38.1 cm x 30.3 cm, image: 30.8 cm x 21.3 cm)
Image not available (NC)

Chips Rafferty (1909-1971), screen actor, made his film debut in Ants in His Pants in 1938. He made a foray into Hollywood for The Desert Rats (1953), and was vaguely and briefly marketed as Australia's answer to Cary Grant, but he was more in his element playing the lean and laconic bushman. Variations on this character appear throughout his filmography, which constitutes a list of films that contributed to the establishment of the popular notion of Australian identity: Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940), Bush Christmas (1947), The Overlanders (1948), Eureka Stockade (1948), Rats of Tobruk (1951), Kangaroo (1952), Smiley (1957), Smiley Gets a Gun (1959), The Sundowners (1960) and They're a Weird Mob (1966).

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2003

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.
2003.129
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Artist and subject

Anthony Browell (age 25 in 1970)

Chips Rafferty MBE (age 61 in 1970)

Subject professions

Performing arts

Related portraits
(View all 11)

Chips Rafferty
Chips Rafferty
Chips Rafferty
Chips Rafferty and Helen Grieve
1. Chips Rafferty, c. 1967-1969 (printed 2010) Jozef Vissel. © Jozef Vissel. 2. Chips Rafferty, c. 1945 Max Dupain OBE. 3. Chips Rafferty, 1945-1947 Max Dupain OBE. 4. Chips Rafferty and Helen Grieve, c. 1947 Max Dupain OBE.

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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.

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.

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