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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.

Nine square images of previous winners of the National Photographic Portrait Prize

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024

Hosting a touring exhibition

The National Photographic Portrait Prize is an annual event intending to promote the very best in contemporary photographic portraiture by both professional and aspiring Australian photographers.

Ned Kelly death mask
Ned Kelly death mask
Ned Kelly death mask

Ned Kelly death mask, date unknown

an unknown artist after Maximilian Kreitmayer
Portrait, cast plaster

Collection: National Portrait Gallery Study Collection, Canberra
Gift of John Molony 2018

Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition
Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition
Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition

Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition, 1860-1861

Henry Samuel Sadd, Fergusson & Mitchell, Melbourne after Thomas Adams Hill
Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Purchased with funds provided by Ross A Field 2007

Untitled (preparatory study for sculpture of Dr John Yu)
Untitled (preparatory study for sculpture of Dr John Yu)
Untitled (preparatory study for sculpture of Dr John Yu)

Untitled (preparatory study for sculpture of Dr John Yu), 2003

Ah Xian
Portrait, pencil and white chalk on paper

Commissioned with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC 2004

Captain W Kinghorne
Captain W Kinghorne
Captain W Kinghorne

Captain W Kinghorne, 1834

Thomas James Lempriere
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by The Ian Potter Foundation 2007

Self portrait with glove

To Look Within

Self Portraits in Australia
Previous exhibition, 2004

This exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of self-portraits in Australia, from the colonial period to the present

HM Queen Elizabeth II
HM Queen Elizabeth II
HM Queen Elizabeth II

HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2001

Polly Borland
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Purchased 2002

Jessie Street

First Ladies

Significant Australian Women 1913–2013
Previous exhibition, 2013

First Ladies profiles women who have achieved noteworthy firsts over the past 100 years.

Ned Kelly death mask

Sideshow Alley

Infamy, the macabre & the portrait
Previous exhibition, 2015

Death masks, post-mortem drawings and other spooky and disquieting portraits... Come and see how portraits of infamous Australians were used in the 19th century.

James Mccabe Executed Jany. 6th 1826

The consolations of religion

A bushranger meets his maker, 6 January 1826
About Face article

James McCabe provides proof that hanging wasn’t necessarily a fate reserved for the perpetrators of murder and other deeds of darkest hue. 

Self portrait

Modern Australian Women

Magazine article by Gillian Raymond, 2005

Close contemporaries, Thea Proctor, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith were frequently sources of inspiration and irritation to each other. 

Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe

Presenting… Shirley Purdie’s Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe

Wednesday 27 May 2020
Archived media releases 2020

The National Portrait Gallery this week launches an online exhibition of Shirley Purdie’s remarkable self-portrait Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe to coincide with Reconciliation Week.

James, Rebecca and Sam Mapu

Time and light

In Gallery Seven
Previous exhibition, 2023

This sample of 56 photographs takes in some of the smallest photographs we own and some of the largest, some of the earliest and some of the most recent, as well as multiple photographic processes from daguerreotypes to digital media.

Born 1989 in Beijing (250%), 1995–96 by Liu Wei

Liu Wei

Featured Artists

Born 1965 in Beijing. Lives and works in Beijing.

Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre

Edward John Eyre, 1867

Julia Margaret Cameron
Portrait, albumen silver photograph on paper

Presented by Sir Roy Strong and the late Dr Julia Trevelyan Oman in memory of their friendship with Gordon Darling and Marilyn Darling 2006

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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