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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.

Tim Fairfax AC

Tim Fairfax AC

Biography

Tim Fairfax AC (b.1946), company director, grazier and philanthropist, is a founding benefactor of the National Portrait Gallery and a former chair of its board of directors.

1 portrait in the collection

Children playing soccer outside the National Portrait Gallery

Matildas: Game Face

Event, Daily until 31 Mar

Celebrate our new commissioned portrait of the CommBank Matildas by artist Angela Tiatia.

A child drawing at a yellow table

Art Cart

Sports Stars
Event, Daily until Thursday 2 April

Inspired by our new video portrait of the CommBank Matildas by artist Angela Tiatia, create your own football trading card just like your favourite sports star.

James Oswald Fairfax

James Fairfax AO

Biography

James Oswald Fairfax AC (1933-2017) was the eldest son of Sir Warwick Fairfax.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Mrs Fairfax

Elizabeth Fairfax

Biography

Elizabeth Fairfax (née Jesson, 1778–1861), colonial free settler, was born in Birmingham and around 1800 married William Fairfax, whose family had previously held estates in Barford, Warwickshire.

1 portrait in the collection

John Fairfax

Hon. John Fairfax MLC

Biography

John Fairfax (1805-1877) was a newspaper publisher whose purchase of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1841 began a family association with the paper that would last for over five generations and nearly 150 years.

3 portraits in the collection

Emily Fairfax

Emily Fairfax

Biography

Emily Ross (née Fairfax) (1832-1871) was the eldest child of newspaper publisher John Fairfax - who founded the Fairfax news dynasty in Sydney in 1841 - and his wife Sarah.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Mrs Sarah Fairfax

Sarah Fairfax

Biography

Sarah Reading (1808-1875) came to Sydney from England in 1838 with her husband, John Fairfax (1805-1877), who had left school at the age of twelve and been apprenticed to a printer and bookseller.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Mrs Sarah Fairfax

Ned Kelly and death masks

'Judge a person by their cover'
Portrait story

Alexandra Roginski explains the history behind the pseudo-science of phrenology.

Portrait of Mrs Sarah Fairfax

Tom Carroll

Portrait story

Regarded as one of the greatest surfers of all time, Tom Carroll describes his career.

Sir Warwick Fairfax

Sir Warwick Oswald Fairfax

Biography

Sir Warwick Oswald Fairfax (1901-1987), grandson of Sarah and James Fairfax, was the only son of Sir James Fairfax, who had become a partner in the company in the 1880s.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir James Reading Fairfax

Sir James Reading Fairfax KT

Biography

James Reading Fairfax (1834 -1919) was the second of John Fairfax's sons to join him in business.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir Vincent Fairfax

Sir Vincent Charles Fairfax CMG

Biography

Sir Vincent Charles Fairfax CMG (1909-1993), pastoralist, was the son of JHF Fairfax.

1 portrait in the collection

Tim Fairfax AC
Tim Fairfax AC
Tim Fairfax AC

Tim Fairfax AC, 2018

Russell Shakespeare
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Commissioned with funds provided by The Calvert-Jones Foundation 2018

Marcie Elizabeth Wilson

Marcie Elizabeth Fairfax

Biography

Marcie Elizabeth 'Betty' Fairfax (1907–1995) was a leading figure in fashionable circles in Sydney in the 1920s and 1930s.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Mr Geoffrey E. Fairfax
Portrait of Mr Geoffrey E. Fairfax
Portrait of Mr Geoffrey E. Fairfax

Portrait of Mr Geoffrey E. Fairfax, 1929

W.A. Bowring
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of John Fairfax Holdings Ltd 2002. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

© National Portrait Gallery 2026
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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