Search / adelaide perry

Purchased 2018

Rachel Roxburgh, 1939

Adelaide Perry

Portrait, pencil on paper

Purchased 2018

Study for portrait of Harold 'Duke' Tritton, c. 1965

Adelaide Perry

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift Artarmon Galleries 2018

Adelaide, Königin von Grossbritranien u Irland

Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg Meiningen

Portrait, engraving on paper

Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg Meiningen (1792–1849) was the consort of King William IV of England.

1 portrait in the collection

Adelaide, Königin von Grossbritranien u Irland, n.d.

F Bahmann

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Ted and Gina Gregg 2012

Frances Perry

Frances Perry (1815-1892) met Charles Perry through her brother, a student at Cambridge, and after they married, the couple lived at St Paul’s Cambridge, where he was vicar, for six years.

1 portrait in the collection

Dr Charles Perry

Charles Perry (1807-1891) was consecrated the first Bishop of Melbourne at Westminster Abbey in 1847, only eleven years after he was ordained into the Anglican church.

4 portraits in the collection

George Perry

George William Perry (1824–1900) was born in London and arrived in Victoria via South Africa around 1852.

2 portraits in the collection

Perry, Kemp & Co

Kemp, Perry & Co. operated from 81 Bourke Street East, Melbourne, between 1873 and 1875.

1 portrait in the collection

Ellyse Perry

Ellyse Perry (b.1990) has represented Australia in both cricket and soccer, making her the only current dual international in Australian women’s sport.

2 portraits in the collection

Plenty, 2009

by Anton Perry

Portrait, synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Neil Perry, 1997

Selina Snow

Gift of the artist 1999

Melbourne University with portraits of six Melbourne Anglican clergymen: Bishop Perry, Revd Clarke, Revd Waugh, Revd Henderson, Revd Dr Cairns, Revd Bailey

Melbourne University with portraits of six Melbourne Anglican clergymen: Bishop Perry, Revd Clarke, Revd Waugh, Revd Henderson, Revd Dr Cairns, Revd Bailey, c. 1871

Paterson Brothers

Portrait, albumen photograph on carte de visite

Purchased 2010

Charles Perry, c. 1863

Batchelder & O'Neill

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2012

Ellyse Perry, 2016

Fiona McMonagle

Portrait, watercolour, ink and gouache on paper

Purchased 2017

Frances Perry, c. 1863

Batchelder & O'Neill

Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite

Purchased 2012

Charles Perry, c. 1863

Batchelder & O'Neill

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Ellyse Perry, 2018

Stuart Miller

Portrait, albumen print photograph, carte de visite format on paper on card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2019

Anna Frances Walker, c. 1865

George Perry

Purchased 2022

Reverend Edward Puckle, 1875

Perry, Kemp & Co

Portrait, carte de visite photograph, hand coloured on card

Purchased 2013

Reverend William Singleton, 1866

George Perry

Portrait, fibre-tipped pen on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2013

Lord Florey, c. 1966

Louis Kahan AO

Purchased 1998

Sir Howard Florey OM KBE FRS FAA, 1985

Andor Meszaros

Portrait, cast bronze medallion on wood plaque

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Ray Marginson AM 2001

The Right Reverend Lord Bishop of Melbourne (Dr. Charles Perry), 1876

Thomas Atkinson, Samuel Mullen after Henry Weigall Jnr

Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Howard Florey Baron Florey of Adelaide and Marston, OM KBE FRS

Sir Howard Florey OM KBE FRS FAA (1898–1968) pioneered the development and use of antibiotics.

2 portraits in the collection

Howard Florey

In their own words

Recorded 1967

Alex Perry, 2016

by Nic Walker

Portrait, watercolour on paper

William Baker Ashton, First Governor of Adelaide Gaol

William Baker Ashton, First Governor of Adelaide Gaol, c. 1849

Henry H. Glover

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2011

Catholic clergymen from the Diocese of Adelaide

Catholic clergymen from the Diocese of Adelaide, c. 1862

Stephen Edward Nixon

Purchased 2018

Jayden Bush on the salt pans I played on as a kid (Northern Adelaide, 2019)

Matthew Thorne

More about In the flesh artists

Yanni Floros

Yanni Floros is an Adelaide based artist who trained at the National Art School in Sydney graduating as a sculpture major. Since then he has shown his work both locally and internationally in Berlin, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Rolf de Heer, Adelaide, SA, 2004

John Elliott

Portrait, watercolour, crayon, coloured pencil and fibre-tipped pen on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

John Spalvin, Adelaide Steamship,

Joe Greenberg

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001

Sidney Nolan and Patrick White, Adelaide Arts Festival

Sidney Nolan and Patrick White, Adelaide Arts Festival, c. 1964 (printed 2015)

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

Sidney Nolan and Robert Helpmann at Bonython Gallery, Adelaide Arts Festival

Sidney Nolan and Robert Helpmann at Bonython Gallery, Adelaide Arts Festival, c. 1964 (printed 2015)

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

Lady Jessie and Sir Donald Bradman, Kensington Park, Adelaide, South Australia

Lady Jessie and Sir Donald Bradman, Kensington Park, Adelaide, South Australia, 1992-1993 (printed 2019)

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2019

Rev. Daniel J. Draper

The Reverend Daniel J Draper (1810-1866), Wesleyan Methodist minister, began his career as a carpenter, apprenticed to his father.

1 portrait in the collection

Kylie Kwong AM

Kylie Kwong was born into a fourth generation Australian Chinese family in Sydney.

1 portrait in the collection

Kylie Kwong, 2003

Simon Griffiths

Purchased 2005

Ingrid Erns

Ingrid Erns (1919–1987), painter and art teacher, was born in Riga, Latvia and studied at art school in Riga and Paris.

1 portrait in the collection

Dean Beletich

Dean Beletich (b. 1968), artist and photographer, studied at Newcastle Art School, the National Art School Sydney and the University of Newcastle from 1987 to 1991.

1 portrait in the collection

Mathew Lynn

Mathew Lynn (b. 1963), primarily a portrait painter, lives and works between Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

2 portraits in the collection

Fiona McMonagle

Artists and Collectives

Irish-born, Naarm/Melbourne-based artist Fiona McMonagle pushes the limits of watercolour portraiture to address women’s experiences.

Dame Mary Gilmore, 1961

Max Dupain OBE

Purchased with funds provided by Timothy Fairfax AC 2003

Andrew Bonneau

Tasmanian-born Andrew Bonneau (b. 1981) lives and works in Cairns, Queensland.

2 portraits in the collection

Andrew Mezei

Andrew Mezei (b. 1963), artist, was born to Hungarian refugee parents in Melbourne and grew up in their leather-goods workshop, observing their adherence to a tradition of fine European craftsmanship.

1 portrait in the collection

Solomon Studios

Saul Solomon (1836–1929) had a studio in Main Road, Ballarat from 1857 to 1862, and worked in partnership with William Bardwell at 29 Sturt Street, Ballarat until 1874.

1 portrait in the collection

Alex Frayne

London-born, Adelaide-based photographic artist and filmmaker Alex Frayne (b.

2 portraits in the collection

Deidre But-Husaim

Deidre But-Husaim (b. 1959), based in Adelaide, South Australia, undertook her formative art study at the Adelaide Central School of Art, where she has since taught painting.

2 portraits in the collection

Cheong Liew OAM

Cheong Liew - whom the US magazine Food and Wine recently named one of the 10 'hottest chefs alive' - learnt the basics of cooking in his native Malaysia, in the Kuala Lumpur kitchen of his grandmother.

1 portrait in the collection

Kym Bonython

Hugh Reskymer 'Kym' Bonython AC DFC AFC (1920-2011), company director, art dealer, jazz authority, music promoter and speedway entrepreneur, was one of the most significant collectors and dealers of contemporary Australian art in the post-war period.

2 portraits in the collection

Margaret Preston

Margaret Preston (1875-1963) trained at the NGV School and the Adelaide School of Design before leasing a studio and beginning to teach in Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

Fiona McMonagle

Fiona McMonagle, an Irish-born, Melbourne-based artist, grew up in an outer suburb of Melbourne and completed a qualification in visual arts at RMIT before progressing to the Victorian College of the Arts.

1 portrait in the collection

Cheong Liew, c. 1999

Kate Gollings

Portrait, oil on canvas (diptych)

Purchased 2004

Portrait of Kym Bonython/Portrait of Mr Bonython's speedway cap, 1963-1966

John Brack

Gift of Kym Bonython AC DFC AFC 2007. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Henri van Raatle

Henri van Raalte (1881-1929), etcher and curator, moved to Western Australia in 1910 having trained in his home town of London and at schools in Belgium and Holland.

1 portrait in the collection

Gill Hicks, 2016

Tony Kearney

Purchased 2016

Ninette Dutton OAM

Ninette Dutton OAM (1923-2007), artist, broadcaster and author, was born in Adelaide and educated at Creveen and Woodlands before studying Social Science at the University of Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

Joshua Payne

Joshua Payne (1810–1889), engraver and die-sinker, arrived in Adelaide around 1849 and was soon after employed by the Adelaide Assay Office.

1 portrait in the collection

Margaret Preston, c. 1930

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM and Barbara Corrigan 2008. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Henry H. Glover

English lithographer and watercolourist Henry Heath Glover (c. 1810-1858) emigrated to South Australia in 1848 with his two sons - one of whom, Henry Heath Glover Junior (1828-1904) was also an illustrator and printmaker.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir Ivor Hele

Sir Ivor Hele (1912–1993) was born in Adelaide and studied art at Prince Alfred College and the South Australian School of Arts and, later, in Paris and Munich.

3 portraits in the collection

The Photographic Society of Victoria, Melbourne

Portrait, synthetic polymer paint and gold leaf on birch panel

The Photographic Society of Victoria was formed in 1876 to 'bring photographers together in a friendly spirit, in order to advance the art and science of photography in the colony, without any attempt at binding or dictating to members any special trading rules, such as charges for photographs or hours or days for closing or opening their respective establishments.' At the time of the first annual meeting on 9 March 1877 there were 61 members, five whom were ladies.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Helen Caldicott, 2021

Leeanne Crisp

Gift of Dr Helen Caldicott 2022

Henri van Raatle, c. 1910

Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2009

Erin Phillips OAM

Erin Phillips OAM (b. 1985), elite athlete, played professional basketball for fifteen years before becoming the stand-out player of the AFLW's first five seasons.

1 portrait in the collection

Lady Eliza Lucy Grey

Portrait, watercolour and gouache on ivory in leather bound case

Eliza Lucy Spencer (c. 1819-1898) was the daughter of the Government Resident at Albany, who was succeeded by George Grey.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Joshua Payne Esq., 1840

Daniel Byrne

Purchased 2009

Alfred Simpson

Alfred Simpson (1805–1891), manufacturer, started his professional life as a tinsmith in his native London and also worked as a hatter before financial difficulties caused him to emigrate to Australia in 1849.

1 portrait in the collection

John Austin

John Austin was born and developed his skills as a photographer in England.

2 portraits in the collection

Nora Heysen with her dog sitting outside her home, Hunters Hill, Sydney

Nora Heysen AM

Nora Heysen, AM (1911-2003), fourth child of South Australian landscape painter Sir Hans Heysen, grew up in Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.

9 portraits in the collection

Leon Gellert

Leon Gellert (1892-1977), poet and journalist, was a physical education teacher at Hindmarsh Public School in his native Adelaide in 1914.

1 portrait in the collection

Pam MacFarlane

Pamela MacFarlane was born in Dunedin, NZ and completed a Master's degree in Zoology at the University of Otago in the 1940s.

1 portrait in the collection

Claude Spurgeon Charlick

Claude Spurgeon Charlick (1893-1974), businessman, was managing director of the Adelaide firm Charlick Ltd for nearly forty years.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Deborah Vernon Hackett, c. 1905

Florence Ada Fuller

Purchased with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC 2005

Basil Hetzel AC

Basil Hetzel AC (1922-2017), medical scientist, came to South Australia as a three year old and was educated - like Nobel Prize winners William Lawrence Bragg, Howard Florey and Robin Warren - at St Peter's College and the University of Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

The Hon. Dame Roma Mitchell AC DBE CVO QC

The Hon. Dame Roma Mitchell AC DBE CVO QC (1913–2000) was the first Australian woman to be a Queen's Counsel, Supreme Court judge, Acting Chief Justice, Deputy University Chancellor, Chancellor and State Governor.

2 portraits in the collection

Miriam Hyde AO OBE

Miriam Hyde AO OBE (1913-2005), composer, recitalist, teacher, examiner, poet, lecturer and writer of numerous articles for music journals, studied first with her mother and then with William Silver at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir Douglas Mawson Kt OBE FRS

Sir Douglas Mawson Kt OBE FRS (1882-1958) is considered one of the twentieth century's most eminent explorers.

3 portraits in the collection

Franchesca Cubillo, c. 2000

Penny Tweedie

Gift of the artist 2004

Ben Baker

Born in Adelaide and raised in Darwin, Ben Baker currently resides in New York City and works internationally.

1 portrait in the collection

Paquita Mawson, late 1940s

Ingrid Erns

Portrait, charcoal and pastel on paper

Gift of Gareth Mawson Thomas and Pamela Karran-Thomas of the Mawson family 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Self portrait, 2001

Jeffrey Smart AO

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Margaret Olley Art Trust 2002

Stella Bowen

Stella Bowen, painter and writer, grew up in Adelaide, where she studied with Margaret Preston.

1 portrait in the collection

Keith Alexander Laught

Keith Alexander Laught (1907-1969), politician, was born in Adelaide and educated at Scotch College and then the University of Adelaide, becoming a barrister in 1929.

1 portrait in the collection

Rachel Roxburgh

Rachel Roxburgh (1915–1991), artist, conservationist and architectural historian, grew up in Sydney's eastern suburbs and studied art at East Sydney Technical College and the Adelaide Perry Art School in the 1930s.

1 portrait in the collection

Lleyton Hewitt AM

At twenty years old, Lleyton Hewitt AM (b. 1981) was the youngest male tennis player ever to be ranked world number one.

1 portrait in the collection

Dame Nancy Buttfield DBE

Dame Nancy Buttfield DBE (1912–2005) was the first South Australian woman member of Federal Parliament.

1 portrait in the collection

Mem Fox

Mem Fox AM (b. 1946), author, is best-known for her award-winning book Possum Magic, which has sold over five million copies since it was first published in 1983, more than any other Australian children's book.

1 portrait in the collection

Leon Gellert with mask, 1936

Max Dupain OBE

Gift of Danina Dupain Anderson 2017. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Sarah Simpson, c. 1866

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

Basil Hetzel, 2007-2008

Mark Kimber

Commissioned with funds provided by Mrs Diana Ramsay AO 2008

Francisca Adriana (Paquita) Mawson OBE

Lady Francisca Adriana (Paquita) Mawson OBE (1891–1974), community worker and writer, was born in London and came to Australia when her father, mining engineer Guillaume Daniel Delprat, became the General Manager of the Broken Hill Proprietary Co.

1 portrait in the collection

Alfred Simpson, c. 1866

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

Narelle Autio

Narelle Autio (b. 1969) went to art school in South Australia intending to become a painter, but ‘somehow ended up’ with a camera.

1 portrait in the collection

Richard Morecroft & Alison Mackay, 2016

Gary Grealy

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2018

William Baker Ashton

William Baker Ashton (1800-1854) was the first governor of Adelaide Gaol.

1 portrait in the collection

Dr Gill Hicks AM MBE

Gill Hicks AM MBE (b. 1968) is a peace advocate, author, musician and artist.

1 portrait in the collection

Anna Pavlova, 1926

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Andrew Steiner OAM

Holocaust survivor, sculptor and human rights advocate Andrew Steiner OAM (b.

1 portrait in the collection

James Moorhouse

James Moorhouse (1826-1915), Anglican bishop, had an exceptionally distinguished career and publication record before he came from England to Melbourne to succeed Charles Perry.

1 portrait in the collection

Julian Smith

Portrait, albumen silver photograph on cabinet card

Julian Smith, surgeon and photographer, came to Australia with his family from England at the age of three.

2 portraits in the collection

Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, Governor of South Australia

Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, Governor of South Australia, 1881

Solomon Studios

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

The Surgeon (Dr Julian Smith), 1934

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Leeanne Crisp

Leeanne Crisp (b. 1950) was born in Adelaide, where she attended the South Australian School of Art and gained an advanced diploma from the Western Teacher's College in 1972.

3 portraits in the collection

Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE

Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE (b. 1931), former sprinter, was Governor of South Australia from 2001 to 2007.

3 portraits in the collection

Yvonne East

Yvonne East was born in Meningie in regional South Australia and studied art at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, and the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir Hans Heysen OBE

More about In the flesh artists

Sir Hans Heysen OBE (1877–1968), one of Australia's best known landscape painters, arrived in Adelaide from his native Germany as a child.

1 portrait in the collection

Jan Nelson

Jan Nelson was born in Melbourne. She graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 1983 and has been exhibited her work in both solo and group exhibitions throughout Australia since that time including at the MCA, Sydney, National Gallery of Victoria, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane and the Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide.

Sir Douglas Mawson, c. 1916

Thomson Studios

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Mrs J.Q. McEwin 2000

Franchesca Cubillo

Franchesca Cubillo is a Yanuwa, Larrakia, Bardi and Wardaman woman from the Northern Territory with more than 30 years' experience in the museum and art gallery sector.

1 portrait in the collection

Robyn Archer AO

Robyn Archer AO (b. 1948), performer, writer and director, began singing at four years old.

3 portraits in the collection

Rosemary Madigan, 1992

Greg Weight

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Lady Deborah Vernon Hackett

Portrait, pastel on paper

Lady Deborah Vernon Hackett (1887–1965) was a mining company director and philanthropist.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Dame Roma Mitchell, 1940s

Geoffrey Mainwaring

Gift of friends of Dame Roma Mitchell 2018

Nic Walker

Nic Walker spent his early years in Cairo and Beijing with his father Tony Walker, a foreign correspondent.

1 portrait in the collection

Dame Roma Mitchell, 1998

Jessica Hromas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Hammond Care Group 1999

Robyn Archer, 1982

Purchased 2003

Lleyton Hewitt, 1998

Gift of the artist 2004

Justice Robin Millhouse, Maslin Beach, South Australia

Justice Robin Millhouse, Maslin Beach, South Australia, 1992-1993 (printed 2019)

Portrait, inkjet print from 35mm film on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2019

Andrew Steiner, 2020 (printed 2021)

Alex Frayne

Gift of the artist 2021

Hans Heysen, 1960 (cast 2004)

John Dowie AM

Portrait, cast bronze

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2004

Alexander Ramsay

Alexander Ramsay CBE (1914-1978), public servant, trained and worked as a teacher before gaining his degree at the University of Adelaide in 1941.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir William F. Jervois

Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois (1821-1897), governor, attended the Royal Military Academy before being commissioned to the Royal Engineers in 1839.

1 portrait in the collection

Marjorie Jackson, 1953

Purchased 2011

Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974

Purchased 2012

Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974

Purchased 2012

Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974

Purchased 2012

Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974

Purchased 2012

Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974

Purchased 2012

Portrait of Anne Summers, 1974

Purchased 2012

Self portrait, 1846

George French Angas

Purchased 1999

Adut Akech, 2018 (printed 2020)

Gift of the artist 2020

Adut Akech with brother Bior, 2018 (printed 2020)

Gift of the artist 2020

Adut Akech with baby sister Akoul, 2018 (printed 2020)

Gift of the artist 2020

Adut Akech with siblings Kim, Yar, Bior and Alakiir

Adut Akech with siblings Kim, Yar, Bior and Alakiir, 2018 (printed 2020)

Gift of the artist 2020

Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE, 2006

Avril Thomas

Portrait, cast bronze on granite base

Commissioned 2006

Sir Edward Holden, 1945

Leslie Bowles

Bequest of John J Holden 2005

The Australian exploring expedition travelling through scrub (from the Illustrated London News 1879)

The Australian exploring expedition travelling through scrub (from the Illustrated London News 1879), 1876

The Illustrated London News after Jesse Young

Portrait, wood engraving on paper

Purchased 2010

I've been meaning to ...

Greg Adams

Portrait, charcoal on paper

Preparatory study for Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE

Preparatory study for Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson AC CVO MBE, 2005

Avril Thomas

Commissioned 2006

Master Molteno, c. 1866

Townsend Duryea

Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Graham Smith 2009

Archbishop James Goold, c. 1870

Archibald McDonald

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Geoffrey Dutton AO

Geoffrey Dutton AO (1922–1998) was a prodigious writer and editor whose published works comprise poetry, novels, children's books, biographies, art history and literary criticism.

1 portrait in the collection

Centenary of ANZAC

Just now we pause to mark the centenary of ANZAC, the day when, together with British, other imperial and allied forces, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed at Gallipoli at the start of the ill-starred Dardanelles campaign.

Charles Perkins with Eileen Perkins, 1964 (printed 2021)

Purchased with funds provided by Tim Bednall 2021

Rosemary Madigan

Rosemary Madigan (1926–2019) was one of Australia's most respected sculptors.

3 portraits in the collection

Closer to Heaven, 2013

by Molly Harris

Portrait, synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Barry McDonald, 1997

Selina Snow

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 1999

Ross Edwards

Portrait, synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Ross Edwards (b. 1943), composer, became determined upon a life of composition as a child.

1 portrait in the collection

Anne Levy, 2011

Hugh Adamson

Gift of Anne Levy AO 2014

Tony Kearney

Portrait, oil on canvas laid on board

Tony Kearney, a self-described amateur photographer, is a full time director of Designmakers Pty Ltd, a leading industrial design consultancy based in Adelaide.

3 portraits in the collection

Douglas Mawson, 1933

Henry James Haley

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Gareth Mawson Thomas and Pamela Karran-Thomas of the Mawson family 2010
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Ernest Giles

Ernest Giles (1835-1897), explorer, came to Australia at the age of fifteen, settling in Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

Little joys, 2008

by Chris Mangan

Robyn Archer, 1990

George Gittoes AM

Gift of Robyn Archer AO 2012. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Dr Helen Caldicott

Dr Helen Caldicott (b. 1938), physician, author and activist, was born Helen Broinowski in Melbourne and gained her degree in Medicine from the University of Adelaide in 1961.

1 portrait in the collection

Kerry Stokes AC

Kerry Stokes AC (b. 1940), businessman and philanthropist, was born John Patrick Alford in Melbourne.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir Edward Wheewall Holden

Sir Edward Wheewall Holden (1885-1947), industrialist and politician, was the son of Henry Holden, industrialist and civic leader, and the grandson of James Alexander Holden, Adelaide leather and saddlery business owner.

1 portrait in the collection

Meryl Tankard AO

Meryl Tankard AO (b. 1955) is an internationally renowned dancer, choreographer, director and filmmaker.

1 portrait in the collection

Nancy Bird Walton, c. 1973

Judy Cassab AO CBE

Gift of Nancy Bird Walton AO OBE 2008. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Ruby Linsday, Will Dyson, Norman Lindsay

Ruby Lindsay

Ruby Lindsay (1885-1919), artist and illustrator, left home at 16 and went to Melbourne where she studied at the National Gallery School.

3 portraits in the collection

Anne Summers AO

Anne Summers AO (b. 1945), writer and feminist, became involved in women's rights while studying politics at the University of Adelaide in the 1960s.

7 portraits in the collection

Hugh Adamson

Hugh Adamson (b. 1952), artist, was born in Goroke, Victoria but is a long-time resident of Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

Meryl Tankard, 2005

Ingvar Kenne

Gift of the artist 2006

The Hermit, 2016

by Alex Frayne

Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM

Dr Elizabeth Cameron Dalman OAM (b. 1934), choreographer, teacher and performer, was born in Adelaide and trained in classical ballet and modern dance with Nora Stewart.

1 portrait in the collection

Megan Gale

Megan Gale (b. 1975), model, entrepreneur and media personality, achieved fame in Italy before becoming widely recognised in Australia.

1 portrait in the collection

Clem Hill (member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team)

Clem Hill (member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team), 1896

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

John Dunn

John Dunn (1802-1894), flour miller and philanthropist, eked out a mean living as a mill manager in England before migrating to South Australia with his wife and son in 1840.

1 portrait in the collection

Hon. Sir John Forrest GCMG

Sir John Forrest (1847-1918), explorer and politician, trained as a surveyor and led an 1869 expedition in search of Ludwig Leichhardt.

2 portraits in the collection

Catherine Livingstone, 2018

by Mathew Lynn

Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018

Marawa The Amazing

Jo Duck

Portrait, pencil, charcoal and pastel on paper

Geoffrey Dutton - out with the Monarchy, 1977

Frank Hinder

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Enid Hawkins 2003
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Eileen Perkins

Eileen Perkins is a descendant of one of Adelaide's prominent German Lutheran families.

1 portrait in the collection

Charles Perkins AO

Charles Perkins AO (1936–2000) was an Indigenous rights campaigner and bureaucrat.

6 portraits in the collection

Trek for Shona Mai

Glen Braithwaite

Nicholas Paspaley Jnr, 2018

by Andrew Bonneau

Commissioned with funds provided by Ross Adler AC 2018

Friends' Farewell, 2006

by Leslie Arnott

Clem Hill

Clem Hill (1877–1945) was one of sixteen children and born into a notable Adelaide sporting family.

1 portrait in the collection

James Alipius Goold

James Alipius Goold (1812-1886), first Catholic bishop and archbishop of Melbourne, volunteered for service in New South Wales having studied in Rome and Perugia.

2 portraits in the collection

Sir William Ashton OBE

Sir William (Will) Ashton OBE (1881-1963) was the son of James Ashton, who founded Adelaide's Norwood Art School in 1885 and its Academy of Arts in 1895.

1 portrait in the collection

Julia Gillard AC

Julia Gillard AC (b. 1961) was the 27th Prime Minister of Australia from June 2010 to June 2013.

1 portrait in the collection

Mr M Walarmerpui, 2019

Ben Searcy

Tim Pak Poy

Tim Pak Poy is a chef and owner of The Wharf in Sydney. Trained as a perfumer, in 1983 Pak Poy followed a passion for food, securing a job with the celebrated Cheong Liew at Adelaide's Nediz Neddy's.

1 portrait in the collection

Bambi Tuckwell

Patricia 'Bambi' Tuckwell (1926-2018) was a leading Australian fashion model as well as a promising violinist.

1 portrait in the collection

Nancy Bird Walton AO OBE

Nancy Bird Walton AO OBE (1915–2009), aviatrix, decided she wanted to be a pilot when, at age eight, she saw a plane make an emergency landing on a beach near her home.

2 portraits in the collection

James Tylor

James Tylor (b. 1986) is an Australian multi-disciplinary contemporary visual artist.

1 portrait in the collection

Anne Levy AO

Anne Levy AO (b. 1934), politician, was the first woman to preside in an Australian parliament.

1 portrait in the collection

Harold Cazneaux

Harold Cazneaux came to Australia from his native New Zealand at the age of 11.

19 portraits in the collection

Angus Trumble

Portrait, oil on cardboard

Angus Trumble (1964-2022) was born and raised in Melbourne. He studied Fine Arts and History at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 1986.

Self portrait, c. 1934

Stella Bowen

Purchased 2003

The Writer: Peter Goldsworthy, 2018

by Deidre But-Husaim

Commissioned with funds provided by Jillian Broadbent AO and Dr Helen Nugent AO 2018.

Don Dunstan AC QC

Don Dunstan AC QC (1926-1999) was Labor Premier of South Australia from 1967 to 1968 and 1970 to 1979.

2 portraits in the collection

Jaya'ism, 2019

Elizabeth Barden

Mark Kimber

Previous exhibition, 2013

Mark Kimber grew up in Adelaide and gained his BA in Fine Arts at the South Australian School of Art in 1981.

1 portrait in the collection

Paul Kelly and The Portraits

Aspects of singer songwriter Paul Kelly’s performance persona are communicated by portraits selected from a range of artists and leading music photographers in this focus exhibition.

In a glance

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2004

Dr Sarah Engledow explores the portrait of Ninette Dutton by Bette Mifsud.

Masters of Fare

Chefs, winemakers, providores

Previous exhibition, 2004

Masters of fare: chefs, winemakers, providores celebrates men and women who have championed the unique culinary characteristics and produce of Australia, enriching our lives with new ideas and new flavours over the past forty years.

David Combe

David Combe (b.1943) became interested in politics at Adelaide University and was motivated to join the ALP in 1962, partly through his friendship with Don Dunstan.

1 portrait in the collection

Rev. William Singleton

The Reverend William Singleton (c. 1804-1875), Anglican clergyman, graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1826 and was ordained in the city’s Christ Church Cathedral in 1841.

1 portrait in the collection

David Chalmers

David Chalmers (b. 1966) is world-renowned in the field of the philosophy of consciousness.

2 portraits in the collection

Sir Lloyd Dumas

Sir Lloyd Dumas (1891-1973), journalist, began his career as a cadet for the Adelaide Advertiser.

1 portrait in the collection

S Calvert

Samuel Calvert studied in his native London with his father, engraver Edward Calvert, before emigrating to Australia in 1848.

1 portrait in the collection

Hattie Shepparde, 1872

Bardwell's Royal Studio

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Graham Smith 2009

Pro Hart, Broken Hill, NSW, 2004

John Elliott

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

Patricia 'Bambi' Tuckwell (Shmith), c. 1952

Max Dupain OBE

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Timothy Fairfax AC 2003

Max Schubert

Max Schubert AM (1915–1994) was born in the Barossa Valley to German parents who were devoutly religious and spoke German at home.

1 portrait in the collection

Johnny, 2006

by Sean Hobbs

Sarah and Ann Jacob, c. 1866

Townsend Duryea

Purchased 2018

Adut Akech Bior

Adut Akech Bior (b. 1999), supermodel, was born in South Sudan and spent the first several years of her life in the UN's Kakuma refugee camp in north-west Kenya, after her family fled from civil war.

4 portraits in the collection

Candidate for Chelsea (9th Earl of Kintore)

Algernon Hawkins Thomond Keith-Falconer

Algernon Hawkins Thomond Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore (1852–1930) was governor of South Australia from 1889 to 1895.

1 portrait in the collection

Neil Armfield, 2010

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Commissioned 2010

Arthur Murch

Arthur Murch, artist, is best-known as a painter in a colourful cubistic style, but he was occupied with sculpture throughout his career.

8 portraits in the collection

Deborah Paauwe

Deborah Paauwe (b. 1972), photographer, was born in the USA and came to Adelaide in 1985 after a childhood spent travelling around the world with her missionary parents.

1 portrait in the collection

Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF

Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF (1815-1872), Catholic bishop, was educated in Ireland and Rome, where he taught for some time after his ordination in 1839.

3 portraits in the collection

HRH Prince Alfred

Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (1844–1900) was the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria.

4 portraits in the collection

Rupert Murdoch AC KCSG

Rupert Murdoch AC (b. 1931) is widely regarded as the world's most influential media mogul.

2 portraits in the collection

Mandy Martin

Mandy Martin (1952–2021), painter, printmaker and teacher, was born in Adelaide and studied at the South Australian School of Art from 1972 to 1975.

3 portraits in the collection

Don Dunstan, 1973-1975 (printed 2005)

Anthony Browell

Magazine article by Beatrice Thompson, 2007

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2005

Somewhere to hang your cap

A pair of portraits by John Brack; Portrait of Kym Bonython and Portrait of Mr Bonython's speedway cap combine to create a quirky depiction of their subject.

Self portrait, 1937

Purchased 2015

Paul Beadle

Paul Beadle (1917-1992), sculptor, was born in England and studied at the Cambridge Art School and the Central School of Arts and Crafts during the 1930s.

1 portrait in the collection

Avril Thomas

Avril Thomas (b. 1956), artist, was born in Malaysia and went to boarding school in Scotland and Australia.

2 portraits in the collection

Ola Cohn OBE

Ola Cohn OBE (1892-1964), sculptor, was born in Bendigo and studied in Melbourne and London, where Henry Moore, her lecturer in sculpture, predicted that she would progress to make 'works of a very high order'.

2 portraits in the collection

A good innings

Childhood sweethearts

Rupert Murdoch, 2005

Ben Baker

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2005

Cathryn Fitzpatrick

Cathryn Fitzpatrick (b. 1968) is considered the fastest bowler in women's cricket.

2 portraits in the collection

Esther Erlich

Esther Erlich (b. 1955), a Melbourne-based painter, has been exhibiting since the early 1980s, often with the Libby Edwards Galleries in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and the Barry Newton Gallery in Adelaide.

3 portraits in the collection

Betina Fauvel-Ogden

Betina Fauvel-Ogden was born in Adelaide and lives and works in Melbourne.

2 portraits in the collection

David Unaipon

David Unaipon (1872-1967) writer, public speaker and inventor, was a Ngarrindjeri man, fourth of nine children of the evangelist James Ngunaitponi and his wife Nymbulda, both of whom were Yaraldi speakers.

1 portrait in the collection

Edward John Eyre

Portrait, oil on masonite

Edward John Eyre (1815-1901), explorer and administrator, emigrated to New South Wales from England when he was 17.

3 portraits in the collection

Sir Lloyd Dumas, 1955

Sir Ivor Hele

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Dumas Family 1999

Mrs Grey, c. 1845

Theresa Walker

Portrait, cast wax

Purchased 1999

Lost in thought, 2008

by Quentin Jones

David Chalmers, 2011

Nick Mourtzakis

Commissioned 2011

Aaron Woodcock

Aaron 'Tommy' Woodcock (1905-1985), horse strapper and trainer, was the son of a Cobb and Co driver and expressed his affinity with horses from an early age.

1 portrait in the collection

George Selth Coppin

George Coppin (1819-1906), comedian, entrepreneur and politician, cut his teeth in the world of the English itinerant theatre.

2 portraits in the collection

Sir Arvi Parbo AC

Sir Arvi Parbo AC (1926-2019) succeeded James Forrest as chairman of Alcoa of Australia in 1978.

3 portraits in the collection

Fiona Lowry

Fiona Lowry is a Sydney-based artist. Having held her first solo exhibition in 2002, she exhibited at Sydney’s Gallery Barry Keldoulis from 2004 to 2010; from 2010 she was also represented by Hugo Michell in Adelaide, and she is currently handled by Martin Browne Contemporary in Sydney.

1 portrait in the collection

Shona Wilson, 1998

Greg Weight

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Jacqui Stockdale

Florence Milson, Harold Cazneaux

Jacqui Stockdale (b. 1968) works across theatrical portrait photography, painting, drawing and collage to explore ideas surrounding cultural identity, national history, theatricality, masquerade and folkloric traditions.

1 portrait in the collection

Harold Cazneaux, 1919

Portrait, bromoil photograph

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Theresa Walker

Theresa Walker is acknowledged as Australia’s first female sculptor.

3 portraits in the collection

Australian racing legends and best friends

The mane thing is trust

Sharing the dream?

It's Complicated

In love and war

Rex Battarbee

Rex Battarbee OBE (1893-1973), art teacher, had no formal training in art before he won the Melbourne Centenary Prize for Watercolour in 1934.

1 portrait in the collection

Sam Leach

Born in Adelaide in 1973, Sam Leach studied at RMIT University, graduating with a BA (Hons.) in Painting in 2004 and a Master of Arts (Fine Arts) in 2009.

1 portrait in the collection

Wally (Wouter) De Backer, 2013 (printed 2014)

Julian Kingma

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2014

Achille Simonetti

Achilles Simonetti (1838-1900) was a sculptor. Born in Rome, the son of sculptor Louis Simonetti, he trained as a religious sculptor.

1 portrait in the collection

Professor Terence Tao, 2006

Reed Hutchinson

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2006

HJ Wedge

HJ Wedge (1957–2012), Wiradjuri artist, was born at Erambie mission near Cowra.

1 portrait in the collection

Alice Giles AM

Alice Rosemary Giles AM, was born in Adelaide in 1961. Giles is an internationally celebrated Australian classical harp soloist.

1 portrait in the collection

Alison Rehfisch

Alison Baily Rehfisch (1900–1975) was born Alison Green in Woollahra, New South Wales, to parents who 'were very interested in painting – in all the arts: music, literature, everything'.

2 portraits in the collection

Ola Cohn, 1961

Jean Goldberg

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2002

Miss Florrie Ford (Christmas pantomime with toy cat)

Florrie Forde

Portrait, oil on cedar panel

Florrie Forde (1875–1940), singer and music hall performer, was born in Melbourne and was sixteen when she sang publicly for the first time, in Sydney, in late 1891.

9 portraits in the collection

Portrait of George Selth Coppin, c. 1895-1899

Tom Roberts

Purchased with funds provided by Mary Isabel Murphy 2004

The Catholic Hierarchy of Australia, 1869

Archibald McDonald, Henry Samuel Sadd

Portrait, albumen photograph on carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Andy Thomas AO

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2019

Andy Thomas AO (b. 1951) is an astronaut. Born and educated in Adelaide, an engineer by profession, he managed a number of aeronautical programs and patented several inventions before joining NASA in 1992.

1 portrait in the collection

Study for Aunty Mary King, 2010 by Mathew Lynn

The animating signature

Joanna Gilmore delights in the affecting drawings of Mathew Lynn.

Sketch for portrait of Bart Cummings, 1986

Bryan Westwood

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2002

Ada Crossley, c. 1900

Rotary Photo Company Ltd

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Roger Neill 2009

Bob Maza

Bob Maza (1939-2000), actor, playwright and activist, was born on Palm Island in North Queensland.

1 portrait in the collection

John Gaden AM

John Gaden AM (b. 1941), actor, studied arts and law at the University of Sydney, but when he joined the Sydney University Players, he abandoned his other pursuits for the stage.

1 portrait in the collection

Michael Simms

Vox pops

I first saw Zaachariaha Fielding perform with electric fields at Fair Day for Mardi Gras back in 2019 and they just blew me away.

Pro Hart & Associates, 2004

Nick Young

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2004

Bart Willoughby

Portrait, steel engraving with later hand-colouring on paper

Bart Willoughby (b. 1960) is a Pitjantjantjara and Mirning singer/songwriter who is one of the Stolen Generations.

2 portraits in the collection

Wylie, 1840-1841

Robert Neill

Purchased 2018

Gustavus Brooke

Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (1818-1866), actor, was a seasoned theatre performer by his early teens; at fourteen, he played Richard III.

1 portrait in the collection

Madame Marie Carandini

Marie Carandini (née Burgess, 1826–1894), aka 'Madame Carandini', was seven years old when her family arrived in Van Diemen's Land as assisted immigrants.

1 portrait in the collection

2019-20 Acquisition Fund

Annual Appeal

From 2019 to 2020 the Acquisition Fund was focussed on a large, vibrant portrait of Elena Kats-Chernin by Wendy Sharpe.

Arthur and Ria Murch, 1945

Margaret Michaelis

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Henry (Harry) Donnan (member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team)

Henry Donnan

Henry (Harry) Donnan (1864-1956) notched up a total of 94 first class cricket matches between 1887 and 1901.

1 portrait in the collection

The Legend of Ruby and Archie

A bond in song

Sir Arvi Parbo, 1993

Sir William Dargie CBE

Gift of Alcoa World Alumina Australia 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Harry Messel AC CBE

Portrait, watercolour on paper

Harry Messel AC CBE (1922-2015), scientist and academic, was born in Canada and gained his qualifications there and in Scotland and Ireland.

2 portraits in the collection

Marion Borgelt, 2001

Cherry Hood

Gift of Marion Borgelt 2022. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Dancer

Touring exhibition, 2024

From letting loose in the loungeroom to enthralling audiences on stage, this exhibition celebrates dance and dancers.

Dadang Christanto

Dadang Christanto (b. 1957), artist, was born into an Indonesian family of Chinese descent in Tegal, a small village in Central Java, Indonesia.

1 portrait in the collection

Elena Kats-Chernin AO

Charles Troedel after Robert Wendel

Elena Kats-Chernin AO (b. 1957) trained at the Gnessin Musical College in Moscow before moving to Australia in 1975.

1 portrait in the collection

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, c. 1890

Portrait, oil crayon and collage of printed magazine cuttings

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2013

Portrait of Philip Nitschke, 1998 (re-worked 2009)

Amanda King

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Sir Arvi Parbo, 1992

Brian Dunlop

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of BHP Billiton 2003
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Promise Fulfilled

Sir Leslie Ward, Vanity Fair Magazine

The life and achievements of Sir Edward Holden, who is represented in the portrait collection by a bust created by Leslie Bowles.

a Postmaster General (Sir James Fergusson)

a Postmaster General (Sir James Fergusson), 1892

Portrait, chromolithograph on paper

Purchased 2014

Robin Eley

More about In the flesh artists

Robin Eley studied Fine Arts at Westmont College, USA and began his career as a professional illustrator. Eley was a finalist in the Eutick Memorial Still Life Prize in 2010 and his work was Highly Commended in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize in 2010 and 2011.

Lola Montes, c. 1845

Joseph Karl Stieler

Layered portraits from the collection

Purchased 2010

Dissections

Previous exhibition, 2016

This display sets two impressive portraits from the collection into direct dialogue: Sam Jinks’ sculptural self portrait and Nick Mourtzakis’ painted portrait of David Chalmers, along with related maquette and sketches.Together they explore physical and psychological manifestations of the strata of self-hood.

Spikes: then and now

As part of its ongoing program of commissions of portraits of prominent Australians, the National Portrait Gallery has unveiled a portrait of Her Excellency Marjorie Jackson-Nelson by South Australian artist Avril Thomas.

Nothing black and white about the Greys

It's Complicated

Marriage: a prolonged disaster

Melting an ice man

Warm heart of mine

Paul Kelly, 2007

Martin Philbey

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2008

William Saurin Lyster

William Saurin Lyster (1828–1880) was an Irish operatic impresario who introduced serious opera to the colonies.

2 portraits in the collection

Tilman Ruff AO

Portrait, oil on masonite

Tilman Ruff AO (b. 1955), infectious diseases and public health physician, was a founder of ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.

1 portrait in the collection

Ivy Shore, 1961

Graeme Inson

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Harvey and Russell Shore 2014

Us Mob

Us Mob were an Aboriginal rock band active in the 1970s and 1980s. The band's members Rodney Ansell, Pedro Butler, Carroll Karpany and Wally McArthur formed the band at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music in Adelaide.

2 portraits in the collection

Anna Meares, 2018

by Narelle Autio

Commissioned with funds provided by King & Wood Mallesons 2018

John Dowie AM

John Dowie AM (1915–2008), artist and teacher, is best known for his public sculptures held in most Australian capital cities.

1 portrait in the collection

Ola Cohn, c. 1934

Purchased 2011

The Writer, Peter Goldsworthy, 2018

Deidre But-Husaim

Commissioned with funds provided by Jillian Broadbent AC and Dr Helen Nugent AO 2018

Pro Hart MBE

Pro Hart MBE (1928-2006) was born in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia in 1928.

2 portraits in the collection

Sir Mark Oliphant AC KBE

Sir Mark Oliphant AC KBE (1901-2000), physicist, was a pioneer in the development of radar and a member of the international teams that effected the artificial disintegration of the atomic nucleus.

4 portraits in the collection

Angela Valamanesh

Portrait, oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Angela Valamanesh graduated from the South Australian School of Art with a Diploma of Design (ceramics) in 1977 and became a tenant potter at Adelaide's Jam Factory.

1 portrait in the collection

Fay Bottrell, 1981

David Campbell

Gift of Elizabeth Campbell-MacKenzie on behalf of the family of David Campbell 2012

Murray Bail, c. 1980 (printed 2018)

Jacqueline Mitelman

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

Peter Brew-Bevan

Peter Brew-Bevan (b. 1969) is a leading Australian portrait and fashion photographer.

25 portraits in the collection

Sir George Fisher CMG

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

Sir George Fisher CMG (1903-2007), mining industry executive, began work at the Zinc Corporation at Broken Hill in 1925 after having completed a mining engineering degree in Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

The Saint and the merchant

Emanuel Solomon gave shelter to the Sisters of St Joseph upon the excommunication of St Mary MacKillop.

Clif Peir

Clif Peir (b.1905) was a Sydney painter and teacher, who studied at the Julian Ashton School under Ashton and H.C.Gibbons.

1 portrait in the collection

Yami Lester speaks at Uluru Handback Ceremony

Yami Lester OAM

A Yankunytjatjara man, Yami Lester OAM (1941–2017) was born at Walyatjata in the north of South Australia.

1 portrait in the collection

Narelle Autio

In their own words

Recorded 2018

Paul Kelly, 2007

Peter Brew-Bevan

Portrait, steel engraving on paper

Gift of the artist 2012

Matthew Burnett, c. 1865

Henry Samuel Sadd

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Max Schubert, 1980

David Simpson

Portrait, type C Duraflex print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2014

Mandy Martin, 1990

Anne Zahalka

Gift of Leo Christie 2003. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Charles and Adam, 1990 (printed 2013)

Michael Riley

Purchased 2013

Christos Tsiolkas, 1998 (printed 2009)

John Tsiavis

Purchased 2009

Christos Tsiolkas, 1998 (printed 2009)

John Tsiavis

Portrait, engraving on paper

Purchased 2009

Myles Nelson

Finalist interviews

It was definitely a candid encounter as was the expression on the face. It was constructed insofar as the image was deliberately taken from a distance so as to minimize intrusion and to magnify the effect of the image.

Edward John Eyre, Late Governor of Jamaica

Edward John Eyre, Late Governor of Jamaica, 1867

John Brown

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Karen McLeod Adair and Anthony Adair 2003

Mem Fox, 2021

Peter Brew-Bevan

Purchased with funds provided by Peronelle Windeyer 2021

Sir Sidney Kidman

Portrait, synthetic polymer and enamel paint on canvas

Sir Sidney Kidman, pastoralist (1857-1935), is Australia's 'cattle king'.

2 portraits in the collection

Paul Kelly, 2004

Jon Campbell

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2004

Opera [Mr William Saurin Lyster], 1874

Tom Durkin, The Weekly Times

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2016

Barrie Kosky, Sydney Opera House, c. 1997 (printed 2017)

Portrait, pen and ink and drybrush on paper

Purchased 2017

Dame Judith Anderson, 1962

Don Bachardy

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

Nancy Bird Walton - Pioneer, 2003

Danelle Bergstrom

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph, hand coloured on paper

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2004

Jimmy Barnes, 1986

Jim Rolon

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Wayne Williams 2012

Dame Judith Anderson AC DBE

Previous exhibition, 2005

Dame Judith Anderson AC DBE (1897–1992) was an Adelaide-born stage and film actress well known for her role as the sinister Mrs Danvers in Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940).

1 portrait in the collection

Peter Brew-Bevan Portraits

In this exhibition Sydney based photographer Peter Brew-Bevan brings together an intimate collection of works that highlight his passion for the genre of portraiture over the last 10 years

Lady Mary Hay

Lady Hay, née Chalmers (c. 1806-1892) was reported at the time of her death to have been about ten years older than Hay.

1 portrait in the collection

Sidney Myer

Portrait, oil on canvas laid on cardboard

Sidney Myer (1878-1934), retail magnate and philanthropist, arrived in Melbourne in 1898 as a penniless Russian immigrant named Simca Baevski.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Brian Dunlop, c. 1972

Bryan Westwood

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Brian Dunlop

Brian Dunlop studied at East Sydney Technical College and won the Le Gay Brereton Prize for Drawing while still a student.

7 portraits in the collection

Stuart O'Grady, 2008

Matthÿs Gerber

Commissioned 2008

Dr Robert (Bob) Edwards AO

Dr Robert (Bob) Edwards AO (1930-2023) made a remarkable contribution to the cultural sector in Australia.

1 portrait in the collection

Anna Meares, 2018

Narelle Autio

Commissioned with funds provided by King & Wood Mallesons 2018

Sidney Kidman and Arthur Triggs, c. 1914

Falk Studios

Purchased with funds provided by The Ian Potter Foundation 2007

Harold Darling

Harold Darling (1885-1950) was chairman of BHP from 1922 to 1950. Born in Adelaide, he entered his father's milling and grain business when he was 18.

2 portraits in the collection

Jimmy Barnes AO

Jimmy Barnes AO (b. 1956), singer/songwriter, is a solo performer and the former lead singer of the quintessential Australian pub band, Cold Chisel.

3 portraits in the collection

Paul Kelly AO

Paul Kelly AO (b. 1955), singer/songwriter and producer, grew up in Adelaide and made his performing debut in Hobart in 1974.

5 portraits in the collection

Frank Iredale (Francis Adams Iredale, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team)

Frank Adams Iredale

Francis Adams Iredale (1867–1926), cricketer and journalist, was born in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, the son of an ironmonger and his Irish-born wife.

1 portrait in the collection

Troppo Architects

The studios of Troppo Architects are located away from Australia’s major urban centres.

Yami Lester speaks at Uluru Handback Ceremony, 1985 (printed 2003)

Gift of the artist 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Tim Flannery, 2006

Robert Hannaford AM

Gift of Professor Tim Flannery 2016. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Essington Lewis CH

Essington Lewis CH (1881-1961) was chairman of BHP from 1950 to 1952, having been the company's chief general manager from 1938 to 1950.

1 portrait in the collection

Kate Fitzpatrick, 1978 (printed 2017)

Magazine article by Simon Elliott, 2003

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2017

A Singular Line

A newly acquired work by Stella Bowen adds to the National Portrait Gallery's growing collection of important Australian self-portraits.

Bart Cummings AM

Portrait, oil on composition board

James Bartholomew (Bart) Cummings OAM (1927-2015) was Australia's most successful thoroughbred racehorse trainer.

1 portrait in the collection

Murray Bail, c. 1990

Jinx Nolan

Gift of an anonymous donor 2021

Gwyn Hannsen Pigott

Gwyn Hanssen Pigott AM (1935–2013) was a self-described potter, whose international reputation was built on her exquisite still-life assemblages of refined, spare vessels in subtle colours and shapes.

1 portrait in the collection

Margaret Dodd, 2002

Greg Weight

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Judy Davis, 1981

William Yang

Purchased 1998

Bert Flugelman

Herbert 'Bert' Flugelman, sculptor, painter and lecturer, came to Australia from his native Vienna in 1938, aged fifteen.

1 portrait in the collection

Andy Thomas, 2002

Montalbetti + Campbell

Commissioned with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2002

Joseph Darling

Joseph Darling (1870–1946) took up cricket in earnest while a student at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide and was fifteen when he set a new record for the highest innings (252) scored in South Australia.

2 portraits in the collection

Kate Fitzpatrick, 1983

William Yang

Purchased 2003

Dr Julie Dowling

Julie Dowling, an artist of Badimaya, Irish and Scottish Catholic heritage, was born in Subiaco, Western Australia and grew up in nearby urban and semi-rural areas.

2 portraits in the collection

Study for The Writer, Peter Goldsworthy, 2018

Deidre But-Husaim

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Commissioned with funds provided by Jillian Broadbent AC and Dr Helen Nugent AO 2018

Paul Capsis

Paul Capsis (b. 1964), performer, was raised by his mother and grandmother in the inner-Sydney suburb of Surry Hills.

1 portrait in the collection

Kerry Stokes, 2014 (printed 2021)

Peter Brew-Bevan

Gift of the artist 2021

Neil Armfield (study), 2010

Portrait, oil on masonite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Commissioned 2010

Senator Nancy Buttfield, 1958

Sir Ivor Hele

Gift of Senator Dame Nancy Buttfield DBE 2003. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Bart Willoughby, c. 2000

Penny Tweedie

Gift of the artist 2004

Henry (Harry) Donnan (member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team), 1896

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

Christos Tsiolkas

Portrait, albumen silver photograph on cabinet card

Christos Tsiolkas (b. 1965) is a Melbourne-born writer of Greek descent, whose work deals uncompromisingly with sexuality, identity and politics.

2 portraits in the collection

Adam Lindsay Gordon, 1890-1894

S. Milbourn Jnr

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2008

Neil Armfield (study), 2010

Portrait, spray paint on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Commissioned 2010

Neil Armfield (study), 2010

Portrait, spray paint on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Commissioned 2010

Bart Willoughby (No Fixed Address) at 'The National Land Rights Action' march

Bart Willoughby (No Fixed Address) at 'The National Land Rights Action' march, 1982

Gift of the artist 2021. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Tim Flannery

Portrait, pen and ink on paper

Tim Flannery (b. 1956), scientist, explorer and conservationist, grew up in Melbourne, where he completed degrees in English and earth sciences.

1 portrait in the collection

Charles Lloyd Jones, n.d.

Louis Kahan AO

Gift of Mrs Lily Kahan 2017. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Robert Hannaford AM

an unknown artist after Albert Chevallier Tayler

Robert Hannaford AM (b. 1944), a largely self-taught artist, grew up on his family farm near the small South Australian town of Riverton before working as political cartoonist for the Adelaide Advertiser from 1964 to 1967.

6 portraits in the collection

Joe Darling (image plate from The Empire's Cricketers. London: Fine Art Society), 1905

Portrait, chromolithograph

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2017

Murray Bail

Murray Bail (b. 1941), writer, was born in Adelaide and spent several years in India and England in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

3 portraits in the collection

Tommy Woodcock and Reckless, 1977 (printed 2010)

Bruce Postle

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by James Bain AM and Janette Bain 2010

Murray Bail, 1980-1981

Fred Williams

Portrait, cast bronze on wooden base

Gift of an anonymous donor 1999. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Sidney Myer, 1936

Paul Montford

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Coles Myer Ltd 2002
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Gulpilil (David) Dreaming - Kakadu 2006, 2006

George Fetting

Gift of the artist 2008

Frank Iredale (Francis Adams Iredale, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team), 1896

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

Kumantjayi Perkins at the Roma Forum, Brisbane

Kumantjayi Perkins at the Roma Forum, Brisbane, 1982

Portrait, stainless steel

Gift of the artist 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Self portrait, c. 1985

Bert Flugelman

Gift of the artist 2009. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Baron Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von Mueller

Sir Ferdinand Jakob Heinrich von Mueller KCMG (1825–1896), botanist, trained in pharmacy and botany in his native Germany before emigrating to Adelaide in 1847.

1 portrait in the collection

Piper, the native who accompanied Major Mitchell in his expedition to the interior

Piper, the native who accompanied Major Mitchell in his expedition to the interior, c. 1836

William Fernyhough

Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2016

John Perceval, 1985

Rick Amor

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Exhibition opening speech

Leo Schofield introduces the exhibition, Masters of fare: chefs, winemakers, providores.

Self-nature is subtle and mysterious - Tree Woman / Woman Tree

Nell

Born in Maitland, New South Wales in 1975, Nell is a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, video and performance.

3 portraits in the collection

Joe Darling (Joseph Darling, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team), 1896

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

Ali Cobby Eckermann

Self Portraits in Australia

Ali Cobby Eckermann (b. 1963), Yankunytjatjara/Kothaka author and poet, was born in Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

To Look Within

Previous exhibition, 2004

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

Wesley Enoch AM

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph, selenium toned on paper

Wesley Enoch AM (b. 1969) is a theatre director and playwright and was the director of the Sydney Festival from 2017 to 2021.

1 portrait in the collection

Brian Croser AO, 1998

Kate Gollings

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC 2001

David Gulpilil AM

David Gulpilil AM (1953-2021), actor and dancer, was a Yolngu man of the Mandhalpuyngu language group and was born near Maningrida in Arnhem Land.

5 portraits in the collection

Us Mob, Rock Against Racism Concert, Paddington Town Hall

Us Mob, Rock Against Racism Concert, Paddington Town Hall, 1980 (printed 2021)

Purchased 2021

Us Mob, Paddington Town Hall, 1980 (printed 2021)

Portrait, oil on canvas laid on composition board

Purchased 2021

Professor Harry Messel, 1973

Louis Kahan AO

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Mrs Lily Kahan 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Virtual lives

Magazine article by Gillian Raymond, 2007

A brief introduction to the Weird, Wired World of Internet Portraiture.

A Pioneering Life

Magazine article by Lauren Dalla, 2005

During her time in Australian politics, Dame Nancy Buttfield was an impressive advocate for equality for women and was responsible for ending the marriage bar for women in the Public Service.

Charles Perkins, 1974

Frank Hinder

Portrait, fibre-tipped pen, watercolour on paper

Gift of HOTA (Home of the Arts), Gold Coast 2019 with the encouragement of Patrick Corrigan AM

The Swiss Studios, Sydney

The Swiss Studios opened in King Street, Sydney in early 1898, operating from a building described as a 'pleasing reminder of one of those delightful old Swiss chalets, which one always associates with Alpine travel.' The elaborate establishment boasted a first-floor reception room, 'beautifully decorated and luxuriously furnished', 'tastefully arranged dressing rooms, one for ladies and the other for gentlemen', and a 'lofty, cool and well-lit gallery' where 'the best artists in the photographic line' were at work.

1 portrait in the collection

Adam Scott: at Sanctuary Cove Golf Course

Adam Scott: at Sanctuary Cove Golf Course, 2006

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2006

Ivy Shore

Ivy Shore (1915–1999), painter, was born in Melbourne, daughter of a South Australian suffragette, Elka, and engineer John Williams.

2 portraits in the collection

The Honourable Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC

The Hon Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC

The Hon. Chief Justice Susan Kiefel AC (b. 1954) became Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia in 2017 and is the first woman to have held the role.

1 portrait in the collection

Judy Davis

Judy Davis (b. 1955), actor, director and two-time Oscar nominee, has won many acting accolades, including eight AACTA awards, three Emmy awards, two BAFTAs and two Golden Globes.

3 portraits in the collection

Russell Page

Significant Australian Women 1913–2013

Russell Page (1968–2002), choreographer, dancer and actor, was from the Nunukul (Noonuccal) people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh people of south-east Queensland.

4 portraits in the collection

First Ladies

Previous exhibition, 2013

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

Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey

So Fine

Contemporary women artists make Australian history

Previous exhibition, 2018

This exhibition features new works from ten women artists reinterpreting and reimagining elements of Australian history, enriching the contemporary narrative around Australia’s history and biography, reflecting the tradition of storytelling in our country.

Sketch of Clifton Pugh painting John Perceval

Clifton Pugh AO

A Portrait of Colonial Australia

Clifton Pugh AO was one of Australia’s best-known artists of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and one of its leading advocates for the arts.

11 portraits in the collection

Bungaree, late chief of the Broken Bay tribe, Sydney

Heads of the People

Previous exhibition, 2000

For Tom Roberts - Australia's best nineteenth-century portrait painter - neither a proto-national portrait gallery nor more popular collections of portrait heads, were sufficient public celebrations for the notables of Australian history

Karla Dickens

Karla Dickens (b. 1967), Wiradjuri artist, graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the National Art School in Sydney in 2000 and has since built a diverse practice across the mediums of painting, photography, mixed media and installation.

2 portraits in the collection

Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue AC CBE DSG

Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG (1932–2024), a Yankunytjatjara woman, dedicated her life’s work to advancing the rights and wellbeing of Australia’s First Peoples.

2 portraits in the collection

Tossy Spivakovsky

Tossy Spivakovsky (1906-1998), violinist and teacher, made his performance debut as a ten-year-old prodigy, began touring Europe at thirteen and studied violin at Berlin’s Hochschule fur Musik before forming the Spivakovsky Duo with his older brother, pianist Jascha Spivakovsky, in 1920.

1 portrait in the collection

Paul Grabowsky, 2009

Martin Philbey

Commissioned with funds provided by Patrick Corrigan AM 2009

Paul Grabowsky, 2009

Martin Philbey

Commissioned with funds provided by Patrick Corrigan AM 2009

David Dridan OAM

David Dridan (b. 1932), artist, studied at the South Australian School of Art and later at East Sydney Technical College.

1 portrait in the collection

Sir Laurence Hartnett

Sir Lawrence Hartnett (1898-1986), automotive engineer, was born in Woking, Surrey.

1 portrait in the collection

Wylie

Wylie (c. 1824–unknown) is thought to have been born near King George’s Sound in south-west Western Australia, which would make him a Noongar man.

1 portrait in the collection

Portrait of Alec Campbell, 2001-2004

Terry Eichler

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

Herbert Benjamin George Larkin CBE

Magazine article by Magda Keaney, 2002

Herbert Benjamin George Larkin CBE (c. 1871- 1944), shipping administrator, came to Australia from England and joined the office of the Australian Steam Navigation Company.

1 portrait in the collection

The Final Frontier

Magda Keaney talks with Montalbetti+Campbell about their photographic portrait of Australian astronaut Andy Thomas.

Self Portrait with sun damage, 2014 by Andrew Sayers.

At easel

Magazine article by Tim Bonyhady, 2016

Tim Bonyhady recalls his experience as sitter for his close friend and former National Portrait Gallery Director, the late Andrew Sayers.

Peter Goldsworthy AM

Peter Goldsworthy AM (b. 1951), medical doctor and writer, was born in Minlaton, South Australia, and grew up in various country towns as his father, a school teacher, moved for work.

2 portraits in the collection

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, 1899 by Carl Pietzner

The Archduke

The immediate chain of events that led to the outbreak of the First World War began 100 years ago on June 28.

Self portrait, 1934

Nora Heysen AM

Purchased 1999

Tim Jarvis AM

Tim Jarvis AM (b. 1966), environmental scientist, author and adventurer, was the Australian Geographic Society’s Adventurer of the Year in 2013 and its Conservationist of the Year in 2016 – the only person ever to have received both awards.

1 portrait in the collection

John Piper

Piper (life dates unknown), also known as John Piper, was a Wiradjuri man who acted as a guide to Thomas Mitchell’s surveying expedition along the Murray and Darling Rivers into present-day Victoria in 1836.

2 portraits in the collection

Portrait of David Dridan, 1992

Brian Dunlop

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of David Dridan OAM 2017

Self portrait, 1976 (printed 2005)

David Malin

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

Ngayulu Minyma Tjanpinya, I am a Tjanpi Woman

Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM

Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM (b. c 1947) is a senior Tjanpi Desert Weaver with work spanning across printmaking, ceramics and fibre-based work.

1 portrait in the collection

R. M. Williams AO CMG

RM (Reginald Murray) Williams AO CBE (1908-2003), saddlery, boot and clothing manufacturer, miner and author, moved to Adelaide from his birthplace near the Flinders Rangers when he was 10.

1 portrait in the collection

Concession and discount policy

Plan your visit

Members ticket discounts, accepted concession cards and special entry.

Kerry Walker, c. 1979

Stuart Campbell

Magazine article by Lauren Dalla, 2003

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Estate of Stuart Campbell 2012

All you can eat

In February 2003 the National Portrait Gallery Circle of Friends brought Sir Robert Strong to Australia to present a series of lectures entitled The Artists & The Banquet- A History of Dining, which focused on the links between gardens and table decoration from the Renaissance to the Victorian Era.

Frank Fenner AC CMG MBE, 2007

Jude Rae

Commissioned with funds provided by Mr Anthony Adair and Ms Karen MacLeod 2007

David Combe and the portrait, 1983

Keith Looby

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of David Combe 1998
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Cultural kaleidoscope

Australian Athletes in Focus

The complex connections between four creative Australians; Patrick White, Sidney Nolan, Robert Helpmann and Peter Sculthorpe.

Flash

Previous exhibition, 2006

Introduction The National Portrait Gallery’s photographic exhibition Flash: Australian Athletes in Focus explores various interpretations of Australian sporting men and women.

Shaun Gladwell

Shaun Gladwell (b. 1972), new-media artist, photographer and painter, gained his qualifications in art at Sydney College of the Arts and the University of New South Wales.

1 portrait in the collection

Archie Roach AC

Previous exhibition, 2009

Archie Roach AC (1956–2022), singer/songwriter and storyteller, has been described as the voice of the Stolen Generations.

2 portraits in the collection

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2009

In its second year at the National Portrait Gallery, and for the first time touring to other venues, the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2009 continues to present surprising perspectives on the nature of contemporary portrait photography.

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.

Right Rev Dr Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF, c. 1872

Bardwell's Royal Studio

Portrait, albumen silver carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Australian Visit

Previous exhibition, 2006

The exhibition will include works of art from the NPG Canberra's permanent collection with some inward loans and aims to highlight the achievements of notable Australians.

Sir John Michael Higgins GCMG

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2007

Sir John Michael Higgins GCMG (1862-1937), metallurgist, government adviser and company director, was the son of a miner and was indentured to a pharmacist at 14.

1 portrait in the collection

The highest honour

Bringing eminent scientist Frank Fenner and artist Jude Rae together for the National Portrait Gallery commission was like matchmaking.

Thomas Sutcliffe Mort and his wife Theresa

Husbands and Wives

Photographic Portraits from 19th Century Australia

Previous exhibition, 2010

'I have just been to my dressing case to take a peep at you.

Archie Roach, 1992 (printed 2010)

Bill McAuley

Purchased 2010

Lowitja O'Donoghue, 2006

Robert Hannaford AM

Previous exhibition, 2010

Commissioned with funds donated by BHP Billiton Limited, Rio Tinto Aboriginal Fund, Newmont Australia Limited, Reconciliation Australia, Hon Paul Keating and Hon Fred Chaney 2006

Australian of the Year

Inspiring a Nation

The Australian of the Year Awards have often provoked controversy about who is selected and whether their achievements are remarkable.

Uncommon Australians

The vision of Gordon and Marilyn Darling

Previous exhibition, 2015

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.

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.

Robert Dessaix, 1998

Robert Hannaford AM

Previous exhibition, 2019

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Robert Dessaix 2000
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Primed

Some Prime Ministers

Seventeen of Australia’s thirty prime ministers to date are represented in the contrasting sizes, moods and mediums of these portraits.

Ada Jemima Crossley

Previous exhibition, 2023

Ada Jemima Crossley (1874–1929), singer, was one of several Australian-born divas to achieve an international reputation in the late nineteenth century.

2 portraits in the collection

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2023

The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.

George Selth Coppin, c. 1863

Portrait, albumen silver carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

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

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

Previous exhibition, 2020

The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.

Andrew Sayers AM FAHA

13 October 2015

Archived media releases 2015

The Chairman, Board, Director and staff mourn the loss of the National Portrait Gallery's inaugural director.

William Barak at work on the drawing ‘Ceremony’ at Coranderrk

William Barak at work on the drawing ‘Ceremony’ at Coranderrk, 1902

Johannes Heyer

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph, sepia toned on paper

Purchased with the assistance of funds provided by the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society 2000

Twenty new portraits marking Portrait Gallery’s twentieth birthday

21 August 2018

Archived media releases 2018

To celebrate the National Portrait Gallery’s twentieth anniversary as an institution, twenty portraits of outstanding Australian individuals have been commissioned for the permanent collection. This is the largest undertaking for the Gallery’s commissioning program in its twenty-year existence.

Gustavus Brooke, c. 1865

Burman and Son

Portrait, albumen silver carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Don Walker

Don Walker (b. 1951) is considered one of Australia's best songwriters.

1 portrait in the collection

Profile of a marriage

Dr Sarah Engledow explores the lives of Sir George Grey and his wife Eliza, the subjects of a pair of wax medallions in the National Portrait Gallery's collection.

The Delltones, 1964 (printed 2019)

Ern McQuillan OAM

Fredrick Charles Burman after John Cochran

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2019

Reverend Daniel Draper, c. 1866

Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite

Purchased 2010

Making Portraits

Five Years of National Portrait Gallery Commissions

Previous exhibition, 2004

The considered matching of artist to subject has produced an amazing collection of unique and original works in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery

Archie Roach, 2008

Peter Hudson

Portrait, oil on canvas laid on composition board

Gift of the artist 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Sir George Hubert Wilkins

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2009

Sir George Hubert Wilkins (1888-1958), photographer, cinematographer, polar explorer and naturalist, spent his childhood on a farm in South Australia and became interested in photography while studying engineering and music at the University of Adelaide.

1 portrait in the collection

In the round

Andrew Sayers outlines the highlights of the National Portrait Gallery's display of portrait sculpture.

Marion Borgelt

Portrait, albumen silver photograph on paper

Marion Borgelt (b. 1954) grew up on a farm in the Wimmera district in western Victoria and attained her Diploma in Fine Art, majoring in painting, from the South Australian School of Art in 1976.

1 portrait in the collection

Edward John Eyre, 1867

Julia Margaret Cameron

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

Angus Trumble

12 October 2022

Media

Members of the Board, Foundation and staff of the National Portrait Gallery are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Angus Trumble.

Go Figure! Contemporary Chinese Portraiture

12 July 2012

Previous media releases

Exhibited simultaneously at the two locations, Go Figure! is drawn from the Sigg Collection, the largest and most significant collection of contemporary Chinese art anywhere in the world.

Paul Capsis, 2004

Esther Erlich

Portrait, oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas

Gift of the artist 2017

Provocative talks on Saturdays in September

29 August 2016

Archived media releases 2016

Join The Saturday Paper’s chief political correspondent, Karen Middleton, for A Month of Saturdays – afternoon conversations bringing current affairs experts to the Gallery for engaging, real-time discussions about the topics that matter.

Fannie Carandini, mid 1860s

Charles Hewitt

Portrait, albumen photograph on carte de visite

Purchased with funds provided by Graham Smith 2009

Arnold Shore

Magazine article by Diana Warnes, 2007

Arnold Shore, a lifelong inhabitant of Melbourne, was apprenticed to a stained glass and leadlight company called Brooks, Robinson soon after leaving school at the age of twelve.

2 portraits in the collection

Prime number

Diana Warnes discusses the portrait of the Australian mathematician Terence Tao.

Richard Divall OBE in the church mantle of the Order of Malta

Richard Divall AO OBE

Frà Professor Richard Divall AO OBE (1945–2017), conductor, composer and scholar, grew up in Manly and was educated at Manly Boys’ High School.

1 portrait in the collection

Jeffrey Smart AO

Magazine article by Stephen Valambras Graham, 2021

Jeffrey Smart (1921–2013) was an iconic realist painter, acclaimed for his urban and industrial landscapes which form one of the most original and recognisable bodies of work in the canon of Australian art.

6 portraits in the collection

Nannultera, a young cricketer of the Natives' Training Institution, Poonindie , 1854 John Michael Crossland

The catechist and the cricketer

Stephen Valambras Graham traverses the intriguing socio-political terrain behind two iconic First Nations portraits of the 1850s.

Before Too Long

Magazine article by Simon Elliott, 2004

The story behind the creation of the portrait of singer-songwriter Paul Kelly by the artist Jon Campbell.

Lyndall Hobbs and Marilyn at the Come as your favourite blonde party, Blitz Club, London, 1979 Robert Rosen

Shiny, happy people

Magazine article by Glynis Jones, 2022

Glynis Jones on the Powerhouse’s retrospective of one of Australia’s foremost fashion reportage and social photographers.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), army officer and hero, was the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1828 to 1830.

1 portrait in the collection

What the tree saw: David Foster, 2018

by Jacqui Stockdale

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2010

Commissioned with funds provided by the Sid and Fiona Myer Family Foundation 2018

Feel the music

Dr Christopher Chapman discusses the portrait of Australian composer Paul Grabowsky by photographer Martin Philbey.

Give me five

Magazine article by Karen Quinlan AM, 2021

National Portrait Gallery director Karen Quinlan AM nominates her quintet of favourites from the collection, with early twentieth-century ‘selfies’ filling the roster.

Be bold

Magazine article by Katherine Russell, 2007

The name of Florence Broadhurst, one of Australia’s most significant wallpaper and textile designers, is now firmly cemented in the canon of Australian art and design.

All there in black and white

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2007

The National Portrait Gallery acquired a beguiling silhouette group portrait by Samuel Metford, an English artist who spent periods of his working life in America.

References

About the exhibition curator Claire Roberts, and writers Eugene Wang and Zhang Letian.

Louis Claude de Saulces de Freycinet

Louis-Claude Desaulses de Freycinet (1779–1842), hydrographer and cartographer, sailed with Nicolas Baudin on the Expédition aux terres australes, a journey of discovery, commissioned by Napoléon, to the unknown southern coast of New Holland.

1 portrait in the collection

Desert Island Discs

Magazine article by Magda Keaney, 2002

I agonized over the choice of four songs to take with me to the ABC Studios for Alex Sloan’s Canberra 666 afternoon program, a sort of iteration of the old BBC Desert Island Discs.

Heart of Darkness

Magda Keaney talks with Bill Leak about his bold new portrait of Robert Hughes in the National Portrait Gallery collection.

Courage, Self-analysis and Skill

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2002

The story behind George Lambert's Self-portrait with Gladioli.

The Stories Beneath

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

The Alcoa World Alumina Australia gift.

The Multifarious Career of George Selth Coppin

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2004

George Selth Coppin (1819-1906) comedian, impresario and entrepreneur, was a driving force of the early Australian theatre.

You beauty

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2010

Joanna Gilmour explores the fact and fictions surrounding the legendary life of Irish-born dancer Lola Montez.

The blue of the dawn, 2009 by Vittoria Dussoni

NPPP 2011 exhibition essay

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2010

Dr Sarah Engledow, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2011 Prize.

The God-shaped hole

Exploring the photographs of Martin Schoeller, Michael Desmond delves into the uneasy pact that exists between celebrity and the camera.

Portrait of Private Edward Lello 1915 by Darge Photographic Company

Final frame

Magazine article by Karl James, 2016

Karl James reflects on soldier portraiture during the Great War.

Trevor Jamieson, 2016 by Brett Canet-Gibson

The more things change...

NPPP 2017 exhibition essay

Magazine article by Christine Clark, 2011

Dr Sarah Engledow, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2017 Prize.

Man of the year

Exhibition curator Christine Clark introduces the work by Indonesian artist Agus Suwage created for Beyond the self: Contemporary portraiture from Asia.

Poets' Portraits

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

The Portrait Gallery's paintings of two poets, Les Murray and Peter Porter, demonstrate two very different artists' responses to the challenge of representing more than usually sensitive and imaginative men.

In good company

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2015

Jean Appleton’s 1965 self portrait makes a fine addition to the National Portrait Gallery’s collection writes Joanna Gilmour.

Staying home

True south #2

Joanna Gilmour brings a mindful Douglas Mawson’s perspective to bear on the concept of isolation.

Untitled, Conductors, Tramways series, 1990 © Matt Nettheim

Back track

Magazine article by Diana Warnes, 2016

Penelope Grist finds photographer Matt Nettheim re-visiting a formative and fulfilling career tram stop.

Anatomist's eye

Robert Hannaford has completed around 400 portraits over the span of his career.

Corporate Characters

Magazine article by Gillian Raymond, 2005

A collection of thirty-seven caricatures by the artist Joe Greenberg capture the heroes and villians of Australian business in the 1980s.

Noel McKenna

Explore The Popular Pet Show

It’s a matter beyond dispute that in the entire history of Australian art, it’s Noel McKenna who’s painted the liveliest rendition of the head of a Chihuahua.

Desperately seeking Sonia

Magazine article by Angus Trumble, 2015

Esther Erlich’s portrait of Lady McMahon.

The fat of the land

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2009

Sir Sidney Kidman (1857-1935) is inscribed in Australian legend as the ‘Cattle King’.

Head, hand, heart

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2007

An extensive selection of portraits by John Brack were on display at the National Portrait Gallery in late 2007.

Portfolio of 54 portraits compiled by Queen Victoria, 1859–1861 by John Jabez Edwin Mayall, Camille Silvy, Frances Day and William Bambridge

Queen of cartes

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2019

Joanna Gilmour discusses the role of the carte de visite in portraiture’s democratisation, and its harnessing by Victoria, the world’s first media monarch.

Black tie or wombat: How formal should I go?

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2008

Michael Desmond discusses the portrait of Senator Neville Bonner by Robert Campbell Jnr.

Generous Janice

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2013

Dr Sarah Engledow puts four gifts to the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection in context.

Penny Fowler AM, John Barrington AM, Heidi Victoria, Elizabeth Dibbs, Tom Mosby, Hayley Baillie, Hugo Michell, Elizabeth Pakchung, Valerie Tam

The Board

Governance & Board

The Board oversees the Gallery's strategic directions, objectives and governance.

A non-material and non-physical portrait

Lecture, 21 May 2011

Magazine article by Dr Anne Sanders, 2013

Inner Worlds features the recently commissioned portrait of world-renowned philosopher of consciousness David Chalmers by Melbourne-based artist Nick Mourtzakis.

Pop poet

Dr Anne Sanders previews the works in the new focus exhibition Paul Kelly and The Portraits.

Diamond Doll

Magazine article by Karen Vickery, 2016

Karen Vickery delights in a thespian thread of the Australian yarn.

Thinking about architecture and portraiture

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2009

Dr Christopher Chapman describes the experimental exhibition Portraits + Architecture

The Window Seat, 1907 by Frances Hodgkins

Kiwi magpie

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2018

Penelope Grist finds inspiration in pioneering New Zealand artist, Frances Hodgkins.

Thua Tich, South Vietnam, 1969-06 by Christopher Bellis

The jungle look

Magazine article by David Gist, 2019

David Gist steps beyond the public relations veneer of Australia’s official Vietnam War portrait photographs.

Forest Creek, Mount Alexander Diggings, 1852 by S. T. Gill

The Rothschilds, the Montefiores, and the Victorian Gold Rush

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2009

Some years ago my colleague Andrea Wolk Rager and I spent several days in the darkened basement of a Rothschild Bank, inspecting every one of the nearly 700 autochromes created immediately before World War I by the youthful Lionel de Rothschild.

Of ice and men

Frank Hurley's celebrated images document the heroism and minutiae of Australian exploration in Antarctica.

Director John Duigan and actor Judy Davis on the set of ‘Winter of our Dreams’, Sydney, 1981 by Robert McFarlane

Natural born stiller

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2016

Penelope Grist speaks to Robert McFarlane about shooting for the stars.

Studio portrait of Lord Kitchener, British Secretary of State for War, 1914 by J Russell & Sons

All the way with K of K

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2016

Sarah Engledow bristles at the biographers’ neglect of Kitchener’s antipodean intervention.

Yanyuwa young men, The Song Peoples Sessions CD Launch Rehearsals, Yanyuwa Country, 2012 Benjamin Warlngundu Ellis

Us being ourselves

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2022

Penelope Grist talks to photographer Benjamin Warlngundu Ellis about capturing moments, telling stories and keeping Culture strong.

Splendid, many-splendoured

Magazine article by Sandra Bruce, 2021

Sandra Bruce gazes on love and the portrait through Australian Love Stories’ multi-faceted prism.

Drawing inspiration

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2017

Christopher Chapman absorbs the gentle touch of Don Bachardy’s portraiture.

Murray frees himself from straightjacket in public, 1928 by Sam Hood

Risky business

Magazine article by John Zubrzycki, 2016

John Zubrzycki lauds the characters of the Australian escapology trade.

Friends and Acquaintances

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

Dr. Sarah Engledow discusses a collection of drawings and prints by the Victorian artist Rick Amor acquired in 2005.

Earth to earth

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2013

Dr Sarah Engledow discusses the recent gift of works by David Campbell.

Fiona McMonagle

Explore The Popular Pet Show

Fiona aims to create a dangerous situation with a flood of water on the paper, forcing each work to the point where it can fail, and then rescuing it.

Uncommon Australians

The vision of Gordon and Marilyn Darling

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2013

Sarah Engledow writes about Gordon and Marilyn Darling and their support for the National Portrait Gallery throughout its evolution.

History

About us

How the National Portrait Gallery and its unique collection came to be

Seeing stars

Joanna Gilmour explores photographic depictions of Aboriginal sportsmen including Lionel Rose, Dave Sands, Jerry Jerome and Douglas Nicholls.

The artist and her family, c. 1854 by Martha Berkeley

Presence and absence

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2018

The art of Australia’s colonial women painters affords us an invaluable, alternative perspective on the nascent nation-building project.

The art of Inner Worlds

Lecture, 7 May 2011

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2018

Dr Christopher Chapman NPG Curator of Inner Worlds explains the development of an exhibition that spans from Surrealism to contemporary art.

Material culture

The Rajah Quilt’s narrative promptings are as intriguing as the textile is intricate.

Helen Blaxland judging flower arrangements, c. 1940s photographer unknown

Petal to the mettle

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2019

Sarah Engledow lauds the very civil service of Dame Helen Blaxland.

You are who?

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2022

Joanna Gilmour reflects on merging collections and challenging traditional assumptions around portraiture in WHO ARE YOU.

The Art Lovers - Megan, 2013 by Gary Grealy

Everybody, look serious

NPPP 2014 exhibition essay

Dr Sarah Engledow, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2014 Prize.

Rick Amor: 21 Portraits

Sarah Engledow chronicles Rick Amor's work and accomplishments in this extensive essay in conjunction with the exhibition Rick Amor: 21 Portraits.

Less than six degrees of separation

Lecture, 28 May 2011