The National Portrait Gallery is an award-winning building situated within Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle, the symbolic centre of Australia’s capital city on Ngunnawal and Ngambri land. The Gallery began its life in 1998 with the idea that the story of Australia could be told through portraits of our most remarkable citizens. The current building opened in 2008, featuring nine galleries arranged on one level, providing exhibition space for about 500 portraits for our visitors.
The Gallery houses the national collection of portraits of Australians, reflecting the breadth and energy of Australian culture and endeavour. Subjects in the collection are individuals who have made a significant contribution to Australian life. As part of a group of national collecting institutions, the Gallery is unique in its exclusive use of portraiture to explore Australian culture, history, achievement and identity. The Gallery provides a forum for the free and respectful discussion of national identity. We focus on both subject and artist.
Building on past achievement, and to continue to develop the Gallery as an inspirational art gallery of international standing accessible to all Australians, the current Corporate Plan 2022–23 identifies four strategic pillars which seek to:
- Enliven the collection
- Engage with audiences
- Increase support
- Invest in people and resources
