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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The importance of being bearded

Joanna Gilmour discovers that the beards of the ill-fated explorers Burke and Wills were as epic as their expedition to traverse Australia from south to north.

More information on The importance of being bearded

Selected images

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Charles Summers
Charles Summers, late 1860s Batchelder & Company Photo
Robert OHara Burke, 1860
Robert OHara Burke, 1860
William John Wills, 1860
William John Wills, 1860
Portrait of Robert OHara Burke, 1860
Portrait of Robert OHara Burke, 1860
Memorandum of the start of the Exploring Expedition, 1860
Memorandum of the start of the Exploring Expedition, 1860
Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition
Robert O'Hara Burke, Leader of the Victorian Expedition, 1860-1861 Henry Samuel Sadd, Fergusson & Mitchell, Melbourne after Thomas Adams Hill
William John Wills, 2nd in command of the Victorian Expedition
William John Wills, 2nd in command of the Victorian Expedition, 1860-1861 Henry Samuel Sadd, Fergusson & Mitchell, Melbourne after Thomas Adams Hill
Ludwig Becker
Ludwig Becker, 1861 Frederick Schoenfeld
Georg von Neumayer
Georg von Neumayer, c. 1860 Johnstone & Co
Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier, c. 1867 Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
10 images
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Related information

Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson
Henry Lawson

Jo's mo show

(with beards)

Previous exhibition, 2011

This exhibition illustrates changes in beards, moustaches and sideburns from the 1780s to the 1980s.
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The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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