Robert McFarlane (1942–2023), photographer, was born in Glenelg, South Australia. After leaving school he began work in a small advertising agency, where his growing interest in photography was encouraged. In 1963 he moved to Sydney, where he began freelancing for magazines including the Bulletin, Vogue Australia and Walkabout. McFarlane's 1964 photograph of Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins on a Sydney bus is one of his most recognisable images. At the same time, as editor of the magazine Camera World, he began his lifelong career writing about photography. In the early 1970s he travelled and worked overseas. Since 1973 he has documented Australian society and key figures in politics and the performing arts, taking stills photographs on a great number of significant Australian films and theatre productions. He has exhibited in solo and group shows and has written regular photography criticism for the Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald. His work is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW and the National Library as well as the National Portrait Gallery.
