© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Jimmy Melrose and his mother Hilda Westley, 1934
an unknown artist
Portrait, silver gelatin photograph on paper
Gift of Sally Douglas 2024
Hilda Spong
Biography
Hilda Spong (1875-1955), actress, came to Australia with her family when she was thirteen.
1 portrait in the collection
Practising the Minuet
'Who was Hilda Spong?'
Portrait story
Broadway star Miss Hilda Spong was painted by Tom Roberts in 1893.
Self portrait (Hilda in the Chinoise hat), c. 1913
Hilda Rix Nicholas
Portrait, pastel and coloured pencil on paper
Gift of Bronwyn Wright 2013. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
Hilda Rix Nicholas
Biography
Emily Hilda Rix left Australia in March 1907, having trained for three years at the National Gallery School.
1 portrait in the collection
Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong), 1893
Tom Roberts
Portrait, oil on canvas
Purchased with funds provided by the Ian Potter Foundation 2008
An actress and her fans
Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2008
Dr. Sarah Engledow discovers the amazing life of Ms. Hilda Spong, little remembered star of the stage, who was captured in a portrait by Tom Roberts.
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.
Paris to Monaro
Pleasures from the studio of Hilda Rix Nicholas
Previous exhibition, 2013
After successfully exploring the art scenes of London, France and Morocco, Hilda Rix Nicholas settled at Knockalong, a property near Delegate, on the Monaro plain in the 1920s.
Paris to Monaro
Learning resource archive
Structured around the biography of artist Hilda Rix Nicholas, this is a companion to our 2013 exhibition Paris to Monaro. For secondary students.
The Popular Pet Show
Previous exhibition, 2016
This exhibition expresses the joy and warmth that many of us derive from our animal companions, and celebrates their trusting, unpretentious ways, with portraits of Australians and their furry, feathered and fluffy friends.
The attractions of bohemia
It's Complicated
In the company of women
William St. Leonards Robertson, c. 1869
Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Malcolm Robertson in memory of William Thomas Robertson 2018
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
William St Leonards Robertson and the Oxford boat race crew, early 1880s
Hills & Saunders
Portrait, carte de visite photograph
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Malcolm Robertson in memory of William Thomas Robertson 2018
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
Dr Sarah Engledow
Biography
Dr Sarah Engledow was appointed Historian at the National Portrait Gallery in 1999.
Triumphant weekend for Gallery at MAPDAs
25 May 2015
Archived media releases 2015
The National Portrait Gallery has had its most successful Multimedia and Publication Design Awards (MAPDAs) ever, winning four awards across multiple categories. The awards were presented at a ceremony at the Australian Maritime Museum last Friday night.