© National Portrait Gallery 2025
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Judith Wright with Barbara Blackman, c. 1956
Charles Blackman OBE
Portrait, oil on paper laid down on board
Gift of Joanna McNiven 2018. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
Untitled (portrait of Barbara Blackman), 1976
Charles Blackman OBE
Portrait, charcoal on paper
Purchased 2009
Girl (portrait of Barbara Blackman), 1969
Charles Blackman OBE
Portrait, charcoal on paper
Purchased 2009
Barbara Blackman AO
Biography
Barbara Blackman AO (b. 1928), writer, poet and arts patron, was only fifteen when the ABC Weekly published one of her poems.
5 portraits in the collection
Barbara Blackman
In their own words
In their own words
Recorded 1974
Barbara Blackman, c. 1953
an unknown artist
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper
Gift of Barbara Blackman 2004
Barbara Blackman, 2008
Gorgi Dimcevski
Portrait, oil on canvas
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Barbara Blackman 2009
Restoring histories
Magazine article by Gillian Raymond, 2004
Photographic conservation practices and the restoration of the Barbara Blackman photographic portrait.
All in the Family
Magazine article by Barbara Blackman AO, 2003
In 2000, Barbara Blackman donated a portrait of her close friends - poet Judith Wright, her husband Jack McKinney and their daughter Meredith - painted by Charles Blackman.
Life class
Magazine article by Leonie Hellmers, 2004
Barbara Blackman reflects on her experiences as a life model.
Charles Blackman OBE
Biography
Charles Blackman OBE (1928–2018), artist, studied at East Sydney Technical College and worked as a press artist for the Sun newspaper before moving to Melbourne, where he came to the attention of arts patron John Reed.
9 portraits in the collection
The chase, 1952
Charles Blackman OBE
Portrait, tempera on masonite
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Rob and Paula McLean 2011
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
Charles Blackman
In their own words
In their own words
Recorded 1965
The Family
by Charles Blackman
Portrait story
Meredith McKinney, subject of Charles Blackman's 'The Family', recounts memories from her childhood and the creation of the portrait.
Portrait of Charles Blackman, 1979
Judy Cassab AO CBE
Portrait, oil on canvas
Gift of Warwick Evans 2021. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
The family, c. 1955
Charles Blackman OBE
Portrait, oil on board
Gift of Barbara Blackman 2000. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.