National Portrait Gallery
An art gallery that tells Australian history through portraits, from Captain Cook to contemporary celebrities. The building has won a national architecture award.
The National Portrait Gallery moved to its current home in 2008. Its collection holds thousands of paintings, photographs, and sculptural portraits. It covers colonial pioneers, Indigenous leaders, athletes, actors, and scientists, and it tells the story of Australian society through individual lives. Entry to the permanent exhibition is free. Opening hours are roughly 10:00 to 17:00. The café inside faces the lakeside lawns. It sits next to the National Gallery of Australia, so you can visit both together.
Opening hours
Daily 10:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- High Court of Australia
- National Gallery of Australia
- Questacon
- Old Parliament House (Museum of Australian Democracy)
- National Library of Australia
- National Carillon
- Captain Cook Memorial Jet
- Commonwealth Park & Floriade