National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery displays a collection of portraits by the well known Australian artists. These artists are famous for their contribution in the field of art. The collection of National Portrait Gallery was established in May 1998. It is presently housed in Old Parliament House and partly in the close by gallery on Commonwealth Place.

On the nearby King Edward Terrace a permanent home for the gallery is being constructed beside the High Court of Australia. The contemporary portraits with special emphasis on photography are the main attractions of the exhibition of National Portrait Gallery at Commonwealth Place.

National Portrait Gallery in Canberra is section of the Federal Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. The National Capital Authority looks after the Commonwealth Place. The National Portrait Gallery of Australia is growing rapidly since its establishment in May 1998. The maximum number of works in the collection have been gifted by the generous donors.

The idea for the collection was put forward by the well known painter Tom Roberts in the early years of the 20th Century. This idea finally led to the formation of the Gallery in 1998.