National Portrait Gallery (Australia)

National Portrait Gallery building
Established	May 1998
Location	Parkes, Australian Capital Territory
Type	Portrait Gallery
Curator	Dr Christopher Chapman
Website	http://www.portrait.gov.au

The National Portrait Gallery of Australia is a collection of portraits of prominent Australians that are important in their field of endeavour or whose life sets them apart as an individual of long-term public interest. On 4 December 2008, its permanent home opened on King Edward Terrace, Canberra beside the High Court of Australia.

The collection was established in May 1998, and until 2008 was housed in Old Parliament House and in a nearby gallery on Commonwealth Place. The Commonwealth Place Gallery focused on contemporary portraits and has a particular emphasis on photography.

The permanent building for the gallery lies in the Parliamentary Triangle, and is of concrete and timber construction.

Patron

In December 2010, the gallery appointed Tim Mathieson as its Patron. Tim Mathieson is the partner of the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard.^[1] The previous patrons were Therese Rein (wife of former prime minister Kevin Rudd) and Janette Howard (wife of former prime minister John Howard).

References

1. ^ The Australian, "Julia Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson new patron of National Portrait Gallery", 16 Dec 2010, accessed 19 Jan 2011.

External links

• National Portrait Gallery
• History of Exhibitions

Coordinates: 35°18′00″S 149°08′02″E / 35.3°S 149.13389°E / -35.3; 149.13389