What is the National Gallery of Australia?
The National Gallery of Australia, in Canberra, holds the national art collection. Opened in 1982, it has more than 150,000 works of Australian, First Nations and international art.
The gallery stands on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin in the Parliamentary Triangle. Its concrete brutalist building was designed by Colin Madigan and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in October 1982.
The gallery is famous for buying Jackson Pollock's Blue Poles in 1973 for 1.3 million dollars. The purchase caused a public uproar, but the painting is now worth many times that amount.
Highlights
The Aboriginal Memorial, made of 200 painted hollow log coffins by artists from Ramingining, honours Aboriginal people who died defending their land. It was created for 1988.
The Sculpture Garden features works among native plants. Major exhibitions bring international art to Canberra.
Entry to the collection is free.
Its collection includes works by Sidney Nolan, including his famous Ned Kelly series, as well as paintings by Monet, Warhol and Rothko. A Know My Name initiative has highlighted the work of Australian women artists.
Did You Know?
Blue Poles was the most expensive painting by an American artist at the time of its purchase.