National Library of Australia

Explore the National Library's digitised Pictures

Our rich and varied Pictures Collection focuses on Australian people, places and events, from European exploration of the South Pacific to contemporary events. You can now view more than 100 500 of these items online. Have a look at the astonishing artworks from the Ducie Collection of First Fleet Art, stunning photographs by Frank Hurley and Wolfgang Sievers or Ellis Rowan’s botanical watercolours.

Explore our digitised Pictures Collection by viewing the selection showcased below, browsing through all digitised Pictures in our Pictures catalogue or reading selected articles and essays. To review our progress read Pictures digitisation - progress so far and Digitisation - overview.

More Pictures

Other online resources

October Curator's Choice

This image, held by the Pictures Collection of the National Library, is part of the Ducie Collection. The collection, acquired in 2004, contains 56 watercolours attributed to George Raper, a midshipman on the Sirius, flagship of the First Fleet. Raper's watercolours detail the flora and fauna of the Port Jackson area between 1788 and 1790. It recently featured in Betty Churcher's Hidden Treasures series, screened on ABC Television.