Pictures

The Library's Pictures collection is one of the nation's richest sources of visual documentation of Australian history and society.

Our rich and varied Pictures collection focuses on Australian people, places and events, from European exploration of the South Pacific to contemporary events.

Comprising photographs, prints, drawings, watercolours, cartoons, miniatures, paintings, architectural plans, objects and sculpture, the collection documents the lives of past and present Australians, and the communities and landscapes they inhabit.

People seeking historical images of Australian towns and landscapes, portraits of public figures, images of colonial life, early illustrations of Australian flora and fauna, political cartoons or contemporary photographs of popular culture and current events, will find the collection invaluable.

Our extensive photographic collections date from the invention of photography from the mid-nineteenth century until the present, ranging from early daguerreotypes and tintypes to contemporary digital images. Twentieth century Australian documentary photography is particularly well represented. 

Highlights

Explore our Pictures collection by viewing the highlights below: