National Museum of Australia partners with Australian Geographic
15 August 2019
An exhibition of iconic photographs and stories from Australia’s outback, bush and coast will tour the country as part of an unprecedented partnership between the National Museum of Australia and Australian Geographic.
Opening first at Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba on 15 August, A Portrait of Australia: Stories Through the Lens of Australian Geographic features a stunning display of large format photographic prints and unites the expertise of Australian Geographic’s acclaimed photographers and the National Museum’s interpretive storytelling experience.
The photographs will tour Australia for at least two years and have been drawn from a book, A Portrait of Australia, which was produced to celebrate 30 years of Australian Geographic’s magazine.
National Museum director, Dr Mathew Trinca, said, ‘This is a marvellous opportunity to take Australian stories to venues around the country by combining the National Museum’s exhibition and curatorial expertise with Australian Geographic’s 30 years of unparalleled photographic coverage of Australia’s land, nature and people.’
‘This exhibition celebrates the bush, the outback, the coast and the people who live and work there. Featuring photographs from the Australian Geographic archive, it will transport you to some of the most rugged and remote parts of the country where you will discover the remarkable stories of ordinary Australians,’ Dr Trinca said.
Australian Geographic’s Editor-in-chief, Chrissie Goldrick, said, ‘We are thrilled to be partnering with the National Museum of Australia. Both organisations strive to tell authentic Australian stories using the very finest storytelling methods, whether it be words, images or objects. These beautifully presented exhibitions transform our words and pictures into a truly immersive experience.’
Queensland Museum Network CEO, Dr Jim Thompson, said visitors to the Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba will see a collection of photographs showcasing people and places across the country.
‘We are delighted to be the very first touring venue for this exhibition. We have a proud history of telling stories at Queensland Museum Network and A Portrait of Australia: Stories Through the Lens of Australian Geographic is a great fit for Cobb+Co Museum in Toowoomba,’ he said.
‘I’m sure visitors from Toowoomba to Tambo and Brisbane to Birdsville will marvel at the amazing photographs that capture Australia’s spirit,’ Dr Thompson said.
Over the next few years, venues around the country can select from a collection of about 60 photographs to tell their own regional stories — and the stories of the nation.
The exhibition will be on display in Toowoomba from 15 August until 24 November 2019.
A Portrait of Australia will also travel to:
- Bribie Island Seaside Museum, Bongaree, Queensland, 28 February to 24 May 2020
- SEEN@Swansea, Swansea Library, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, 5 June to 2 August 2021
- Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland, Queensland (dates to be announced)
- Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre, Katherine, Northern Territory (dates to be announced)
- South East Arts Regional Development Association, New South Wales (dates to be confirmed
Media contact: Diana Streak, 02 6208 5091 | 0422 536 064 or media@nma.gov.au
Queensland Museum Network: Glenn Price, 07 3840 7507 | 0407 128 995 or glenn.price@qm.qld.gov.au
