Australian art

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Learn more about Australian art, from ancient Aboriginal artwork to Australian sculpture and contemporary Australian photography.
Get an overview of our artistic history, famous Australian artists and major art prizes.
Delve into our cities and their cultural attractions, including big Australian art galleries such as the Art Gallery of NSW and the Gallery of Modern Art Brisbane. We’ll tell you where to find the biggest contemporary art gallery in Sydney and that must-see Melbourne art gallery.
Find out where you can experience Australia’s living Aboriginal art history.  Learn about the ancient indigenous artwork of Kakadu, the Kimberley and the Flinders Ranges. Read about Canberra’s enormous collection of Aboriginal artwork or about Darwin’s art precincts, which feature more than one up-and-coming Aboriginal artist.
From the artists of Australia to aboriginal art in Australia, we have the art of Australia covered.

Aboriginal Australia

Aboriginal Australia

Aboriginal people of Australia have a rich, living culture stretching back at least 50,000 years. Get a snapshot of the diverse experiences on offer when you immerse yourself in Aboriginal Australia.
Discover places steeped in Aboriginal history in the Northern Territory. Visit Australia’s Red Centre and walk around the base of Uluru with an Anangu guide. Browse Aboriginal art in Alice Springs, where the Arrernte people have lived for 20,000 years. Learn about Dreamtime myths in the intricate rock art galleries of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.

The ancient art of Kakadu

The ancient art of Kakadu

In amongst the wetlands, wildlife and rugged gorges, World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park holds one of the highest concentrated areas of rock art in the world. As many as 5,000 Aboriginal sites have been found here, including rock art, shelters, stone tools, grindstones and ceremonial ochre. This detailed, dramatic record of life in Kakadu stretches back more than 50,000 years – from the first evidence of human occupation to the arrival of Europeans.

Australia’s cultural attractions

Australia’s cultural attractions

From national monuments to boutique galleries and open-air festivals, Australia’s cities have a rich and thriving creative culture. Attend a full-scale performance at Sydney’s iconic Opera House and discover Canberra’s treasure trove of national attractions. Contrast epic exhibitions with laneway art in Melbourne, home to the national opera and ballet companies. Soak up Aboriginal and European culture along Adelaide’s North Terrace and browse Aboriginal art or celebrate at an outdoor festival in Darwin. Explore Brisbane’s sprawling cultural spaces, from the Queensland Cultural Centre to the futuristic Powerhouse. See a play in Australia’s oldest theatre in Hobart and amble from Perth’s galleries and museums to Fremantle’s seaside art strip.

Australia’s heritage attractions

Australia’s heritage attractions

Connect to Australia’s history, from ancient Aboriginal traditions through to convict and colonial eras. Learn about Sydney’s traditional owners and see the colony’s beginnings in historic sites stretching from the harbour to Parramatta. Check out Melbourne’s grand gold boom architecture and dine, wine and shop in Brisbane’s heritage-listed buildings.  See Aboriginal and colonial art in Adelaide, near the historic German village of Hahndorf. Trace the Aboriginal lineage of Kings Park in Perth and walk with the ghosts of convicts, whalers and sailors in Hobart. Read Australia’s first constitution in Canberra and learn about Darwin’s dramatic World War II history.