Skip to main content
Menu

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Self portrait (Hilda in the Chinoise hat)

Hilda Rix Nicholas

Biography

Emily Hilda Rix left Australia in March 1907, having trained for three years at the National Gallery School.

1 portrait in the collection

Self portrait (Hilda in the Chinoise hat)
Self portrait (Hilda in the Chinoise hat)
Self portrait (Hilda in the Chinoise hat)

Self portrait (Hilda in the Chinoise hat), c. 1913

Hilda Rix Nicholas
Portrait, pastel and coloured pencil on paper

Gift of Bronwyn Wright 2013. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Self portrait

Give me five

Magazine article by Karen Quinlan AM, 2021

National Portrait Gallery director Karen Quinlan AM nominates her quintet of favourites from the collection, with early twentieth-century ‘selfies’ filling the roster.

Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)

Hilda Spong

Biography

Hilda Spong (1875-1955), actress, came to Australia with her family when she was thirteen.

1 portrait in the collection

Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)

Practising the Minuet

'Who was Hilda Spong?'
Portrait story

Broadway star Miss Hilda Spong was painted by Tom Roberts in 1893.

Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)
Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)
Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)

Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong), 1893

Tom Roberts
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Ian Potter Foundation 2008

Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)

An actress and her fans

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2008

Dr. Sarah Engledow discovers the amazing life of Ms. Hilda Spong, little remembered star of the stage, who was captured in a portrait by Tom Roberts.

Jimmy Melrose and his mother Hilda Westley
Jimmy Melrose and his mother Hilda Westley
Jimmy Melrose and his mother Hilda Westley

Jimmy Melrose and his mother Hilda Westley, 1934

an unknown artist
Portrait, silver gelatin photograph on paper

Gift of Sally Douglas 2024

image not online

William Nicholas

Biography

William Nicholas was born near London and is believed to have trained with English printmaker A.M Huffam.

2 portraits in the collection

Study for portrait of Nicholas Paspaley Jnr

Nicholas Paspaley Jnr

Biography

Nicholas Paspaley Jnr AC (b. 1948) is chair of the Paspaley Group of Companies, with interests in pearling, aviation, retail, pastoral holdings and commercial properties in Australia and internationally.

2 portraits in the collection

Nicholas Chevalier

Nicholas Chevalier

Biography

Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902) was a Russian-born artist who came to the Victorian goldfields in 1855 and stayed in the colony as a cartoonist for Punch.

1 portrait in the collection

image not online

Nicholas Harding

Biography

Nicholas Harding (1956–2022) was one of Australia's most highly regarded artists, known for his portraits and drawings, and his light-filled, vigorously painted images of the bush and the coast.

5 portraits in the collection

image not online

Nicholas Hope

Biography

Nicholas Hope (b. 1959), shot to international fame in art movie circles as the star of Bad Boy Bubby, a cult Australian film directed by Rolf de Heer and released in 1994.

1 portrait in the collection

George Nicholas

George Nicholas CBE

Biography

George Nicholas CBE (1884-1960), pharmacist and philanthropist, grew up in South Australia and Victoria.

1 portrait in the collection

Nicholas Whitlam, Head of the NSW Rural Bank

Nicholas Whitlam

Biography

Nicholas Whitlam is a banker and company director. He has over thirty years experience in all aspects of banking and finance; in recent years he has been active in major corporate re-organizations and reconstructions, in Australia and overseas, and has served as an adviser to Deutsche Bank AG.

1 portrait in the collection

Nicolas Baudin, Capitaine de Vaisseau. Commandant I'Expedition pour le tour du Monde et Specialement relatif aux Sciences et auz Arts, entreprise en I'An gme, 1800

Nicholas Baudin

Biography

Nicolas Thomas Baudin (1754–1803), cartographic surveyor and naturalist, was sent by the French government to survey the coast of Australia in 1800.

1 portrait in the collection

© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency