Australia’s national art collection bursts with luminaries. Seek out Australian masterpieces like Tom Roberts’ In a Corner on the Macintyre, Russell Drysdale’s The Drover’s Wife and Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly series, and roam galleries graced with works by Paul Cézanne, Andy Warhol and David Hockney.

The gallery is home to Pablo Picasso’s celebrated Vollard Suite etchings and Jackson Pollock’s painting Blue Poles. Purchased by the gallery in 1973, the latter’s $1.3 million price tag broke records in both the US and Australia. The sale sparked feverish national debate about political extravagance and the value of abstract art. In hindsight, it was a worthy investment: Blue Poles’ estimated value is now up to $100 million.

Each of the painted log coffins in the NGA’s lobby represent a year of European settlement between 1788 and 1988; a powerful memorial to Indigenous Australians created by 43 artists from Central Arnhem Land.

Check the NGA website for temporary exhibitions and special events.

Practical Info

Parkes Pl, Parkes

Opening hours: Daily 10am-5pm

Admission: Free; some temporary exhibitions ticketed

Transport: Bus 2 or 59

nga.gov.au