Smaller in scale than its neighbouring NGA, the National Portrait Gallery is nonetheless packed with impressively varied artworks depicting the famous – and not-quite-famous – faces of Australia. Far from a building full of artsy selfies, the portraiture on display at the NPG reveals threads of Australian history and its evolving identity through the faces of icons both political and cultural – the late Howard Arkley’s technicolour rendering of Nick Cave is understandably one of the gallery’s most recognisable pieces. Interactive workshops (Little Faces) for kids are run on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of the month, with a coffee from the gallery café at the ready for carers and free parking if you can snag a space. Accessible within the Parliamentary Triangle, the NPG is a worthwhile lunchbreak escape for business travellers who want to refresh the eyeballs and refocus the mind.

National Portrait Gallery | King Edward Terrace, Parkes

 

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