Our 2026 Archibald Prize Visit

We spent a few days, just recently,  in the regional city of Geelong and nearby Torquay to see this year’s exhibition of portraits in the Archibald Prize at the gGeelong Gallery.

The Archibald Prize is Australia’s most prestigious award for portrait painting, established in 1921 through a bequest by J. F. Archibald, co-founder and editor of The Bulletin. magazine The competition is administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. For many artists, being selected as a finalist alone is career-defining, offering national recognition and opportunities for commissions and exhibitions.

Each year, the Archibald Prize exhibition tours beyond Sydney, to regional galleries across Australia giving a broader access to contemporary portraiture. Last year, the exhibition did not make it to Victoria so we were excited to see it again, this year at the charming Geelong Gallery.

As usual. the subjects commissioned and chosen spark considerable discussion — they can be celebrities, politicians, writers, community figures, or fellow artists. The prize is often the source of debate as to what constitutes a portrait, what qualifies an artist to enter, and the evolving definition of Australian identity. For me, i frequently wonder what artisitc criteria is used to choose the winner. The year was no exception.

Alongside the main award, the competition includes the Packing Room Prize, selected by gallery staff who receive the entries, and the People’s Choice Award, voted on by visitors, giving the public a voice.

The Packnig Room Prize this year was won by Abdul Abdullah, the son of my good friend, Ibrahim. Each year, I especially look out for his entry (he normally has one) as he is a gifted artist. His entry this year is a portrait of one of his good friends. I usually think that the people in the packing room have more taste than the official judges. That’s probably becaue their taste in art seems to be similar to mine.

Ibrahim is currently one of the judges on the ABC’s series called  ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’. It is a nine-part series that is well worth watching. In each episode, three artists are given the task of painting a portrait of well known identity in just four hours. The eventual winner will have their portrat hung in the Natioanl Portrait Gallery.

Here are some of the entiries in this year’s Achibald Portrait Competition that I particularly liked.

On this trip, we stayed at the RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) resort at Torquay. It is a very nice place to stay and central to some of the local attractions.

Just along the road is the famous Bell’s Beach. This beach has an international reputation as one of Australia’s premier surf destinations, making it a must-visit spot. While there isn’t much traditional “beach” at Bells—most of its beauty lies in the dramatic cliff faces— views from the cliff-top car park are nothing short of spectacular, offering a perfect vantage point to watch local surfers.

We visited Van Loon’s nursery which was a liittle further way and had lunch in their cafe. It is an outstanding plant nursery and a wonderful place for gardeners. It has an expansive gift shop in which we made a considerable set of purchases.

Back in Geelong, I found a new (to me) bollard at the Geelong Visitor’s Centre. This one represents a tour guide.

There are more than 100 of these large painted bollards made from the piles of an old pier. Most have been placed along the foreshore, along the waterfront and at the Botanic Gardens. They represent a numerous way of showing the city’s past, and its characters.

Be quick if you want to visit the Archibald Exhibition. It closes on November 9.