Andrew Chapman: The Green Bus

Hop on and ride! The Green Bus takes exhibition viewers on a photographic journey through the familiar streets of the city. 

Melbourne is the muse of photographer Andrew Chapman, who has spent much of his life documenting our metropolis and the events that have fashioned it. Through a selection of 55 photographs spanning 55 years from 1971, he reveals the social history and community life that have played out on the streets and in the spaces that bring the city’s people together.

Photo: Andrew Chapman (supplied)
Photo: Andrew Chapman (supplied)

Without nostalgia but with a candid and curious eye, he points to the traces of the past that mark the passage of time and the chimeric promises of urban life in the 21st century.

The exhibition is also a personal photographic journey. The ‘Green Bus’ from Elsternwick to the city centre made possible Chapman’s early journeys of discovery, which have fuelled his lifelong interest in the city. 

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May

Melbourne: Until March 2027. Rehearsing the City presents archival photographs from Victoria’s government collections, alongside new work by contemporary street photographers.

June

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

August

Melbourne: Until 15 November 2026. This exhibition will present the most comprehensive survey of the work of the eminent Hungarian-born, French photographer Brassaï yet to be seen in Australia.

Sydney: 24 August 2026 – 18 July 2027. Featuring almost 200 images and original prints personally selected by Dupain for magazine and book publishers, the exhibition reveals the extraordinary breadth of his work.

September

Melbourne: Multiple exhibitions including – Bowness Photography Prize 2026 + Sarah Rhodes | The Inner Sky. Both until 8 November 2026.

October

Perth: Until 31 January 2027. The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) presents No night is long enough for us to dream twice, a major exhibition of contemporary photography and video, bringing together more than 100 works by seven living artists and one artist duo from across South West Asia, North Africa and its many diasporas.

Sydney: 10 October – 14 November 2026. Metropolis: Street Photography 1985–2025 displays over four decades of life within the modern human environment. The work transitions from the tough, film-noir streets of 1980’s New York to the time surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall – to the modern colour saturated, hard-shadowed geometry of contemporary Australian streets.

Brisbane: Until 1 November 2026. The finalist exhibition of the 2026 Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards brings together striking photographic works that capture the city’s spirit — from familiar streets and riverside scenes to the fleeting moments, routines and characters that make Brisbane feel like home.

Sydney: Until 31 October 2027. Explore five decades of extraordinary photography by one of Australia’s most important and influential photojournalists, Lorrie Graham.

November

Sydney: 6 to 29 November 2026. Head On Head On curated exhibitions at Bondi, Paddington Reservoir Gardens and various affiliated galleries for the month of November.