Australian Life Photography Exhibition

Photo: Phil Duval
Photo: Phil Duval

Australian Life is one of the nation’s biggest photography prizes.

Take an intimate journey through contrasting scenes of community, curiosity and yearning with this year’s Australian Life photography prize finalists.

From intimate portraits to larger-than-life spectacles, these 28 images encapsulate Australia’s unique personality.

Every image demands a response, and some may linger in your mind beyond leaving them.

Young love, struggle, ordinary activities, quiet reflections, and renewed vitality – these documented moments represent a multitude of stories that make up Australian Life.

About Australian Life

For more than 15 years, amateur and professional photographers have sent in their epic and intimate images of Australia. The finalists, and the $10,000 grand prize winner, were chosen by a panel of professional photographers, artists, and curators.

The City of Sydney produces Australian Life as part of Art & About Sydney, an ongoing program of temporary art projects in unusual spaces.

See all the finalists and grand prize winner in the online gallery. You can also vote for your favourite image in the people’s choice award.

2023 Finalists

  • Theodore Miller
  • Chris Round
  • Adrian Plitzco
  • Jamie James
  • Robert Knapman
  • Grace Lillia Faith Taranto-Jones
  • Zorica Purlija
  • Richard Hughes
  • Samuel Ferris
  • Jaiver Alexis Rendon Diaz
  • Louise Kennerley
  • m ellen burns
  • Francis Macindoe
  • Trent Mitchell
  • Missa Williams
  • Neil Bailey
  • Gang Jian
  • Guy Wilkinson
  • Jasmine Poole
  • Mridula Amin
  • Edwina Pickles
  • Dion Georgopoulos
  • Josh Robenstone
  • Paul Consolacion
  • Glenn Homann
  • Emma Perry
  • Lisa Hogben
  • Bel Macedone

From 14 September, the Australian Life will be exhibited on Alfred Street in Circular Quay.

The peoples choice award voting opens on Thursday 14 September, and closes on Sunday 1 October. The winner will be announced on Thursday 5 October.

 

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

April

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Melbourne: 1 March – 25 May 2025. Featuring the work of approximately 60 artists, The Basement brings to light rare vintage prints from the 1960s – 1980s, from students and teachers of the College’s Diploma of Art & Design (Photography).

Perth: Until 18 May 2025. Henry Roy – Impossible Island draws on 40-years of recollections and observations as it brings together 113 photos taken from 1983 to 2023.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

May

Melbourne: Until 25 May. An exhibition of the mature and recent work of photographer / artists who trained at the ground-breaking Prahran CAE, Melbourne in the 1970s and '80s.

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.

Melbourne: One off event on Sunday 25 May. Photography Studies College (PSC) is calling artists, photographers, designers and technologists to be part of AI Symposium 2025 Beyond the Lens – unpacking the creative and cultural impacts of AI.

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.