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Art Gallery of New South Wales Tickets: Nolan Origins Exhibition
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Up to 19 hours before the experience starts

Highlights

  • Explore 100 major works from the painter who rewrote Australia's visual mythology, in the first major AGNSW Nolan survey in nearly 20 years.
  • The Ned Kelly series (1946-47), painted in enamel on composition board, anchors the show alongside loaned works from public and private collections.
  • Explore five distinct Australian landscapes, from St Kilda and Wimmera to Central Australia, tracing how geography shaped his singular visual language.
  • Self-guided access over a four-month run; Wednesday evenings stay open until 10pm for a quieter gallery visit.
  • Several works carry Cultural Objects on Loan Act 2013 protection, making this gathering of pieces unlikely to recur once the show ends.

Your Experience

Your ticket gives you self-guided, unhurried access to the most in-depth survey of Nolan's formative Australian years at the AGNSW in nearly 20 years, with no set time limit on your visit.

Getting started

The exhibition is at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Art Gallery Road in the Domain, Sydney. Head into the Naala Nura building and take the escalator or elevator down to Lower Level 2. Present your ticket — printed or on your phone — at the exhibition entrance for validation.

What to expect

Nolan: Origins

Sidney Nolan is the artist credited with redefining how Australia saw itself, best known for the Ned Kelly series and his epic portrayals of the outback and the national psyche.

  • Around 100 major works span the full arc of his years in Australia before he relocated to the United Kingdom in 1953, the period widely regarded as the most inventive of his career.

  • The Ned Kelly series (1946-47), painted in enamel on composition board, sits at the heart of the show: radically simplified paintings that turned a 19th-century outlaw into an armoured silhouette and made Nolan one of the most recognised names in Australian modernism.

  • The exhibition traces his engagement with five Australian landscapes: the suburban beachside of St Kilda, the flat Wimmera plains, K'gari, the red earth of Central Australia, and the north-eastern Victorian bush country where Kelly's story unfolded.

  • His engagement with place was never passive: mythological figures, creatures, and personal inner meanings reveal an artist interrogating what it meant to belong to, and paint, a country in the act of building its own identity.

  • Several works are on loan from public and private collections and are protected under the Cultural Objects on Loan Act 2013, making this one of the most significant assemblies of his early work ever mounted in Australia.

  • Use the free Dora companion app on your own device for audio commentary on individual works throughout the show.

Inclusions & Exclusions

  • Entry to Art Gallery NSW
  • Access to Nolan: Origins Exhibition (3 October 2026 – 7 February 2027)
  • Access to Ainsworth Gallery and The Tank
  • Access to permanent art displays
  • Access to other paid exhibitions
  • Early access tickets
  • Exhibition publication/catalogue
  • Guided tours of the exhibition

This product offers multiple ticket options. Some items above (like transfers or fast-track access) may only apply to specific options — confirm what's included when you select yours.

Ticket Delivery

  • Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.
  • Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.
  • Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation up to 19 hours before the experience starts.

Frequently asked questions

Clear answers to the most common questions travelers ask before booking this experience.

Booking FAQs

Bring your valid ticket, either printed or on your mobile device, valid photo ID for verification

Flash photography, selfie sticks, and tripods are not permitted Touching artworks, sculptures, and installations is not allowed Large bags are not permitted in galleries; free cloaking is available Food and drinks may only be consumed in the gallery's dining areas

The exhibition spans Lower Levels 2 and 4 of the Naala Badu building Both exhibition levels are accessible by elevator, ramp, and escalator Free wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available at the welcome hub Companion cardholders enter free — present your card at the welcome hub Guide, hearing, and assistance dogs are welcome throughout the gallery

Exhibition dates: 3 October 2026 – 7 February 2027 The gallery is open daily 10am–5pm, and on Wednesdays until 10pm The gallery closes on Christmas Day and Good Friday each year Photography is permitted for personal use unless signage says otherwise Children under 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times Switch your mobile phone to silent when inside the exhibition space Early access tickets offering 9:30am entry are available separately

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