Experience the wonder of two decades of award-winning nature photography as a new exhibition opens at National Archives of Australia.

For 20 years, the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition has seen emerging and established photographers capture the remarkable flora, fauna and landscapes of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. Over two decades, it has received thousands of entries from across the world and is now a much-loved fixture on the international photography scene.

The 20 Years of Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition, open now at National Archives, showcases the winning entries from each year since the competition’s inception.

National Archives Director-General Simon Froude is thrilled that the collection of awarded photographs is now on display.

“These expertly captured images celebrate the unique diversity of our natural world,” Froude said.

“Nature photography continues to move, amaze and inspire us – and visitors can experience this best by taking their time to enjoy this exhibition.”

The exhibition is on tour from the South Australian Museum, which has produced the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition and exhibition since 2009.

Visitors will have the chance to view 20 winning images, one from each year of the competition, with 16 category winners from 2024 presented digitally.

Images on display capture nature at its rawest and finest. From sky-high scenes of epic battles to the sombre depths of an octopus’s garden, each photograph offers an arresting scene of nature in action.

Last year’s winner, Samuel Markham, captured the incredible moment of being in the eye of a firestorm. 2016 winner Matthew McIntosh’s photograph features a close up of mosquitoes feasting on the forehead of a treefrog, while 2010 winner Glenn Ehmke captures a face-off between a Gentoo penguin and an elephant seal.

The exhibition also documents the changes in photographic technology over the past two decades. New developments include smartphones and aerial drones – demonstrated by Mat Beetson in his 2019 aerial shot of sharks circling a humpback whale carcass near Cheynes Beach, Western Australia.

The collection of images is visually stunning, but it also compels visitors to think critically about the changing natural world around us.

Singularly, these photographs capture a moment in time, but together they document a 20-year journey of our changing environment and ecological challenges.

The competition was first conceived in 2004 by Dr Stuart Miller AM, a Western Australian surgeon and keen nature photographer, with the aim of stoking the public’s fascination with the natural world.

“Twenty years ago, I felt that the unique natural history of this quadrant of the globe warranted its own celebration with a world-standard annual photographic competition,” said Dr Miller.

“This remarkable retrospective is the best of two decades of competition and should not be

missed. As you enjoy these wondrous photos, consider what we risk losing. Each of us can contribute to nature’s conservation.”

While the competition and exhibition has evolved over the years, it continues to offer unique outlooks across a range of categories and represent a varied survey of our region’s biosphere.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get up close and personal with wildlife – all in the comfort of National Archives’ gallery space, of course!

20 Years of Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year is a South Australian Museum exhibition supported by Australian Geographic and Dr Stuart Miller AM.

The exhibition is open at National Archives of Australia in Parkes ACT until 27 April 2025.

For more information and opening hours, visit the NAA website here.