To most, the portrait of this frail, elderly woman might go unnoticed hanging on the gallery wall, but to those with a sense of history the story of this unsung Aussie heroine is remarkable. Code-named “The White Mouse” by the Nazi Gestapo in occupied Paris in 1940, Nancy Wake went on to etch her name in history. Not only did she help save the lives of hundreds of downed Allied aircrew, but she was also later trained in espionage and participated in combat operations against the conquering German forces. Some of Nancy Wake’s military awards were the British George Medal, the Medal of Freedom from America and three Croix de Guerre from France. On first glance this appears to be a portrait of someone’s gentle grandmother – who would guess it depicts a hardened freedom fighter of the Second World
War?
The White Mouse by Melissa BEOWULF, 2001. NPG


Crikey! This bloke would have to represent the best of Australia. The portrait definitely represents Steve Irwin in his truest form, a great Aussie bloke who had a heart the size of an elephant. A marketing guru's dream, the face that everyone knew. He put Australia back on the world map for all the right reasons.

Steve Irwin by Robin SELLICK,2005