Looking through the Print Council of Australia collection is a little like tracing the history of Australian printmaking itself.
Spanning six decades, the collection reflects changing artistic movements, evolving printmaking techniques and the artists who have helped shape the medium in Australia. Drawn from the Print Council of Australia’s archive, the works presented in this auction provide a unique insight into the evolution of Australian printmaking and the organisation that has championed the medium since 1966.
Founded in Melbourne in 1966, the Print Council of Australia was established to encourage the production and appreciation of original hand-printed works. At a time when printmaking often received less attention than painting and sculpture, the Council sought to support artists, promote the medium and foster a stronger culture of collecting original prints.
The Council was founded by Dr Ursula Hoff, Grahame King and Udo Sellbach. As Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Gallery of Victoria, Ursula Hoff was one of Australia’s leading advocates for works on paper and played an important role in developing the Gallery’s collection. Grahame King was an accomplished printmaker and a passionate supporter of the medium, while Udo Sellbach, a master print technician and educator, would influence generations of Australian artists through his teaching and expertise. Together, they recognised the need for an organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting original printmaking in Australia.
Two initiatives would become central to the Print Council’s mission.
The first was Imprint, launched in 1966 and still Australia’s only journal dedicated to printmaking, artist books and works on paper. Since its establishment, it has recorded the artists, exhibitions and ideas shaping printmaking in Australia, becoming an important record of the medium’s development.
The second was the annual Print Commission program, introduced in 1967. Each year, an artist was invited to create an original print edition for members of the Print Council, providing artists with opportunities to experiment within the medium while making original prints more accessible to collectors. The first commission, included in this auction, was produced by John Brack in 1967 (lot 7).
The program would commission many of Australia’s most significant artists, creating a unique record of Australian art through print. Importantly, the Print Council retained examples from these commissions, gradually building the collection offered here.
For collectors, Works from the Collection of the Print Council of Australia offers more than the opportunity to acquire individual prints. It provides a rare insight into the history of an organisation that has been at the centre of Australian printmaking since 1966, while bringing together works by some of the country’s most respected artists.
From John Brack and Fred Williams to Bea Maddock, Jan Senbergs, Judy Watson and Brent Harris, the collection brings together artists from across six decades of Australian printmaking. The works offer collectors a rare opportunity to acquire prints drawn directly from the Print Council of Australia’s archive, providing a tangible connection to the history of printmaking.
Hannah Ryan, Prints & Multiples Specialist
Top Image Detail: GRAHAME KING (1915-2008) Sonnet 1974, screenprint, ed. 18/20, signed, titled, dated and editioned below image, 76 x 57cm (sheet). $400 – $600
June 2026