Gallery Details
State Library Victoria
328 Swanston Street
Melbourne 3000
T: +61 3 8664 7000
E: inquiries@slv.vic.gov.au
W: slv.vic.gov.au
Opening Hours
Open daily 10am-6pm, free entry
Melbourne Out Loud: Life through the lens of Rennie Ellis
Melbourne Out Loud: Life through the lens of Rennie Ellis
1 Mar 2024 – 25 May 2025
If there was ever a photographer to take Melbourne’s portrait, it was Rennie Ellis.
Rennie had an uncanny ability to slip into all kinds of social circles and his photographs are the ultimate story of life on the town.
He roamed our places: St Kilda Beach, the MCG, Swanston Street, Sidney Myer Music Bowl. He met superstars: Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Grace Jones. He stood with crowds on the biggest days of the year: Melbourne Cup, the AFL Grand Final, the Boxing Day Test. He befriended people from all walks of life: athletes and celebrities, punks and protesters, beach goers and party lovers. And he captured it all on camera.
Melbourne Out Loud is a collection of iconic, unseen and everyday photographs from one of our greatest chroniclers. A celebration of going out, being seen and being yourself.
Image: Rennie Ellis, Lois Williams, 1986, Rennie Ellis Collection.
The Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV) acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the lands where our office is located, and all Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and Australia. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enduring traditions and continuing creative cultures. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
We are an LGBTQIA+ friendly organisation that celebrates diversity. We are committed to providing safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive services for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
