The natural world will take centre stage at the Museum of the Goldfields when the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition opens on Saturday 29 August.
The exhibition brings together some of the best nature photography from across the ANZANG bioregion, spanning Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. This breathtaking exhibition allows us to witness the unique beauty of the flora, fauna and landscapes of our own backyard and the world around us.
The 2025 competition attracted 1,864 entries from 18 countries, with photographers capturing everything from threatened species and dramatic landscapes to tiny creatures and the night sky.
There is a strong Western Australian connection to the exhibition, with WA-based photographer Ross Gudgeon named the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2025.
Gudgeon’s winning photograph, Fractal Forest, captures the intricate patterns of cauliflower soft coral beneath the waters of Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait. The image highlights the beauty of marine ecosystems and the environmental changes that are putting these fragile habitats under increasing pressure.
The exhibition features photographs across the categories Animals in Nature, Aerial, Macro, Landscape, Threatened Species, Monochrome, Our Impact, Astrophotography and Portfolio.
Visitors will see a ghost bat taking flight at sunrise, juvenile numbats huddling together, an orca breaking through the ocean surface and lightning splitting the horizon, alongside many other unique moments captured in nature. The exhibition also explores the impact people have on the natural world, showcasing images that highlight environmental change, habitat loss and the ways wildlife adapts to an increasingly changing environment.
Museum of the Goldfields Site Manager Barb Howard said the exhibition offered a unique opportunity for the community to engage with the natural world through photography.
“We’re really excited to be hosting the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Museum of the Goldfields. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Goldfields community to see the natural world from a different perspective, with photographs capturing everything from Australian wildlife and threatened species to incredible landscapes and the underwater world,” Ms Howard said.
This exhibition is proudly produced by the South Australian Museum.
Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year runs from Saturday 29 August 2026 – Sunday 14 February 2027, see more on our website.
