Winner for 1978
Finalists for 1978
- Edward Binder - Peter Sculthorpe
- John Bloomfield - Lloyd Rees
- John Brack - Sir Garfield Barwick and Professor A. G. Mitchell
- David Campbell - Caroline Jones
- Reg Campbell - Eldred G. Bishop Esq.
- Judy Cassab - Portrait of Lloyd Rees
- Rodney Cassidy - Ray McGuire
- Kevin Connor - Portrait of Frank Hinder
- Kevin Connor - Portrait of Robert Klippel (II)
- Brian Dunlop - Dr. Dunstan Kemp
- Samuel Fullbrook - Sports Car Dealer, Julie Douglas
- Matthijs Gerber - Reflections on Clive Evatt and self (The symbolic, the imaginary & the real)
- Anthony Goldston-Morris - Sydney Ball
- Guy Grey-Smith - Ann Lewis
- Harvey Geoff - Portrait of Graham McCarter
- Frank Hinder - Kevin Connor
- Graeme Inson - Ian Cox
- Gil Jamieson - E. B. (Barney) Joyce, OBE
- Silvia Jansons - Limelight, A Portrait of Steven Berkoff
- Geoff La Gerche - Roger Kemp
- Keith Looby - Keith Looby
- David Ryley Marshall - Portrait of Denise
- Jocelyn Maughan - John Laws
- L Scott Pendlebury - Nornie Gude
- John Rigby - Portrait of Jacqueline Morrissey
- John Rigby - Ian Duncanson
- David Schlunke - Self Portrait
- Eric Smith - Lloyd Rees
- Eric Smith - Hector Gilliland
- Greg Soames - Ross Wolfe
- Noel Thurgate - Lance Wright
- Noel Thurgate - Lyn Lee Leaning
- Dora Toovey - Senator Neville Bonner
- Bill Undery - Portrait of Tony Dagg
- Wesley Walters - Portrait of Bruce Smeaton
- Brett Whiteley - Art, life and the other thing (Winner: Archibald Prize 1978)
- Lee Whitmore - Here's one of me
- Fred Williams - Rudy Komon
- Salvatore Zofrea - Sally McInerney
