Winner for 1979
Wesley WaltersPortrait of Phillip Adams
Winner: Archibald Prize 1979
Finalists for 1979
- John Bloomfield - Portrait of Lloyd Rees
- Lance Bressow - Dame Joan Sutherland
- Judy Cassab - Portrait of Charles Blackman
- Francis Celtlan - Self Portrait
- Cam Clarke - Barry Taffs "Ragtrader"
- Terry Collins - Hon. The Senator Don Chipp
- Kevin Connor - Portrait of James Gleeson
- Irena Creedon - Mr. Clyde Holding, M.P.
- Roma de Wolff - Portrait of Watercolorist - Cameron Sparks
- Brian Dunlop - David Ireland, Novelist
- Merryll Evans - Sir John Gorton
- Merryll Evans - Reg Livermore
- Nigel Hewitt - The Anaesthetist
- Graeme Inson - The Honourable E. G. Whitlam, A.C., Q.C.
- Geoff La Gerche - Wesley Lanapuy "Manager of the Northern Land Council"
- Geoff La Gerche - Grandma Lum Loy "A True Territorian"
- Garth Legge - Self Portrait
- Keith Looby - P. P. McGuinness with Paddy Doll
- Ted Markstein - Sir Lenox Hewitt, Chairman of Qantas
- Denese Oates - Larry Pickering
- Josonia Palaitis - The Honourable John Howard, M.P.
- L Scott Pendlebury - Anne and Drew Pendlebury (actress and musician respectively)
- John Rigby - Pat Hoffie (Artist-Teacher)
- Peter Rosson - Robert Drummond, Poet, playwright 1980
- David Schlunke - Self Portrait
- David Schlunke - Neil O'Reilly, journalist
- Eric Smith - Joy Smith Studio Portrait I
- Max Thompson - R. A. Simpson
- Noel Thurgate - Hamburger Joe
- Wesley Walters - Portrait of Mr. Eric Beattie
- Wesley Walters - Portrait of Phillip Adams
- Trevor Weekes - George "Scotty" Allen - Aviator
- Fred Williams - Portrait of John Brack
- Brian "Wooly" Woolstone - Hospitality Cheers, Jim Buckley
- Salvatore Zofrea - Dr. John Ryan
