The Green Bus
MEDIA RELEASE
THE GREEN BUS: ANDREW CHAPMAN’S 55-YEAR PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE STREETS OF MELBOURNE
3 September 2026 – 19 February 2027
City Gallery, Melbourne Town Hall
Touch on and ride this spring when City Gallery celebrates the extraordinary career of photographer Andrew Chapman with The Green Bus, a major exhibition spanning five decades of images that capture the people, places and moments that have shaped Melbourne since 1971.
For more than half a century, Andrew Chapman has observed Melbourne with patience, curiosity and an unwavering commitment to documenting the life of the city.
Curated by Chapman, The Green Bus brings together 55 photographs from across 55 years, revealing an evolving portrait of Melbourne through the lens of one of Australia’s most respected documentary photographers. From everyday encounters to defining moments in Melbourne’s social history, Chapman’s photographs explore the streets, spaces and communities that continue to define Melbourne’s identity.
The exhibition’s title refers to the green buses that once travelled from Elsternwick into the city – the route that carried a young Chapman into Melbourne as he began exploring the streets with his camera. Those early journeys sparked a lifelong fascination with the city, one that has resulted in one of Australia’s most significant photographic archives documenting urban life.
On curating The Green Bus, Andrew Chapman says: “Spending nearly a lifetime behind my cameras, some of these long distant images I have taken I can almost still touch, whilst others are cloudier than a bowl of soup. For today we inhabit a post truth society where much is not quite as it seems, but I’d like to believe that what I have witnessed bears honest testimony to the past. For it is in this current AI-fueled, social media driven landscape, the importance of being able to cling to and rely on these grains of truth has never been more important.”
Rather than looking back through nostalgia, Chapman’s work presents an honest and deeply human account of a city in constant transformation. His photographs reveal changing streetscapes, shifting communities and the enduring rituals of public life, while quietly asking audiences to consider how cities remember themselves.
The exhibition follows the recent acquisition of a significant portion of Chapman’s photographic archive by the City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the exhibition tells the story of the people, places and moments behind Melbourne’s past.
“These remarkable images, beautifully captured by Andrew, offer a vivid snapshot of Melbourne through time.”
“They are both iconic and deeply evocative, taking us on a journey through the evolution of our city. Preserved for future generations, this extraordinary visual record helps ensure the stories, people and places that have shaped Melbourne remain accessible and celebrated for years to come.”
The Green Bus: Andrew Chapman’s 55-year photographic journey through the streets of Melbourne offers audiences the opportunity to step aboard an unforgettable visual journey through Melbourne’s past and present, discovering the stories found in the city’s streets through the lens of one of its most dedicated observers.
The Green Bus: Andrew Chapman’s 55-year photographic journey through the streets of Melbourne is on display at City Gallery, Melbourne Town Hall from 3 September 2026 until 19 February 2027, Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5pm. Entry is free.
Andrew Chapman will discuss his work in a special curator talk on Saturday 5 September at 12noon in the exhibition space. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue featuring a new essay by Melbourne-based curator Stella Loftus-Hills, whose work with Australian photography spans more than eighteen years across Australia’s public gallery sector.
For program bookings and information visit melbourne.vic.gov.au/city-gallery
ABOUT ANDREW CHAPMAN
Born in Melbourne, Andrew Chapman OAM studied photography at Prahran College before beginning his career as a news photographer in 1978. For almost six decades he has documented Australian politics, rural communities, the wool industry, organ transplantation, the power industry and everyday Australian life. His photographs have appeared widely in newspapers, magazines and digital publications, and have been exhibited throughout Australia, the USA and France. His work is held in major public collections, and he is the author of ten photographic books.
