Taken around 1937 by the photographer Max Dupain (1911–1992), the Sunbaker entered Australia’s consciousness in the mid-1970s to rapidly become a symbol of the country’s identity and way of life.

[1] The photograph of Harold Salvage, a British builder who was part of a group of friends on a surfing trip, has become perhaps Australia's most famous photograph and a convenient symbol of our laid-back culture and love of the sea[2]Dupain's preferred version of the Sunbaker had Harold Savage's hands clasped, but the sole surviving print of this version is in the Vandyke album.

[5] Initially not widely known, the Sunbaker gained fame when it was used as the poster for the opening exhibition of the Australian Centre for Photography in 1975.

Over the years its ongoing resonance through numerous publications, exhibitions, examinations and reinterpretations has elevated the image to iconic status.

[7] Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program to the State Library of New South Wales, May 2012.