Don Binney Archive

Don Binney (1940-2012) is a key Auckland painter whose works from the 1960s of birds and landscapes have become iconic.

Educated at Elam, Binney gained early success, securing his first solo exhibition at the Ikon Gallery in 1963. He represented New Zealand at the Troisième Biennale de Paris in the same year and was included in the cultural programme of the 1968 Mexico Olympics. His works are held in all major New Zealand public collections.

After an early career as a secondary teacher, Binney joined the staff of Elam in 1974, becoming Head of Painting in 1994. In 2003 Auckland University Press published Damian Skinner’s monograph on Binney, Ngā Manu/ Ngā Motu – Birds/Islands.

Binney was an Artist Patron of the Friends of Auckland Art Gallery and was awarded the OBE for services to the arts in 1995. In 2023 Auckland University Press published Gregory O'Brien's full length monograph on Binney.

The archive consists of Binney's personal papers, including: sketch books, works on paper, posters, publications, notebooks, manuscripts and notes, ephemera, correspondence, slides, photos and audio-visual material.