Best photos of 2025: The Age’s year in pictures
We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.
The year in photos selected by our award-winning staff photographers and regular contributing photographers at The Age.
1/100
Aboriginal elder Uncle Robbie Thorpe at Camp Sovereignty, a meeting and ceremonial place that Thorpe originally set-up in 2006 during the Commonwealth Games to bring attention to the plight of Aboriginal peopleCredit:Justin McManus
2/100
Convicted murderer, Erin Patterson inside a prison van being transported from Morwell Court precinct to Dame Phyllis Frost women’s prison in JuneCredit:Jason South
3/100
Mushroom killer Erin Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson looks to the heavens after his second day on the witness stand during the trial at Latrobe Law Courts in Morwell in MayCredit:Jason South
4/100
Wild weather with strong winds whips up dust from bare paddocks near Cressy. Farmer Scott Stewart deals with dust as best he can.Credit:Jason South
5/100
Sinead and Alex Forster and their little 5-month-old son, Noah. The family lost their firstborn, Teddy, last year while Teddy was waiting for a heart transplant. Their son Noah is now at the RCH being treated for the same condition and may need a heart transplant one dayCredit:Joe Armao
6/100
Police search a plantation at PorepunkahCredit:Joe Armao
7/100
A distraught woman is consoled by friends after a fatal shooting in Champions Parade, WollertCredit:Jason South
8/100
Reflection of a hot air balloon on a Docklands building in SouthbankCredit:Joe Armao
9/100
Australia’s oldest commercial wind farm, Pacific Blue’s Codrington Wind farm is due to shut down in 2027 after just opening in 2001, its owners announced in FebruaryCredit:Jason South
10/100
Kylie Minogue performing at Rod Laver Arena in FebruaryCredit:Joe Armao
11/100
Single mother Beza Gizaw, with son Yeabsira, says her flat is her haven in FlemingtonCredit:Chris Hopkins
12/100
Mum Aimee used a donor egg from her sister to help create her identical twin daughters, Winnie and Dulcie, born last year, after many rounds of IVF. New provisions in Victorian egg and sperm donation regulations will make it easier and quicker to get both from overseas donors, as the local shortage continues, which is a good thing for the quickly rising number of single women doing IVF and for the also-increasing number of couples needing eggs or sperm in Victoria.Credit:Justin McManus
13/100
Tony Mokbel leaves court after getting bail at Victoria’s Court of Appeal in AprilCredit:Joe Armao
14/100
Yoorrook Justice Commission
Uncle Henry Atkinson (Wollithiga clan) on country at Moira Lakes Barmah Forrest. Uncle Henry made a powerful submission to the Yoorrook Commission on the effects of colonisation on his family and peopleCredit:Justin McManus
15/100
Women playing bowls in Altona on a hot February day exceeding 40 degrees in MelbourneCredit:Jason South
16/100
Julie Freddy, 49yrs at Mejatto Atoll, Marshall Islands, was born with birth defects consistent with radiation that she was one of many children born with after their parents were poisoned by radiation where the U.S. conducted 67 nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958Credit:Eddie Jim
17/100
Uncle Rick Nelson leads the Dja Dja Wurrung dancers through the smoke as part of the ceremony with members of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria and Premier Jacinta Allan on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Mt Alexander for the second round of regional Statewide Treaty negotiations
Credit:Justin McManus
18/100
A mostly ‘peaceful protest’ calling for action to be taken against the officers who shot dead Abdifatah Ahmed was held in Footscray. The death caused deep grief in the African community, who called for additional community support in the area instead of more policeCredit:Jason South
19/100
Travis Lovett unfurls the Aboriginal flag at the top of Mt Noorat. Mt Noorat leg of the Yoorrook Justice Commission Walk for Truth.
Mt Noorat was an important meeting place for First Nations people of Western Victoria. The walk began in Portland, the first site of colonisation in Victoria and finished at Parliament House on June 18thCredit:Justin McManus
20/100
Dog-friendly bar, Pendant in FitzroyCredit:Eddie Jim
21/100
Brisbane Lions, Charlie Cameron celebrates during AFL Grand Final at the MCG where they defeated Geelong CatsCredit:Joe Armao
22/100
Statewide Victorian Treaty Cultural Celebration where Ngarra Murray takes a moment with the final Treaty documentCredit:Justin McManus
23/100
Wadih Yacoub at age 96, in his Essendon home workshop, Wadih still makes men’s shoes for a high-end Melbourne city shoe shop, McCloud Shoes. He started making shoes when he was 10 years old in Tripoli, Lebanon.Credit:Wayne Taylor
24/100
Yothu Yindi performing Treaty to an ecstatic crowd during a Statewide Treaty Cultural Celebration at John Cain ArenaCredit:Justin McManus
25/100
Musician Warren Ellis from, The Dirty Three and The Bad Seeds, says he “had a breakdown after filming at the sanctuary”Credit:Arsineh Houspian
26/100
Convicted murderer, Erin Patterson’s Barrister Colin Mandy SC Credit:Jason South
27/100
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, second on the grid at Melbourne Grand Prix, Albert ParkCredit:Joe Armao
28/100
Premier Jacinta Allan at a construction site Docklands in MayCredit:Joe Armao
29/100
Convicted mushroom killer, Erin Patterson’s lawyer, Barrister Colin Mandy SCCredit:Jason South
30/100
Benalla Sheep farmers Stuart and Julie Green’s payments for the emergency services levy will double, which adds financial strain during a droughtCredit:Joe Armao
31/100
Police search Mount Buffalo National Park for fugitive Desmond Freeman, following a Porepunkah police shootingCredit:Joe Armao
32/100
Mary Bronstein, writer and director of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, at the opening night film during MIFFCredit:Joe Armao
33/100
Nico Hulkenberg on the track at Melbourne Grand Prix, Albert ParkCredit:Joe Armao
34/100
Kings of Moomba, Sooshi Mango during the Moomba festival parade, Kings DomainCredit:Joe Armao
35/100
4yo Poppy chases a lamb after rainfall turned dusty paddocks into fields of green, giving Benalla Sheep farmers some relief from the drought in JuneCredit:Joe Armao
36/100
Australian international Airshow at Avalon in MarchCredit:Joe Armao
37/100
Former Victoria Police officer Peter de Santo, at Green Point in HamptonCredit:Alex Coppel
38/100
Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Veterans, Natalie Suleyman at Anzac Station days before opening to the publicCredit:Joe Armao
39/100
Queensberry Cup, annual billy cart race held North Melbourne in OctoberCredit:Joe Armao
40/100
Jamie Melham after a winning ride with Half Yours at the Melbourne Cup in FlemingtonCredit:Joe Armao
41/100
Jockey John Allen on Ferago at CaulfieldCredit:Joe Armao
42/100
Murder by mushroom, Erin Patterson’s legal team, Lawyer Ophelia Holloway, Barrister Sophie Stafford, Lawyer Bill Doogue and Barrister Colin Mandy SCCredit:Jason South
43/100
The Brisbane Lions celebrate on the siren after defeating the Geelong Cats in the AFL grand final at MCGCredit:Jason South
44/100
Gout Gout on the night of his first 200-metre race against adult men at the Maurie Plant Meet at Lakeside Stadium in MarchCredit:Luke Hemer
45/100
Simon Goodwin at an August press conference at the MCG after it was announced the coach and club would part ways. He wasn’t helped by internal divisions at the DemonsCredit:Jason South
46/100
Jess Wilson, newly elected as the Victorian Liberals’ leader, walking into the chamber in NovemberCredit:Jason South
47/100
Jess Wilson, new leader of the Victorian Liberals walks into Parliament house with husband Aaron Lane and baby Patrick in NovemberCredit:Jason South
48/100
Greg Lynn is lead from the court in handcuffs after his appeal in OctoberCredit:Jason South
49/100
Melbourne Cup horse Torranzino, ridden around “The Bush Track” by Emily Brown. Paul Preusker trained Torranzino won the Geelong Cup to secure a spot in the famous Melbourne Cup raceCredit:Jason South
50/100
Ross Greenhalgh and Jason I’Anson with a zebra pelt at the family run Greenhalgh Tannery, operating for 150 years on the outskirts of BallaratCredit:Jason South
51/100
Co-Chair of the First Peoples assembly Ngarra Murray with the Treaty Bill. The Victorian Treaty bill was voted through the Legislative Council of Victoria after winning the vote 21 to 16Credit:Justin McManus
52/100
Jason I’Anson retrieves pelts from the tumbler at the family run Greenhalgh Tannery Credit:Jason South
53/100
Liv Croagh, and 17-month-old daughter AudreyCredit:Jason South
54/100
Lady Gaga fan, Fotini Koklas in a dress inspired by Gaga’s The Fame (2008) eraCredit:Jason South
55/100
Rhonda Burchmore performs at the Victoria’s much-loved State Theatre at Arts Centre Melbourne, which is currently undergoing refurbishmentCredit:Jason South
56/100
The ‘Belgrave Wizard’, aka Baba Desi, aka Des Bergpin is a much-loved identity in the Dandenong RangesCredit:Wayne Taylor
57/100
Fashion designer Samuel Lewis with model Sascha Rose from Chadwick models in one of his designs based in part on medieval chain mailCredit:Simon Schluter
58/100
Melbourne couturier Sonia Cappellazzo’s grey tulle gown (modelled by Charley Wakelin) and a strapless Van Der Kooij dress (modelled by Ursula Wlazlo) at the Royal Exhibition Building ahead of the Melbourne Fashion festival in FebruaryCredit:Simon Schluter
59/100
Travis Lovett makes his way up the steps of Parliament to complete the Yoorrook Justice Commission Walk for Truth. The walk began in Portland, the first site of colonisation in Victoria and finished at Parliament House on June 18th. The walk was conceived by Yoorrook Justice Commissioner Travis Lovett with the aim to inform the Victorian community about the historical truths of colonisation and the ongoing effects on First Nation people across VictoriaCredit:Justin McManus
60/100
CFA volunteers at Ararat last summerCredit:Simon Schluter
61/100
ANU teachers protesting outside Ben Carroll’s office in Niddrie in JuneCredit:Eddie Jim
62/100
Brisbane Lions, Lachie Neale
celebrates after winning the AFL Grand Final against Geelong Cats at the MCGCredit:Eddie Jim
63/100
Melbourne Cup winning Jockey Jamie Melham celebrates after her victory riding horse, Half Yours Credit:Eddie Jim
64/100
Funeral for police officer, Vadim De Waart at the Police Academy, Glen Waverley after being killed while on duty in PorepunkahCredit:Eddie Jim
65/100
Melton Mayor Steve Abboushi wants more state action on illegal dumping.Credit:Paul Jeffers
66/100
Eighty-year-old costume legend Rose Chong, putting the finishing touches on 60 costumes she designed for Melbourne Opera’s production of Samson and Delilah in MayCredit:Eddie Jim
67/100
Collingwood AFLW skipper Ruby SchleicherCredit:Eddie Jim
68/100
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during a practise session during the Grand Prix, Albert ParkCredit:Eddie Jim
69/100
Andi Snelling ahead of her production Happy Go Wrong in JuneCredit:Eddie Jim
70/100
Australian Open 2025, Men’s singles third round Alex de MinaurCredit:Eddie Jim
71/100
Australian Ballet dancers Larissa Kiyoto-Ward, Lilla Harvey and Elijah TrevittCredit:Eddie Jim
72/100
Nick Kyrgios returned to the Australian Open in 2025 after a three-year lay-offCredit:Chris Hopkins
73/100
Street food vendors grill at the Dandenong Ramadan festival, DandenongCredit:Chris Hopkins
74/100
Ballan CFA crew members Billy Smith, Matt Gorman and Ben Hatfield.Credit:Alex Coppel
75/100
‘March for Australia’ rally in August, turned violent as right-wing groups, including the NSN, clashed with anti-fascist groups in MelbourneCredit:Chris Hopkins
76/100
Reverend Father George Frangos at the Greek Orthodox Church in ThomastownCredit:Simon Schluter
77/100
91-year-old Me Hui Gong, a keen dancer and advocate for healthy living, dances in her living room in her public housing unit, North MelbourneCredit:Chris Hopkins
78/100
Alex de Minaur celebrates his third-round win over Francisco Cerundolo at the 2025 Australian OpenCredit:Chris Hopkins
79/100
Tyrone Cannon, originally from Mobile, Alabama, USA at the 2025 Melbourne Cup, FlemingtonCredit:Chris Hopkins
80/100
Harris Henderson, 18 (Torquay), and Mackie Hunter, 19 (Portsea), will travel to California with the Lifesaving Victoria Wieland Shield representative teamCredit:Chris Hopkins
81/100
John “Two Guns” Walker. The former Banditos bikie Seargent at Arms and boxer was sacked from his role as a CFMEU shop steward amid the ‘Building Bad’ investigation by Nine mediaCredit:Chris Hopkins
82/100
Ooti and Meliki, Dingo’s at the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary and Research Centre, Toolern ValeCredit:Chris Hopkins
83/100
Paul Levey was one of serial paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale’s victims. Abused daily as a child by Ridsdale at a presbytery in Mortlake, Paul is relieved the child abuser has now died aged 90Credit:Chris Hopkins
84/100
Drummer Lars Ulrich and lead singer and guitarist James Hetfield of Metallica on stage during the band’s M72 World Tour concert at Marvel Stadium in NovemberCredit:Paul Rovere
85/100
Alex de Minaur in action in his second round win over Tristan Boyer on Rod Laver Arena at the 2025 Australian OpenCredit:Chris Hopkins
86/100
Surf Lifesaver, Mackie Hunter, 19 (Portsea) in training for the Lifesaving Victoria Wieland Shield representative teamCredit:Chris Hopkins
87/100
Fashion designer Jason Grech and model Portia Jade Talib at the Melbourne Recital CentreCredit:Alex Coppel
88/100
Sheep farmer Duncan Barber on his Coliban Park property near Redesdale in VictoriaCredit:Alex Coppel
89/100
Abbotsford Primary School parents with their children. From left: Lorena Burns with Ben, 7, and Tom, 5; Ben Luk with Emma, 7; Jieh-Yung Lo with Hopelyn, 7; and Suk-yi Lo with Callum, 8 and Raelyn, 10. Abbotsford Primary is a bilingual school where students are taught in English and Mandarin. Victoria has more than 15 bilingual government schools.Credit:Paul Jeffers
90/100
Aspiring F1 driver Alana Gurney is one of Australia’s top female karting talentsCredit:Paul Jeffers
91/100
Brandon Lay and Tenisha Lim from Taylor’s Hill celebrate a $150 win at their first time at the races in the general admission area at the Caulfield CupCredit:Penny Stephens
92/100
Reverend Bill Morgan turned 110 in October. He was at home at Cumberland View Aged Care, Wheelers Hill, surrounded by family, including great-grandson Flynn, 7yrsCredit:PENNY STEPHENS
93/100
Melbourne artist Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis with her piece that won the Telstra Multimedia Award at the 2025 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards titled Pitta Pitta (Extracted) and Pitta Pitta (Googles Gaze) 2025. The NATSIAA show was at the Museum and Art Gallery of NT in DarwinCredit:PENNY STEPHENS
94/100
Zoe Daniel claimed victory on election night but on the final count Tim Wilson was victorious by 260 votes in MayCredit:Penny Stephens
95/100
Sara Puhar with children Freddie, 5, and Luna, 8 near their home in YarravilleCredit:Luis Enrique Ascui
96/100
Police and Victory fans march under the Swan Street Bridge ahead of the A League finals in MelbourneCredit:Luis Enrique Ascui
97/100
Hume City Council councillor Jim Overend in front of the Craigieburn Community Hospital. Construction on the community hospital has been finished for months; however, it’s been fenced off and non-operationalCredit:Luis Enrique Ascui
98/100
Rabbi Dovid Gutnick outside the charred entrance to the East Melbourne Synagogue after an arson attack in JulyCredit:Aaron Francis
99/100
Daniel Xu in the crawl space under the house he bought where he discovered a full train setCredit:Aaron Francis
100/100
Newcastle Jets celebrate during the 2025 Australia Cup final between Heidelberg United and Newcastle Jets at Lakeside Stadium in OctoberCredit:Luke Hemer
