The 'symbol of hope' in Governor-General Hurley's official portrait

Mr Hurley, whose five-year term will end on July 1, said the portrait by Sydney painter Jude Rae reflected his optimism for the nation's future.

"Throughout my term as Governor-General, [my wife] Linda and I have had the privilege of witnessing the strength of the Australian people, their compassion for each other and their gritty determination," he said.

"This has often been against the backdrop of bushfires, floods, the pandemic and other challenging events. Those characteristics are inspiring and the cause for my optimism for our future."

Mr Hurley extended his "thanks and congratulations to Jude Rae for accepting the commission and for her skill, creativity, and passion."

In his acknowledgement of country, the Governor-General paid tribute to the Ngunnawal and Ngambri traditional custodians of the Canberra region and made specific mention of "the younger generation of Aboriginal children ... because their future is critical to the future of our country."

Ms Rae said she had settled on the background of bushfire regrowth after discussing the portrait's composition with the Governor-General.

"When we met to discuss the painting, His Excellency suggested that bushfire regrowth might offer an appropriate symbol of hope and an acknowledgement of the strength and resilience of the Australian people during his time in office," she said.

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"I found these observations very helpful in reaching the balance of form and content that informs this portrait."

The Historic Memorials Collection, established in 1911 to capture portraits of heads of state, governors-general, prime ministers and other leaders in Parliament and the courts, commissioned the portrait for Parliament's Historic Memorials Collection.

It is Ms Rae's third commission for the Historic Memorials Collection at Parliament House, which also features presidents of the Senate, speakers of the House of Representatives and chief justices of the High Court of Australia.

Ms Rae's portraits of former speaker of House Anna Burke and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney are also on display.