Australia's best photographs from September 2026 capture a diverse range of moments, from sporting triumphs to personal stories and cultural events. The images, taken by photographers from AAP and The Guardian, offer a snapshot of life across the country.
Sporting Highlights and Big Events
One of the month's standout images shows Kylie Minogue performing at the 2026 AFL grand final between the Brisbane Lions and the Fremantle Dockers at the MCG. The NFL also made its mark, with Renardo Green of the San Francisco 49ers catching the ball during a match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 11 September.
In basketball, Akech Aliir of South East Melbourne Phoenix gathered a rebound during the 2026 NBL Blitz match between Sydney Kings and South East Melbourne Phoenix in Bendigo. The Supercars Championship featured the Mobil1 Optus Racing Toyota GR Supra at the Airtouch 500 at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend, South Australia.
In AFLW, Jade McLay of the Saints was tackled by Erika O'Shea of the Kangaroos during the round four match between Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) and North Melbourne at RSEA Park.
Culture and Community
Liz Hicklin, 95, co-wrote a play with the ABC's Jacinta Parsons called Sylvia Plath Stole My Boyfriend, about her relationship with Ted Hughes. They were rehearsing at Trades Hall, Carlton, where the show will be on as part of the Melbourne Fringe festival.
Melissa Chan and Badiucao were in Chippendale, Sydney to promote their upcoming graphic novel You Must Take Part in the Revolution. Calvin Bowman rehearsed for his 16-hour performance at St Andrews Anglican church in Brighton, Melbourne.
A Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew over Brisbane during a practice run for Riverfire at the launch of the 2026 Brisbane festival.
Human Stories and Natural Events
Ellen was cleaning out her late mother's house in Camperdown after she died at 97. Ellen said: 'I have just started making piles of family, rubbish, charity, she lived here her whole life from the time she was a baby, I grew up here. There is so much stuff including every bloody card she ever received, and all our art etc. It is an overwhelming and emotional time. My life is on hold.'
Saeid Zand has documented threats against his mother in Iran. In March, she received a call from a private number warning her that her son should cease anti-regime activities in Australia. Shamsullah Sadey, 19, came to Australia from Afghanistan. He is a Year 12 student with ambitions of being a neurosurgeon but feels increasingly uncertain about his future in Australia.
Beachgoers gathered around a whale carcass washed ashore at City Beach in Perth on 28 September. The carcass attracted public attention as local authorities monitored the site. A memorial to the 18,457 children killed in Gaza since October 2023 is represented as 'The Wall of Tears', an installation by US artist Phil Buehler, outside Parliament House in Canberra.
Other images include a man doing a handstand at Bondi Beach on an exceptionally hot spring day, with temperatures hitting 33C in Sydney on 5 September, and the first swimmer making his way into the water at Coogee Beach, where shark surveillance drones needed more light to operate. Firefighters were captured in the stairwell during the Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb at the Crown Metropol Melbourne, and a field of canola crops at Oxton Park near Harden, NSW, was also featured.
