The works of some of Australia's most prestigious natural history artists will feature in a new exhibition opening at the National Archives in Canberra this month.

Winning artworks and selected finalists of the 2007 Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize (with prize money totalling $85,000) will be on display at the National Archives from 26 October to 2 December.

The National Archives is the only place in Australia where people will be able to view the works outside of Adelaide where the competition is hosted by the South Australian Museum.

'This year we noticed a strong theme of climate change and threatened species', said Tim Gilchrist from the South Australian Museum who is installing the exhibition in Canberra. But the end result is far from depressing, with a striking array of paintings, works on paper, sculptures and objects covering the gamut of the natural world.

'The exhibition raises awareness of and hope about the natural environment', said Mr Gilchrist. 'The exhibition is very balanced. There is plenty of food for thought countered by vibrant landscapes, scientific illustrations, portraits of birds and animals, sketches, abstract works and sculptures.'

The 2007 winners were announced in August. Thirty works from the original 603 submissions and 107 finalists have been selected for the Canberra exhibition.

The Waterhouse – Australia's richest natural history art prize – endeavours to celebrate the intricacy and complexity of the world's biodiversity and to encourage excellence in natural history art. The prize has grown in stature and recognition in the art world since its introduction in 2002. Finalists, as well as winners, are now regarded as natural history artists of the highest calibre. 

The Waterhouse Prize commemorates the work of the South Australian Museum’s first curator, Frederick George Waterhouse, one of the foremost naturalists of his era. An avid collector of Australian fauna, he assembled a series of insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and plants and discovered 40 new species of fish off the South Australian coastline.