Accompanied by Michel Lawrence's new and revealing portraits, Melinda Williams has recorded the lives of more than 100 of Australia's most prominent artists, writers, sportspeople, scientists, and contributors. Some are household names and others, while less well known, equally deserve the title.Chosen by the people of Australia, not by an unseen and unknown committee, the National Living Treasures embody all that is great about this nation. It is timely recognition of their enduring contributions to our lives and an extraordinary legacy for the generations that follow.