After the September election, the prime minister asked the Department of Parliamentary Services to find a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to be displayed in his office suite.
It was discovered Parliament House only had one such portrait, which hung in the building’s public area.
The 1954 portrait by William Dargie is often known as the “wattle painting” for the colour of the gown worn by the Queen.
The art curator offered Mr Abbott this portrait, but he declined.
An official copy of the portrait, made by Dargie himself, was discovered in storage at the National Museum of Australia and is now hanging in the office.
“We now have twice the number of portraits of her majesty in this building than we previously had,” department secretary Carol Mills told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday.
IMAGE: Queen Elizabeth II meets Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. (AAP Image/Lyndon Mechielsen [2011:Library])