Born Sydney , 1939. Awarded first prize, Young Painters section, Bathurst Show, New South Wales in 1956. He was awarded the Italian Travelling Scholarship for 1960, judged by Russell Drysdale.

He travelled to Italy with visits to Paris and London, where his work was included in an exhibition at the McRoberts and Tunnard Gallery in Curzon Street, The following year, 1961, his work was also included in the influential exhibition 'Recent Australian Painting' held at the Whitechapel Art Gallery. In 1962 he married Wendy Julius, who is the model in many of Whiteley's finest works, and his first solo exhibition was held at the Matthiesen Gallery.

Regarded as one of Australia 's most exciting and prolific artists, he achieved cult status in the 1960's. He continued to establish an international reputation during the 1970's. In 1978 Whiteley amazing won all three prizes offered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales for Portraiture (Archibald Prize), Landscape painting (Wynne Prize) and Genre painting (Sulman Prize). In 1985 he bought a warehouse in Surry Hills, Sydney , and converted it into a studio, art gallery and living space.

Following Whiteley's death in 1992, the studio was adapted into a public museum and gallery, offering a unique insight into the artist's life and work. A retrospective exhibition was held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1995.

His work is represented in many private, public and corporate collections in Australia and world-wide.