<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Column and thin‐layer chromatography revealed the presence of the following carotenoids in the thalli of 21 lichen species from Australia: α‐carotene, β‐carotene, rubixanthin, β‐cryptoxanthin, lutein, 3′‐epilutein, zeaxanthin, echinenone, 3′‐hydroxyechinenone, adonixanthin, phoenicoxanthin, α‐doradexanthin, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, β‐carotene epoxide, lutein epoxide, antheraxanthin, cryptoflavin, mutatoxanthin, rhodoxanthin and β‐apo‐8′‐carotenal.<jats:p>The total content of carotenoids ranged from 10.50 μg g<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> dry wt in <jats:italic>Flavoparmelia haysomii</jats:italic> to 21.23 μg g<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> dry wt in <jats:italic>Flavoparmelia springtonensis</jats:italic>.