Albany duo recognised with Order of Australia honours

From his home studio overlooking Princess Royal Harbour, Ross Shardlow draws inspiration from Albany’s rich maritime history. On Sunday, Mr Shardlow was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to maritime history and the visual arts. He was one of two Albany residents recognised on the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, the other being City of Albany senior community development officer Tammy Flett. Mr Shardlow, a maritime artist, was a founding member of the Maritime Heritage Association of WA, while also being heavily involved in the Australian Society of Marine Artists. If not for his creativity and imagination, more than 40,000 young people might never have experienced life aboard the STS Leeuwin II. The Fremantle-based Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation offers a range of youth development and leadership programs aboard the STS Leeuwin II, which first set sail in 1986. After leaving the Department of Education as an illustrator for school books, Mr Shardlow was approached by the LOAF founder, Dr Malcolm Hay, to create promotional material for the Leeuwin II. The only issue was that the ship was yet to be built. After meetings with naval architects and the riggers team, Mr Shardlow was asked by the foreman to create construction designs. “Then I sat down to convert the artwork for the calendar into a full set of construction drawings that would have to be surveyed into 160 separate drawings, every nut and bolt,” he said. “(It) started off as a calendar and finished as a real working ship.” Mr Shardlow has only lived in Albany for four years, but he said it felt like he had found his home, after decades of trying to move to the south coast city with wife Barbara. “The coastline here is so beautiful, with the bays and the mountains and the sound — it’s just fantastic,” he said. “I want to convert what I can see in my mind on to canvas so the rest of Albany can enjoy it.” For her service to the Albany community, Ms Flett received the Medal of the Order of Australia. Ms Flett received the honour because of her involvement in many volunteer community organisations, including Redmond Bush Fire Brigade and Girl Guides Australia. “It’s an honour, obviously, to be recognised, but I don’t consider what I do is anything special, it’s just what I do,” she said.