Proud Entry
Margaret Hadfield’s painting ‘ Proud Entry’ captures the moment on 4 October 2013 when HMAS Darwin passed under the iconic structure of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, leading other vessels of Australia’s modern Navy to their berths in Darling Harbour. The International Fleet Review was further marked by a spectacular light show and fireworks display watched by millions of people in Sydney. Hadfield’s commemoration of the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy in a painting, mirrors the painting of HMAS Australia by Frederick Elliot done in 1913.
- About Margaret Hadfield
Margaret was born and raised NSW country town of Coonabarabran in 1956. Her parents had emigrated to Australia in 1951 from the island of Terschelling, the Netherlands.
From a very early age she displayed artistic talent and sold her first painting at age 13. Margaret perfected her craft through self-development and was inspired by nature’s beauty. Light flows through her seascapes/landscapes; very large murals and portraiture.
Margaret ran the family tourist park Miniland from 1984-91. This was sold and due to family problems and divorce she moved to the Canberra/Queanbeyan district. In 2004 she co-founded the Artists Shed, Queanbeyan, a co-operative artist-run, studios, gallery and Art School. Also, that year a visit to Gallipoli changed Margaret’s artistic vision and she began to explore history through the landscape. She was the winner of the Gallipoli Art Prize 2006 and 6 of her military themed works have been exhibited by the Australian Government in the Netherlands, Turkey and France. The Gallipoli Series consists currently of around 20 paintings.
In 2011 opened Margaret Hadfield Gallery/Studio in a small suburban shopping centre of Curtin, ACT, and teaches seven regular adult classes a week.
Margaret paints in all mediums and her major works have featured in numerous art awards including Paddington Art Prize, Portia Geach Art Prize and the Gallipoli Art Prize. Margaret's painting of the RAN International Fleet Revue in Sydney (2013) was purchased and hangs in the National Maritime Museum and a work from the same event is hung on board the warship HMAS Perth.
In 2014 Margaret was special guest of the RAN when her painting of the submarine AE1 was used by the media and official ceremonies in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Margaret’s artwork and her relationship with the RAN continues to evolve.
- About Ships and aircraft in company
In this section a wide variety of artworks with more than one ship, submarine or aircraft are featured. When two or more naval vessels are operating together they are said to be ‘in company’.
The diverse nature of activities, exercises and deployments undertaken by ships, submarines and aircraft of the Royal Australian Navy means that a ship may spend long periods conducting single ship operations or periodically join with large numbers of other ships for such events as a naval review or fleet entry to a port. These latter events are generally scheduled to commemorate a particular event. During such events a prominent or royal figure will review the fleet as part of the ceremony. Throughout its history ships of the RAN have participated in major fleet entries and reviews both in Australian waters and overseas.
Details of Ships in the First Fleet
Name Class Commission Dates HMAS Australia Indefatigable Class 21 Jun 1913 – 12 Dec 1921 HMAS Melbourne Town Class Light Cruiser 18 Jan 1913 – 23 Apr 1928 HMAS Sydney Town Class Light Cruiser 26 Jun 1913 – 8 May 1928 HMAS Encounter Challenger Class Light Cruiser 1 Jul 1912 – 1 Jan 1923 HMAS Warrego River Class 1 Jun 1912 – 22 Jul 1919 HMAS Parramatta River Class 10 Sep 1910 – 22 Jul 1919 HMAS Yarra River Class 10 Sep 1910 – 30 Sep 1929
More reading
- Additional resources for Margaret Hadfield
- Additional resources for Ships and aircraft in company
MV KRAIT and Japanese Destroyer in 1943
Troop Convoy and Escort and Hudson Bomber
N Class Destroyers off Libya
Sydney Harbour looking east to Garden Island from Dawes Point
Second Convoy that left Albany, Western Australia on the 31st December 1914
RAN tribute to Anzac dead Dardanelles 12th November 1918
HMAS Arunta HMAS Westralia with US Navy Light Cruser
HMA Ships MORESBY and ATTACK post 1967
HMA ships LABUAN and FREMANTLE with OBERON submarine
HMAS VAMPIRE, MELBOURNE and PARRAMATTA
Howzat Good Catch Sea Fury RAN
HMAT Barambah 1919
HMAS Adelaide (I) and HMAS Darwin (IV) at the base HMAS Stirling, WA, prior to departure for the Gulf 22.08.90
First Australian Fleet-unit 1914
First Fleet Entry 1913
Bombing of Naval Convoy, Mediterranean, 1942
A Gallant Failure Attack on Scharnhorst 1940
