Essential Service Ship

This painting shows sailors at work loading the Essential Service Ship with the required supplies for the ships next tour of duty. Beached in the background is a Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) vessels. Six of these vessels formed the RAN’s first dedicated Landing Craft Squadron.
- About John Downton
Born in Sydney in 1939, John Downton (OAM) is one of Australia's finest international landscape and navy artists. He was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to visual arts as a landscape and maritime artist and for services to the community in 2017.
He initially trained and worked in watchmaking but realised his dream later to become a professional artist. He attended classes at the Royal Art Society of NSW and private lessons with George Duncan.
He is passionate about the sea, and he travelled to East Timor in 2000 as an official Navy artist and documented naval and peacekeeping activities in paintings. He continues to paint historical and present-day naval activities, and a gallery has been named after him at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross.
John Downton has held exhibitions in Sydney, Eden, Canberra, and internationally. Companies and public institutions have used John's work on calendars and cards. If you want to know more about John’s life he has published a 338 page autobiography, The Dirty Big Red Book: Downton, An Artist on the Move, which includes colour photographs of many of John's works.
- About Sailors at work
Since entering World War 1 in 1914 with 16 ships, two submarines and 3800 RAN personnel (including 850 from the Royal Navy) the number of serving personnel in the Royal Australian Navy has fluctuated depending on the strategic and shifting financial environment. Over more than a century, the RAN’s and people have seen action in every ocean of the world.
Of the tens of thousands who have served, 2658 members have made the ultimate sacrifice defending Australia’s interests in warlike and peacetime operations across the globe.
Fortunately, for the vast majority who served in periods of peace or survived periods of hostilities the experience was positive.
In addition to their service in a particular category which involved specific duties, they also participated in communal duties such as coaling ship. Thus, the artworks included in this section relate to a mix of specialist and communal activities.
More reading
- Additional resources for John Downton
- Additional resources for Sailors at work
![Near miss, HMAS Wagga [Milne Bay] by Dennis Adams](https://navyhistory.au/wp-content/uploads/Near-miss-HMAS-Wagga-Miln-Bay-Adams-Dennis-1.jpg)
Near miss, HMAS Wagga [Milne Bay]

The crew of HMAS Townsville Tying Up Under the Bow of HMAS Newcastle

HMAS Tobruk

Unloading the Tobruk at Mogadishu wharf, Somalia

Grounding of HMAS Voyager

Operating ASDIC equipment

Anti-submarine defences, Darwin

Depth charge, HMAS Swan

Camouflage, HMAS Sydney

Repairing turbines, HMAS Stuart

Superstructure, HMAS Shropshire

Plotting room, HMAS Nepal

Transfer by bosun’s chair

Torpedo overhaul on HMAS Napier

Compass Platform, HMAS Moresby (l)

Into safe hands

Prayers at divisions, HMAS Lonsdale

Seaman peeling potatoes

Ears being syringed
