Essential Services Ship HMAS Westralia (ll)
In a nearly full cargo state HMAS Westralia rolls slowly in a moderate sea. In the background other fleet units are approaching possibly for an underway replenishment with Westralia.
- 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 HMAS Westralia (ll)
HMAS Westralia (ll) was a Stat 32 Class Tanker, Oil Tanker (Royal Australian Fleet Auxiliary). She was built in 1976 in the United Kingdom and named Hudson Cavalier. In 1979 she was acquired by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) for use as a support oiler and renamed RFA Appleleaf. She was modified for underway replenishment. Appleleaf saw active service in the Falklands War.
The Australian Government leased Appleleaf in 1989 for five years with the provision to purchase the vessel outright at the end of the lease term. She was commissioned as HMAS Westralia.
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- Additional resources for John Downton
- Additional resources for HMAS Westralia (ll)