FILMMAKER John Murray of Bermagui has received a first place award in the professional category from the Australian Heritage Commission for his underwater cinematography.
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The Australian Heritage Commission is a Federal organisation that has competitions from time to time to gain an oversight into Australia's diverse landscapes and unique wildlife.
Mr Murray for the award presented an underwater film from mainly around Montague Island in the professional category. It contained some area footage of the island and the area around Narooma and Bermagui.
“The underwater shots were of the seals, penguins, cuttlefish and many more wonderful creatures that inhabit these life rich waters, including the mighty humpback whales,” he said.
“I think this award is a victory for all of us that love this area and its wonderful inhabitants.”
It was not only the large creatures that impressed but also the small, and he recalls spending time filming a delicate sea horse on the Foul House Reef.
“Incredible little thing to live on such a current swept place near Montague Island and nearly 9km offshore,” he said.
“I think this award is a victory for all of us that love this area and its wonderful inhabitants.”
- John Murray, flimmaker
His connection to the area goes back to his childhood when he regularly came to the area to fish and dive and later film.
Mr Murray over his career worked with such legends of underwater nature photography such as Ron Taylor and Ben Crop.
He even spent some time filming off Tasmania with international legend Jacques Cousteau, who he said taught him a lot about underwater cinematography.
“He reckoned the kelp forests down there were among the most spectacular places to dive anywhere in the world,” he said.
He wears a large great white shark tooth around this neck that he plucked from the jaws of a massive great white caught and killed off Altona, Victoria by controversial character Vic Hislop.
A conservationist himself, he is sad at how Australia’s waters have become depleted of fish life and recalls polling 50kg tuna all day only five kilometres off Eden.
He is now taking life easy in Bermagui having recovered from bowel cancer and is a proud new grandfather to his new granddaughter Bethany.