Meet the artist: James Parbery

When I was a boy I was fascinated to hear of the adventures of the great explorers that came to Australia’s shores, of my own ancestors who made the six month voyage from Scotland and England in the 1840s, and of my Australian uncles who fought at Gallipoli and in France. These adventures were a world away from my peaceful upbringing in the suburbs of Melbourne.

My first dabble with flags was at the age of nine, when we had a screen printing class at school. I wanted to make an Australian flag, but the teacher insisted it would be too complex to print the Union Jack, so I had to settle for a Canadian flag. This was my first lesson that flags need to be bold and simple.

The lure of adventure

First Fleet Re-enactment James Parbery Pencil and watercolour on paper.

Art was always one of my strengths, and I began to pursue it more seriously when I left school. I was soon distracted from that by the lure of adventure when I heard that a fleet of sailing ships (including the Bounty) was to re-enact Australia’s first voyage of European settlement: the First Fleet re-enactment. Later I re-created my impressions as an artwork (see inset).

This experience had a profound effect on my life, giving me a real insight to our early history and of the tensions between the two very different cultures that came face to face in 1788: the Europeans and Aborigines. I see this as one of the most important challenges we face as Australians: true reconciliation. I believe that a national symbol that can speak for all of us is an essential element in that quest.

Flags at sea

The call for adventure kept me at sea for three years. I was privileged to see the beauty of Australia’s coast from Cape Leeuwin in the west to Cook Town in the north. I then explored the islands of the South Pacific and fulfilled the ultimate adventure for a mariner: sailing from Australia to England via Cape Horn.

Flags are an important element of communication and identification at sea; and they help you see which way the wind is blowing. It was during this voyage that the captain of the Soren Larsen asked me to design a house flag for his company ‘Square Sail Pacific’. He wanted to see it flying from the main mast as we rounded Cape Horn. While the ship was battling 20-metre seas, I was being tossed around below deck, drawing up the design. It occurred to me how strange a graphic designer would find it to be working in these conditions! The ship continued to fly the flag for fifteen years, until the ship was bought by a new owner.

Art at sea

Cape Horn James Parbery Compressed charcoal and gouache on paper.

Apart from my duties as a sailor, it was sometimes possible to find time to draw and paint. The sea is a great source of inspiration, and I have always been fascinated by how we perceive the world around us. Some of my work experiments with this theme. My chief aim as an artist has been to study, capture and highlight the beauty around us, and to create for the viewer a renewed sense of awe for the world we live in. Our environment and the things around us affect our wellbeing as individuals and as a society. Beauty inspires and motivates us, and something like a flag, which we will regularly see, can have a profound effect on our wellbeing as a nation.

Music at sea

Liverpool Cavern James Parbery Pastel on paper

Music helps too, and this has been one of the greatest pleasures in life. Since joining the Bounty in Mauritius in 1987, when the First Mate christened me ‘Jimmy Parbuckle’, I have learnt many of the good old sea shanties. Singing these has often helped keep the crew awake during the night watches on deck and been the source of much hilarity while at anchor or ashore.

During the Cape Horn voyage a few of us formed a band, and when we arrived in England we gave our first public performance on the docks of Liverpool. Music has been a central part of my life since then, and in more recent years I formed a band in Sydney, The James Craig Reeelers (yes, four e's!)

The 'All Australian Flag'

The story of the All Australian Flag (A Flag for All) can be seen on other pages in this website -
A flag is born, Symbolism and meaning and Media, so I won’t repeat it here.

It has been an exciting project, born during a time of national optimism, as we veered towards the 21st Century. The beginning of the Third Millennium didn’t quite go as planned, and I found it necessary to turn my attention to other things for quite a few years. I worked in the commercial maritime industry for a while and joined the restored sailing ship James Craig in Sydney (which gave rise to the band’s name). During this period I was commissioned by TAFE to illustrate a sail training book on James Craig, undertook various other artistic projects, formed the band, ran children’s programmes and volunteered as navigation officer during voyages along the east coast of Australia.

In 2006 I joined Soren Larsen again, and we sailed from the Cook Islands to Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. Leaving our shores for a while helped enliven a fresh perspective on my native home. I returned to Australia in January 2008 with a renewed sense of optimism, and decided it was now time to unfurl the banner again.

This time I have decided to adopt the modern tools of the internet, and it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the All Australian Flag website. I invite you to join us in support of a new flag; a national symbol that can represent all Australians for the generations to come.

James Parbery

Links:
The Soren Larsen - www.sorenlarsen.co.nz
James Craig -  www.shf.org.au
The James Craig Reeelers - www.shf.org.au/Reeelers/Reeelers.html