Maritime Facility

Place Oceania: Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal
Accession Number ART94146
Collection type Art
Measurement sheet: 56.8 cm x 76.2 cm
Object type Work on paper
Physical description brush, ink and wash on paper
Maker eX de Medici
Place made Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra
Date made 2009
Conflict Solomon Islands (RAMSI), 2003-2013
Copyright Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
Creative Commons License This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Description

This is a composite image, where de Medici has incorporated several photographs to form an overall impression of Maritime. Maritime was a Forward Operating Base near Honiara. In the background is an ADF shipping container and the rusting shell of an abandoned Malaitan ferry, Ramosi III. In her journal de Medici drew a pencil sketch of this ferry and accompanied it with the following description: "One of the soldiers commented 'I'm getting Tetanus & dysentery just looking @ that thing (the ship). The ship is legend to having a rather large saltwater crocodile, (child-eating) living in the tidal hull, who get in through a hole when it was a squab." Standing nearby are Lieutenant Josh Caddy and Sergeant Major Mick Meredith. In the foreground, Private Elliot Snowden (left) and Private Brett Machielsen (right) play with the mascot. De Medici wrote in her journal about the dog: "They brought him down from the Rove Camp as a lice & flea tortured puppy. Worming, bathing & treatment had transformed Charlie into a lovely healthy little dog."