HMAS Canberra waterline model : Leading Shipwright A E Purkis, HMAS Perth

Hand made waterline model of the Kent-class cruiser, HMAS 'Canberra', with carved solid wood hull with deck timbers realised with ruled black ink lines. The superstructure, turrets, bridge and funnels are fabricated from wood with details added in tin or other metal; the flagstaffs, gun barrels, masts and davits are modified nails. The mast aerials are copper wire, while the flagstaff at the stern bears a tiny paper flag with hand-drawn detail. A wooden Supermarine Seagull or Walrus (either was carried during its service life and at this scale it is impossible to distinguish which is it meant to be) is modelled on its deck storage point, with accompanying recovery crane. All but one of the ship's boats are present. Only three of the four twin eight-inch gun turrets are modelled. There is damage or detachment to the mast, aerials, one turret, the seaplane wings and a range of smaller fittings. The deck has been left in natural wood, while most of the superstructure and the hull is painted battleship grey. The model is affixed via a screw (and possibly glue) to a black-painted wooden base with four square wooden mounting feet. A small flat brass plate is nailed to the front of the base, engraved 'H.M.A.S. CANBERRA'.

Shipwright's hand-made model of the Kent-class cruiser HMAS Canberra, likely made from scrap available aboard ship, by Arthur Ernest Purkis. Purkis was born on 18 October 1899 at Portsmouth, England. A married shipwright he signed on with the Royal Australian Navy on 9 November 1922 for 12 years, under service number 13662. He renewed for two further five year contracts in 1934 and 1939. Over the period of his service he rose from Shipwright Class 4 in 1922 to Class 1 in 1934. Purkis was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 29 December 1937.

Among the ships he served in, notable are HMAS Australia, from 29 April to 3 June 1930 and HMAS Canberra on two occasions, from 4 June 1930 to 21 July 1932 and 10 October 1933 to 26 April 1938. It is assumed he built this model of the Canberra during this period of service aboard the cruiser, which served as the Flagship of the Australian Squadron from 1931 - 1940.

Purkis travelled to Portsmouth in March 1939 as a member of the crew bringing HMAS Perth (previously HMS Amphion) back to Australia; it was commissioned into the RAN on 29 June 1939. Purkis served in the Perth during the Second World War, seeing convoy duty during 1940 and 41, and action at the Battle of Matapan and the evacuation of Greece. When the ship returned to Australia for dry-dock work in early 1942, all but 40 of its 682 strong crew were replaced with new recruits and reservists; Purkis was among that 40 who helped train the new crew. The Japanese advance into northern Australian waters saw HMAS Perth sent north and working with the Dutch during the Battle of the Java Sea in late February and again at the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942 when Perth suffered hits from concentrated fire from a number of Japanese destroyers, and was sunk. Purkis was noted as lost at sea and presumed killed in action. Only 218 of the crew of 686 returned to Australia, either rescued at the time, or repatriated as prisoners after war's end.

HMAS 'Canberra' was itself hit by a pair of Japanese torpedoes and suffered 20 eight-inch shell strikes at the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942, whilst supporting the American landings at Guadalcanal. Disabled and adrift, HMAS 'Canberra' was sunk by American gunfire to deny its use to the Japanese.