It is my sad duty to advise you of the sad passing of Ron Taylor AM ACS, legendary underwater cinematographer and conservationist who passed
away on Sunday, September 9, at a private hospital in Sydney after developing acute myeloid leukaemia in 2010.
Ron was a former champion spear fisherman and avid diver, who eventually turned to conserving and filming marine life along with his wife Valerie.
Ron’s first filming break was “Playing with Sharks'” for Movietone News in 1962 for which he won the Britannia Award. This led to many exciting underwater adventures for the Taylors – including the underwater sequences for Steven Spielberg’s “JAWS” & “Age of Consent” during 1968, “Taylor’s Inner Space” 1972, “Orca” for Dino de Laurentis 1976 plus many others – over 40 films in all.
For over 50 years Ron ventured underwater, and along with Valerie were still active up to the time of his illness, spending many months each year on expeditions to remote corners of the earth to continue filming the wonders of the underwater world.
Ron is survived by his wife Valerie, with whom he worked for more than 40 years, conserving and filming sharks.
Ron Taylor was accredited with the letters ACS in 1967 and inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame in 2011. He was a wonderful man, who possessed an innate ability to communicate with all those who crossed his path. He was a humanitarian, an innovative cinematographer who contributed so much to the Australian film and television industry, and a true gentleman.
Ron Taylor AM ACS will be sadly missed by us all, and our collective thoughts and prayers are with Valerie at this very sad time.
Ron Windon ACS – Historian
Ron Johanson ACS – National President
