Ron and Valerie Taylor
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Ron Josiah Taylor, AM (8 March 19349 September 2012) was a prominent Australian shark expert, as is his widow, Valerie Taylor.Kennett, Joan; 'Underwater Romance', ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', Wednesday 5 February 1964, pages 2 and 3

Retrieved 24 September 2012.
They were credited with being pioneers in several areas, including being the first people to film
great white sharks The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocean ...
without the protection of a cage. Their expertise has been called upon for films such as ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
'', ''
Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'' and ''
Sky Pirates ''Sky Pirates'' (also known as ''Dakota Harris'') is a 1986 Australian adventure film written and produced by John D. Lamond, and directed by Colin Eggleston. The film was inspired by Steven Spielberg's ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981), as we ...
''.


Biography

Ronald Taylor began diving in 1952 and became interested in
spearfishing Spearfishing is a method of fishing that involves impaling the fish with a straight pointed object such as a spear, gig or harpoon. It has been deployed in artisanal fishing throughout the world for millennia. Early civilisations were familia ...
and
underwater photography Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while diving on surface supply, snorkeling, swimming, from a submersible or remotely operated underwater v ...
. He met Valerie while both were members of the St George Spearfishing Club in Sydney. They became champion spearfishers, but switched from killing sharks to filming them after becoming fascinated with marine life. They married in December 1963. They made their living in the 1960s by making wet suits and selling underwater cameras, plus doing artwork for magazines. Taylor won the Australian Open Spearfishing Championships for four years in succession before winning the World Spearfishing Championship in
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
in 1965. Taylor's first major underwater film production, ''The Shark Hunters'' (1962), was made with diving and business partner
Ben Cropp Benjamin Cropp AM (born 19 January 1936) is an Australian documentary filmmaker, conservationist and a former six-time Open Australian spearfishing champion. Formerly a shark hunter, Cropp retired from that trade in 1962 to pursue oceanic do ...
.'Shark Hunters!' ''The Australian Women's Weekly'', Wednesday 6 March 1963, page 22

Retrieved 24 September 2012.
In 1964, he made the ''Slaughter at Saumarez'', the first Australian diving adventure to the
Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...
aboard professional fishing boat ''Riversong'' with free divers John Harding, Bob Grounds and Ron Zangari with Captain Wally Muller. In 1966, the Taylors sold their shark documentary ''Revenge of a Shark Victim'' to producer Robert Raymond who won a
Logie Award The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
for his adaptation with new footage. The Taylors were employed by the Belgian Scientific Expedition to the
Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
as advisers and 35 mm underwater
cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
s, for six months, the first major educational project of this type on the Great Barrier Reef sponsored by University of Liège, Belgium. In 1969, Ron co-filmed ''
Blue Water, White Death ''Blue Water, White Death'' is a 1971 American documentary about sharks which was directed by Peter Gimbel and James Lipscomb. It received favourable reviews and was described as a "well produced odyssey" and "exciting and often beautiful". It s ...
'' with Stan Waterman, Peter Lake and Peter Gimbel. In 1974, the Taylors, assisted by
Rodney Fox Rodney Winston Fox (born 9 November 1940) is an Australian film maker, conservationist, survivor of an attack by a great white shark, and one of the world's foremost authorities on that species. He was inducted into the International Scuba D ...
(above water), filmed the live shark underwater sequences for ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
''. They also filmed the live shark underwater sequences for ''
Jaws 2 ''Jaws 2'' is a 1978 American thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and co-written by Carl Gottlieb. It is the sequel to Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws'' (1975), and the second installment in the ''Jaws'' franchise. The film stars Roy Scheider as ...
'' (1978) and the shark sequences for the film ''
Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'' (1976). In 1978, they published ''Great Shark Stories'' book. Taylor first devised an idea of a diver wearing a full-length chain-mail suit over a wet suit as possible protection against shark bite in the 1960s but it was more than a decade before the suit was made and tested but it was found the suit was too small for Ron so Valerie wore it to test it with sharks. In 1979, the Taylors filmed the underwater scenes for, '' The Blue Lagoon''. While on a dive trip in 1981, the Taylors discovered mining claims on several
Coral Sea Islands The Coral Sea Islands Territory is an external territory of Australia which comprises a group of small and mostly uninhabited tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland, Australia. The only inhabited island is W ...
. They brought this to the attention of the Australian Federal Government and saved these remote bird breeding islands. ''Wreck of the Yongala'', a TV documentary, was made in 1982, showcasing what was then the most spectacular of shipwrecks in shallow water. It was instrumental in having the wreck protected from fishing. The Taylors, inspired by Cairns game fishing charter boat captain Peter Bristow, lobbied via the media, the
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
Government and National Parks to have the
potato cod The potato grouper (''Epinephelus tukula''), also called the potato cod or potato bass, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and ...
of Cormorant Pass near
Lizard Island Lizard Island is an island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland (Australia), northwest of Brisbane and part of the Lizard Island Group that also includes Palfrey Island. It is part of the Lizard Island National Park. Lizard Island is within ...
protected. They were the first people to film
great white sharks The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocean ...
without the protection of a cage or anything else during the making of the series ''Blue Wilderness'', Episode, Shark Shocker in January 1992, a huge milestone in ocean exploration together with South Africans Theo Ferreira, Craig Ferreira, George Askew and Piet van der Walt, founders of the South African great white shark cage diving industry. They tested an electronic shark-repelling barrier there. They were also the first to film sharks by night. ''Shadow over the Reef'' (1993) was filmed at
Ningaloo Reef The Ningaloo Coast is a World Heritage Site located in the north west coastal region of Western Australia. The heritage-listed area is located approximately north of Perth, along the East Indian Ocean. The distinctive Ningaloo Reef that fring ...
, Western Australia and was instrumental in preventing the test drilling for
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
inside the Ningaloo Marine Park. The Taylors' documentary ''Shark Pod'' (1997) used the
Protective Oceanic Device Ocean Guardian is the manufacturer of devices that use Shark Shield Technology. The Ocean Guardian electronic devices create an electromagnetic field to deter shark attacks and are used by surfers, scuba divers, snorkelers, spearfishers, ocea ...
invented in South Africa by Norman Starkey of the Natal Sharks Board against great white sharks,
tiger shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...
s,
hammerhead shark The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a cephalofoil. Most hammerhe ...
s, and other shark species. Taylor died on 9 September 2012 at age 78, following a two-year battle with
acute myeloid leukemia Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may includ ...
. ''The Realm of the Shark'' is a biographical account of the Taylors' lives between the late 1950s, and the late 1980s.


Selected works


Filmography


Documentary films

* ''Playing with Sharks'' for
Movietone News Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States. Under the name British Movietone News, it also ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986, in France also produced by Fox-Europa, in Australia and New Zealand until 1970 ...
, 1962 * ''Shark Hunters'', 1963; with
Ben Cropp Benjamin Cropp AM (born 19 January 1936) is an Australian documentary filmmaker, conservationist and a former six-time Open Australian spearfishing champion. Formerly a shark hunter, Cropp retired from that trade in 1962 to pursue oceanic do ...
* ''Slaughter at Saumarez'', 1964 * ''Skindiving Paradise'', 1965 * ''Revenge of a Shark Victim'', 1965; about
Rodney Fox Rodney Winston Fox (born 9 November 1940) is an Australian film maker, conservationist, survivor of an attack by a great white shark, and one of the world's foremost authorities on that species. He was inducted into the International Scuba D ...
(re-edited by
Robert Raymond Robert Alwyn Raymond OAM (7 July 1922 – 26 September 2003) was an Australian Logie Award winning producer, director, writer, filmmaker and journalist. A pioneer of Australian television, he with Michael Charlton in 1961, co-founded the Austra ...
into ''SHARK'' which subsequently received a
Logie Award The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...
)'Ron Taylor's Shark Fighters Programme'

. Retrieved 1/10/2012.
* ''Surf Scene'', 1965, featuring top surfers Robert Conneeley, Russell Hughes, Kevin Brennan and Tanya Binning surfing new locations at Noosa Head and Double Island Point, Queensland. * ''Will the Barrier Reef Cure Claude Clough?'', 1966 * ''Belgian Scientific Expedition'', for University of Liège 1967 * ''The Underwater World of Ron Taylor'', 1967, narrated live by Ron Taylor * ''The Cave Divers'', 1967; for W.D. & H.O. Wills, W.D. & H.O. Wills (Aust), filmed in the area surrounding Mount Gambier, South Australia. * ''Sharks'', 1975; for
Time-Life Television Time Life Television was a division of Time Life Films and was the television production and distribution arm of Time Inc. With CBS, they led a partnership to export their shows overseas. Broadcasting Time Life also owned several radio and TV st ...
* ''The Great Barrier Reef'', 1978; for Time-Life Television * ''The Wreck of the Yongala'', 1981 * ''The Great Barrier Reef'' (IMAX), 1982; technical consultants * ''Operation Shark Bite'', 1982 * ''Give Sharks a Chance'', 1991; with
Richard Dennison Richard Dennison is an Australian documentary filmmaker. His adventure films explore the limits of human endurance and survival; sometimes searching beyond those limits. Wildlife films produced by Orana Films are about people who fight for the ...
for
National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...
and the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
* ''Shark Shocker'' 1993 (with Richard Dennison) for Channel 4 UK * ''Shadow over the Reef'', 1993 * ''Mystique of the Pearl'', for
Film Australia Film Australia was a company established by the Government of Australia to produce films about Australia in 1973. Its predecessors were the Cinema and Photographic Branch (1913–38), the Australian National Film Board (1939–1955, under diffe ...
, 1995 * ''Shark Pod'', 1996'Taylor, Valerie, 1998, 'Testing the Shark POD'

. Retrieved 1/10/2012.
* ''Shadow of the Shark'', 1999; for
Australian Geographic Australian Geographic is a media business that produces the ''Australian Geographic'' magazine, ''DMag'' magazine, specialist book titles, travel guides, diaries and calendars and online media. It published editions of the Australian Encyclop ...
, directed by Tina Dalton-Hagege


Television series and movies

* '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'',
Episode 3 ''Episode III'', ''Episode 3'' or ''Episode Three'' may refer to: * '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'', a 2005 film *Episode 3 (Humans series 1), TV series episode *Episode 3 (Peep Show), TV series episode *Episode 3 (The Tudors), ...
– ''Golden Reef '' (1968) – original story & Episode 57 – ''The Shark Taggers''(1969) – underwater sequences'Skippy'

. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
* ''Contrabandits'' (30 episode series), 1967–68; underwater sequences and diving instruction for cast * '' Barrier Reef (TV series), Barrier Reef'' (39-episode series), 1971–1972; direction of underwater photography, stunt work and minor acting roles * ''Taylor's Inner Space'' (13-episode series), 1972–1973 with soundtrack composed by
Sven Libaek Sven Erik Libaek (born 20 September 1938) is a Norwegian-Australian composer, record producer and musician. He composes film and TV soundtrack music and, as the staff producer for the Australian division of CBS Records, influenced the Australia ...
and narration by
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
*''
Those Amazing Animals ''That's Incredible!'' is an American reality television show that aired on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from 1980 in television, 1980 to 1984 in television, 1984. In the tradition of ''You Asked for It'', ''List of ...
'', 1980–1981; contributed to underwater segments * ''
Fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
'', 1985; underwater sequences * ''Blue Wilderness'' (6 episodes), 1992; with Richard Dennison for National Geographic and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * '' Flipper'', 1995 series; underwater still photography


Films

* ''
Age of Consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally claim ...
'', 1968 * '' The Intruders'' (also known as ''Skippy and the Intruders''), 1969 * ''
Blue Water, White Death ''Blue Water, White Death'' is a 1971 American documentary about sharks which was directed by Peter Gimbel and James Lipscomb. It received favourable reviews and was described as a "well produced odyssey" and "exciting and often beautiful". It s ...
'', 1971 * ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
'', 1975 * ''
Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...
'', 1976; live shark sequences * ''
The Last Wave ''The Last Wave'' (also released, in the US, as ''Black Rain'') is a 1977 Australian Mystery film, mystery Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Peter Weir.''Variety Film Reviews, Variety'' film review; 16 November 1977, p. 21. It ...
'', 1977; underwater sequences * ''
Jaws 2 ''Jaws 2'' is a 1978 American thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and co-written by Carl Gottlieb. It is the sequel to Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws'' (1975), and the second installment in the ''Jaws'' franchise. The film stars Roy Scheider as ...
'', 1978 * ''
Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
'', 1981; underwater sequences * ''
A Dangerous Summer ''A Dangerous Summer'' (aka ''Flash Fire'') is a 1982 Australian crime film drama film directed by Quentin Masters and starring Tom Skerritt, Ian Gilmour, Guy Doleman and James Mason. Production The film was inspired by the Sydney bush fire ...
'', 1982: underwater sequences * '' Year of Living Dangerously'', 1982 * '' The Blue Lagoon'', 1980; underwater sequences * ''The Silent One'', 1983 * ''
Sky Pirates ''Sky Pirates'' (also known as ''Dakota Harris'') is a 1986 Australian adventure film written and produced by John D. Lamond, and directed by Colin Eggleston. The film was inspired by Steven Spielberg's ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981), as we ...
'', 1984, underwater sequences * ''
Frog Dreaming ''Frog Dreaming'' is a 1986 Australian family adventure film written by Everett De Roche and directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It starred Henry Thomas, Tony Barry, Rachel Friend and Tamsin West. Plot An American boy, Cody (Thomas), whose pare ...
'', 1986 * '' The Rescue'', for Walt Disney, 1987 * ''
Return to the Blue Lagoon ''Return to the Blue Lagoon'' is a 1991 American South Seas romantic adventure film directed and produced by William A. Graham and starring Milla Jovovich and Brian Krause. The film is a sequel to '' The Blue Lagoon'' (1980). The screenplay b ...
'', 1990, underwater sequences * ''
Honeymoon in Vegas ''Honeymoon in Vegas'' is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Andrew Bergman and starring James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. Plot Private Detective ("Private eye") Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) swore to hi ...
'', 1991, underwater sequences * '' Police Story 4: First Strike'', 1995; underwater sequences * ''
The Island of Dr Moreau ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island ...
'', 1995, live shark sequences


Bibliography

* Taylor, Ron; (1965), ''Ron Taylor's shark fighters: underwater in colour'', John Harding Underwater Promotions, Glebe, NSW. * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; (1976), ''Ron and Valerie Taylor's Underwater World'', Ure Smith, Sydney (). * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; (1977), ''Sangosho no taiwa'' (publisher not cited), Tokyo. (Japanese translation of ''Ron and Valerie Taylor's Underwater World'' as published by Ure Smith in 1976) * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; Goadby, Peter; editors (1978), ''Great shark stories'', Collins, London, England () * Taylor, Valerie; (1981), ''The great shark suit experiment'', Ron Taylor Film Productions () * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; Croll, Ian; editor (1982), ''The Great Barrier Reef: nature's gift to Australia-Australia's gift to the world'', Beer Productions, Cairns * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; Goadby, Peter; editors (1986), ''Great shark stories'', Crowood Press, Marlborough, England () * Taylor, R. & Taylor, V.; (1986), ''Sharks: Silent Hunters of the Deep'', Reader's Digest (Australia) Pty Ltd, Surrey Hills, NSW, Australia () (hardback). * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; (1987), ''Papua New Guinea marine fishes'', Robert Brown & Associates, Bathurst, NSW () (pbk.) () (pbk.) * Taylor, Ron & Valerie; (1997), ''Blue Wilderness'', Fourth Day Publishing () ()


Awards, honours and other recognitions


Ron

*1962 –
Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
Award for ''Playing With Sharks'' *1966 – the NOGI statuette for Education and Sports (then awarded by the Underwater Society of America) *1993 – SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Diver *2003 –
Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AM)
Citation: For service to conservation and the environment through marine cinematography and photography, by raising awareness of endangered and potentially extinct marine species, and by contributing to the declaration of species and habitat protection.


Ron and Valerie

*1992 – Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year *1997 – the jury award for the film ''Shark Pod'' at the Antibes Underwater Festival, France *1998 – the Golden Palm Award for the book ''Blue Wilderness'' at the 25th World Festival of Underwater Pictures in
Antibes Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of southeastern France, on the French Riviera, Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice. The town of ...
, France. *2000 –
International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) is an annual event that recognizes those who have contributed to the success and growth of recreational scuba diving in dive travel, entertainment, art, equipment design and development, educa ...
*2002 – Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia's Serventy Conservation Medal *2008 – Australian Geographic Lifetime of Conservation Award *2011 – Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame *Life membership of the St George Spearfishing & Freediving Club Inc. (date of conferral not stated) *2012 – renaming of the newly declared ''Neptune Islands Group Marine Park'' surrounding the
Neptune Islands The Neptune Islands consist of two groups of islands located close to the entrance to Spencer Gulf in South Australia. They are well known as a venue for great white shark tourism. Description The Neptune Islands consists of two groups of isl ...
in South Australia to the ''Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park''


See also

* *


References


Further reading

* (includes interview with Ron and Valerie Taylor)


External links


Ron and Valerie Taylor's Facebook page

Ocean Artists Society page for Valerie Taylor









The Blue Lagoon


* ttps://freediversoz.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/saving-shark-1970_12.html Taylor's save a Great white shark 1970
Valerie Taylor pictures New Skindiving Paradise
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Ron And Valerie 1934 births 2012 deaths Australian underwater divers People from Sydney Underwater photographers Australian documentary filmmakers Underwater filmmakers Deaths from leukemia Deaths from cancer in New South Wales