Australian Story: Valerie Taylor (ABC TV Monday 13 March 2023)

The first of Leigh Sales’s two-part profile of famed underwater cinematographer Valerie Taylor airs on Monday’s Australian Story. Valerie and her husband Ron Taylor are responsible for the thrilling shark footage seen in a number of documentaries.

Valerie Taylor has had a life full of firsts as an underwater explorer, a pioneer in the field of filmmaking, and a leader in the field of conservation.

In the 1960s, the woman in the pink wetsuit shocked viewers with her sudden appearance on television, bringing them previously unseen footage of the ocean.

Her dedication to sharks and their cause is legendary. She’s swum with the world’s deadliest sharks and, even when bitten, has jumped right back in the water.

Famously, she and her cinematographer husband Ron worked with director Steven Spielberg on the groundbreaking film Jaws, capturing breathtaking shots of great white sharks in their natural habitat.

“They brought the underwater world into the home. The two of them together were just an amazing unit. Both of them were like dolphins in the water”, says diving friend Mike McDowell.

“We’d never seen anything like it”, says friend and Australian Museum Director Kim McKay, recalling their early films.

Less people know that she began her career as an actor, appearing in episodes of the popular TV show Skippy and performing at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre. On the other hand, Valerie didn’t find the theater life intriguing enough to pursue it.

“I wanted to do other things”, she says. “I wanted something more adventurous.”

Valerie began her job as a shark hunter but quickly switched to protecting an endangered species, the grey nurse shark.

Valerie is now 87 years old and she shows no signs of slowing down. She continues her fight for marine life protection and has sparked interest in the water among a new generation of people.

With rare home movies from Valerie’s childhood and behind-the-scenes footage from her most famous documentaries, this intriguing two-part documentary delves deep into the remarkable life of a genuine pioneer.

“Valerie showed the world that sharks aren’t the monsters that people had mistaken them to be”, says Leo Guida from the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

Producer: Jennifer Feller.

Airdate: Monday 13 March 2023 at 8.00pm on ABC TV.