Creativity flourishes on board

By LS Abdus Chowdhury 3 min read
Chief Petty Officer Boatswain William McCombe with his electric guitar on the upper deck of HMAS Ballarat while at sea.
CPOB William McCombe plays his electric guitar on the upper deck of HMAS Ballarat while at sea. Photos: LS Abdus Chowdhury
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While the crew of HMAS Ballarat work hard to follow the ship’s motto ‘Defend the Flag’, many of them take time to continue creative pursuits.

LEUT Emma Cook discovered a talent for painting during her busy work routine on board.

As a principal warfare officer, LEUT Cook is in charge of the weapons and sensors, ensuring the ship achieves its mission during an operational deployment.

LEUT Cook began her Navy career in 2013 and joined Ballarat in 2025.

She started painting two years ago when she discovered a passion for ‘ink and wash’ watercolours.

Her job allows her to see many interesting events, which provide inspiration for her art. 

'I capture memories of things that I find interesting about a life at sea, whether that’s conducting an exercise with other nations or whether it’s just the normal day to day life on board.'

LEUT Emma Cook

“I see something cool happen and I take a picture of it. I then draw it later as a memory keepsake,” she said.

Painting at sea gives her something completely different to do – a welcome relief from her regular duties. For her, painting is a way to work on her mindfulness at sea.

In another part of the ship, CPOB William McCombe brings his old hobby to life.

CPO McCombe is in charge of the crew that handles seamanship duties and operates deck equipment, small boats and small arms.

In his downtime CPO McCombe enjoys playing his guitar and listening to iconic rock bands such as the Foo Fighters and Blink-182.

Playing his electric guitar brings memories of jamming with his friends in his youth flooding back.

Despite living with three other sailors in a shared room, he thinks playing electric guitar at sea is easier than it has ever been.

While that may sound noisy in the shared living space, CPO McCombe has a solution.

“I simply plug my electric guitar into my computer, pick a song that I want to learn from an app and practise using my headphones,” he said.

“So, it’s just like a game. I just play along and don’t disturb my crewmates.”

Like LEUT Cook, CPO McCombe finds his hobby brings balance to his life on board the Navy frigate.

“You can’t be working all the time; you have to have an outlet that you really love to do outside of work,” CPO McCombe said.

Principal Warfare Officer, Lieutenant Emma Cook uses her watercolour paints on the upper deck of HMAS Ballarat while at sea.
LEUT Emma Cook uses her watercolour paints on the upper deck of HMAS Ballarat while at sea.
Principal Warfare Officer, Lieutenant Emma Cook displays an example of her painting on the upper deck of HMAS Ballarat while at sea.
Illustrated journal pages capture a commemorative ceremony and a formal mess dinner.
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