Talk Series: Early History of Boat Building in Albany

For more than thirty years, Malcolm Traill has worked to record, preserve, and share Albany’s history as a consultant, presenter, author, and educator. He has written extensively on Albany and Great Southern regional history for journals, and has delivered public talks on the subject for over fifteen years. Malcolm works closely with local Elders and the community, and is a national and state committee member of the Professional Historians Association.

He has also co-curated two art exhibitions and an expo at the Albany Town Hall, further demonstrating his commitment to making history accessible and engaging.

Albany 2026 presents an opportunity to affirm the city’s identity as the “Friendly Frontier,” highlighting its commitment to equal opportunity for the Menang community and recognising their integral role in the planning and delivery of the 2026 program.

Malcolm has been a research and public historian since 1994, when he was appointed Local Studies Librarian at the Albany Public Library in Western Australia. Prior to this role, he worked as an academic librarian and lecturer at Curtin University.

While he specialises in Albany and Great Southern regional history, Malcolm also tutors a wide range of undergraduate history units at the University of Western Australia’s Albany campus. During his tenure as Public Programs Officer at the Museum of the Great Southern (2010–2020), he founded the Museum Curatorial Lecture Series in 2011 and was a regular presenter. Since its inception, more than 400 talks have been delivered across Albany and the wider region.

Malcolm has been a driving force in promoting history in Albany, contributing to the organisation of several statewide conferences in the city. In recognition of his work, he received the Individual Contribution Award at the Western Australian Heritage Awards in 2020. He is also a regular guest on ABC Radio and a contributor to Southerly Magazine.

Darren Russell is a shipwright, authorised repairer, and surveyor based at Emu Point.

As one of the last remaining wooden boat builders in Western Australia, Darren leads Emu Point Shipwrights, a business that continues to thrive while preserving a rare and highly specialised craft. He describes his work as part of the “last frontier” of traditional wooden boat building and repair in Albany and across the state.

Darren is also responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the Amity replica at the Museum of the Great Southern. The original Amity was a 148-tonne brig built in 1816, and the replica—constructed over 50 years ago—stands as an important symbol of Albany’s maritime heritage.

Drawing on his extensive experience, Darren will share insights into the history of the Amity replica, along with the broader story of wooden boat building and its enduring connections to Albany.

Lawrence is the Project Manager for the Wildflower restoration with the Albany Maritime Foundation and also serves as a Board Member of the Foundation.

He will speak about Albany’s rich maritime history, as well as the projects he is currently involved in—most notably the restoration of the Wildflower, one of Albany’s, and indeed Australia’s, oldest fishing vessels. The Wildflower is listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels.

Built in the late 19th century, the Wildflower was one of two identical boats brought to Albany from Victoria by the Mouchemore family in 1896. Over more than a century, she worked the waters of Princess Royal Harbour, Oyster Harbour, and King George Sound, remaining under the ownership of three generations of the Mouchemore family.

Widely regarded as one of the longest continuously fished vessels in Australia, the Wildflower holds a special place in Albany’s maritime heritage. Many long-term residents will remember her as a familiar sight resting on her mooring in Princess Royal Harbour, opposite the Residency Museum, where she remained for over 100 years.

Ian K. Forsyth was born in Perth and enjoyed a distinguished forty-year career in international relations and economic policy, retiring from the Commonwealth Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2008.

During his career, he served internationally in a range of senior roles, including as Australia’s Ambassador to the OECD in Paris, and Ambassador to Turkey, Poland, and the Czech Republic. He also held the position of Commercial Counsellor in Washington, DC, and worked within the OECD Secretariat in Paris.

Later in life, Ian discovered his family’s deep historical connections to both Albany and Fremantle. His ancestry includes a remarkable lineage: a former convict who became a member of the Fremantle Town Trust; a mayor; a port pilot and harbour master; the inaugural head of the Department of Harbours and Lights; the founding commanding officer of the Fremantle Naval Volunteers; a master boat builder; an engineer aboard the SS Sultan; and even a hereditary knight of the realm—alongside the pioneering spouses who supported these achievements.

Following his retirement, Ian spent four years collaborating with his brother, Ron Forsyth, to write a biography of their great-grandfather, Captain George Forsyth, mariner and the first Harbour Master of the Colony of Western Australia. Titled Captain George Forsyth: Mariner and First Harbour Master for the Colony of Western Australia, the book was published in 2019 by the Maritime Heritage Association.

Ian and Ron are grandsons of William “Chippie” Forsyth, who was born in Fremantle in 1874, the son of George Forsyth, the Harbour Master. William moved to Albany in 1907, where he built and maintained vessels for Armstrong and Waters before later entering into partnership with Norman Templar at the foot of the old Albany Town Jetty. During this time, he built the steam launches Mary and Dorothy.