Leonard Randell OAM

For 90 of his 98 years Len Randell OAM has been in, or on, the water. 

As a young lad he spent his days on the banks of the Swan River, fishing, swimming, and building makeshift canoes out of pieces of discarded tin, sticks and old flour bags. 

At just 15 he designed his first boat, signalling the beginning of a lengthy love-affair that saw him become one of the state’s most accomplished boat designers and builders, and a Life Member of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects. 

Self-taught, with a strong dose of intuition thrown in, he was a pioneer in Western Australian ship building. As the architect behind the iconic sail training ship the Leeuwin, he also designed many of WA’s Rottnest Island ferries and revolutionised the state’s fishing industry when he created the first high-speed cray fishing boat. 

Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for the profound impact he has had as a naval architect, and as a long-time sailor, Mr Randell said he was overwhelmed at the joy of receiving his OAM and the torrent of congratulatory messages that followed the announcement, including from former Premiers.  

Interestingly, when Mr Randell attended his King’s Birthday investiture ceremony it was not his first outing to Western Australia’s Government House. Before his naval architecture career took hold, he was an electrical supervisor for the Public Works Department and used to fix and maintain the electrics at the iconic state building. 

“As a 22-year-old in 1948, I was often at the House and got to know then Governor Sir James Mitchell quite well,” Mr Randell said. 

“Later on, I also became very friendly with Lieutenant General Sir Charles Gairdner. He had a boat at Royal Perth Yacht Club and I used to look after that for him to help supplement my income when I was teaching myself naval architecture.” 

Mr Randell continues to work on boats for other people and is part way through fixing up an old second-hand yacht for an owner, who has also asked him to be caretaker and skipper on it when it is back in the water. 

He still sails every Wednesday at his beloved South of Perth Yacht, and in his spare time, continues to dabble in his other passions of painting, gliding and playing violin. 

As for being recognised with an OAM, he remains incredibly humble. 

“There were so many worthy people that I was sitting alongside at the ceremony. People who are doing some amazing things,” Mr Randell said. 

“I didn’t set out to be awarded an OAM, I just set out to do a good job of everything, every day of my life. It’s a reward I never looked for, but one I am very, very happy to receive.”