TED Richardson first noticed how tough life was for foreign seafarers when he saw a group of them catching catfish and scavenging for shellfish around Brisbane’s Fisherman Islands.
“They were cooking whatever they could scratch up, mixing it with rice to put protein into their meals,” he said.
“It was a way of getting nourishment not provided by their employers.”
The former merchant navy man with 20 years’ seafaring under his belt witnessed with growing concern these seafarers’ struggles for a better life during his time on development work around the Port of Brisbane in the late ’80s.
Eventually his pity for these men and a strong desire to see them receive just treatment led to greater involvement.
“I could see straight away the pastoral need for seafarers and sense the isolation and loneliness they were feeling,” he said.
After volunteering at the Seafarers’ Centre at Fisherman Islands, an opportunity arose for him to become a pastoral worker for Brisbane archdiocese, through Bishop John Gerry.
Within several years, Ted was elected Australian national director of the international Catholic organisation Apostleship of the Sea (Apostolatus Maris) and its Stella Maris centres.
He quickly entered into the deeper waters of the seafarers’ often tragic lives.
“These people faced and continue to face injury and death in unsafe working environments,” he said.
“Their suicide rate is alarming as they fail to cope with terrible working conditions and isolation from families.
“There is also an incredible lack of compassion from shipping company owners.
“To give one example: some company executives would send pictures home to families of sailors who’d hung themselves to save money establishing the identity of the men through official channels.
“These sailors are seen as nothing more than commodities like cattle or sheep – just beasts of burden.
“Capture by pirates is also a problem these days – ship owners will pay to release their ships but often sailors’ ransoms go unpaid and more than 800 men are currently in captivity.”
Ted, whose burly frame and tattooed arm mark him for the seafarer he once was, has many a tale to tell of his time with the Apostleship of the Sea.
“One of the most significant times in this ministry was in 1995 when I received a call from a police officer in north-west Western Australia,” he said.
“He advised me of an incident that occurred on board a ship where seafarers had just asked for their wages and time to go ashore to contact their families.
“After some dispute, the ship left without tugs, without port authority approval and headed to sea.
“Some of the crew were beaten and forced overboard.
“The radio officer got a message out but because he was the last off the ship, he died in the water from his injuries.
“When I received the statutory declarations from the rescued crew, it steeled my resolve to never allow anybody to get away with crimes against seafarers, if it was in my power to stop it.
“These declarations formed an important part of a Senate Inquiry into seafarers’ welfare.”
But amidst the sadness and the never-ending fight for justice, Ted has shared moments of great joy with his extended family.
The Stella Maris Centre at Wynnum, as with other similar centres, provides a means of connection to seafarers far from their home and families.
It is run as a pastoral ministry of Centacare Brisbane.
“Seafarers are able to see and talk to their families, see their new-born babies on webcam, view photos, baptisms and First Communions and birthdays,” he said.
“There are times where I have spent that very special time of prayer and reflection with them, especially (during) a Mass on board ship.”
Ever increasing demand has stretched the resources of this Apostleship of the Sea ministry to the limit.
“Last year we had more than 13,000 seafarers through the Wynnum centre alone,” he said.
There are many Catholics among the Filipino nationals who make up about a third of the world’s 1.3 million seafarers.
However, the apostleship, now an office of the Vatican, offers help regardless of race, culture, nationality or religion.
This brought Ted to the story of an unusual painting which hangs on the wall at Wynnum’s Stella Maris Centre.
It’s by refugee and acclaimed Brisbane Muslim artist Towfiq Al-Qady.
“We helped Towfiq out when he first arrived here several years ago,” Ted said.
“He received pots, pans, clothing, accommodation and an old computer to help him advertise his art work.
“Since then his work has been in demand.
“By way of thanks he created a special painting for the centre.
“Although a Muslim, he shows special respect for Jesus and Our Lady in this painting.
“Jesus stands behind the ship protecting it and the roses represent Our Lady.
“The eyes of the sailors look out from the sails.”
There’s also a special touch in Ted’s honour.
“If you look very closely, you can see my name painted amongst the roses … very cute,” the centre chief said.
Now, after 20 years, Ted is preparing to step down from a role which has made such a difference in the lives of so many.
He does so with considerable satisfaction and widespread recognition.
In June this year, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to mariners, the ones he describes as “people so forgotten but so essential to the comfortable lifestyles which we all enjoy”.
He sees his biggest achievement during this time has been “representing the Catholic Church in the maritime community through several Senate inquiries on seafarers’ welfare”.
“From these inquiries, I was able to bring together members of the maritime community throughout Australia to develop a National Seafarers Welfare Advisory Council,” he said.
“This was to bring a significant shift in the focus of seafarers’ welfare.
“There was a snowballing effect and there have been changes.
“Many nations following the Australian ‘Ships of Shame’ Inquiry and the international community came together to bring forward a document which was later called ‘The Seafarers’ Bill of Rights’.”
Although not achieving these milestones on his own, Ted said it was an exciting time to be part of the process and supporting the national and international committees on seafarers’ welfare.
So is this the end of Ted’s involvement in the fight for justice for the world’s seafarers?
“Certainly not,” he said.
“Today seafarers are better fed and their sanitary conditions have greatly improved, even if their wages are still low.
“But there’s still much to be done.
“It’s never been hard getting up each morning and going to work … each day has been an exciting opportunity to care for seafarers of all races, colours and creeds.
“Even after I retire, I see myself as a volunteer continuing to work in this apostolate.”
