Ray Crooke. 

After the war, Ray Crooke pursued his artistic education at Swinburne University of Technology's Art School and embarked on journeys to New Guinea, Tahiti, and Fiji. In 1949, he ventured to the Torres Strait and, upon his return to Melbourne in 1951, married June Bethell. The State Library of Queensland preserves a diary documenting his time in the Torres Strait.
 

In the 1960s, the Crookes resided in Sydney and Melbourne, frequently traveling to Thursday Island, New Guinea, Cape York, and Fiji. Ray Crooke exhibited regularly at the Johnstone gallery in Brisbane and the Macquarie Galleries in Sydney, with the former playing a pivotal role in his artistic journey since his inaugural solo exhibition there in 1960. His Island Journal is a tribute to the lasting influence of Brian and Marjorie Johnstone on his life as an artist.

Noteworthy among his works is "The Offering" (1971), now part of the Vatican Museum collection. Ray Crooke's artistic legacy endures, with many of his pieces showcased in various Australian galleries.