Valerie Taylor is a conservationist, photographer and filmmaker, and an inaugural member of the diving hall-of-fame.
Valerie Taylor biography
Taylor lived her formative years in Sydney after being born on 9 November 1935 in Paddington, Sydney. Her father worked as an engineer for Exide Batteries, and her mother was a stay-at-home mom.
The family relocated to New Zealand in 1939 to start a battery plant there, but when World War II started, they were unable to leave for Australia.
During the 1948 polio pandemic, Taylor, then 12 years old, became polio positive. With the help of the “Sister Kenny Treatment and Rehabilitation Method,” she steadily recovered while cut off from her family, friends, and education. Taylor dropped behind in her studies and quit school at the age of 15 to work as an animator for the NZ Film Unit.
Taylor and her family relocated to Port Hacking, a beachside neighbourhood of Sydney, where Taylor began diving in 1956 and took up spearfishing in 1960 to help feed her family. She met her future spouse, Ron Taylor, at the St George’s Spearfishing Club and went on to become an Australian champion in both scuba diving and spearfishing. In December 1963, they got married.
She is 87 years old. She was born on November 9 1935.
Where does Valerie Taylor come from?
She comes from Sydney, Australia.
Valerie Taylor husband
Taylor’s husband Ron Taylor died from leukaemia in 2012.
Did Valerie Taylor have children?
Valerie didn’t have children and met Hayley when Hayley was about 3 years old. Their bond is based on their shared love for adventure and diving, which Valerie introduced to Hayley early on.