Matt Zarb
The Wild Rover - 2016 Archibald entry

Matt is a kind and generous friend; inspiring, talented and very funny. However, I wished to portray that deeper quality of a man who’s seen, and understands, the good and bad side of life. Shining in his eyes are memories of great joy and sorrow; for one cannot exist without the other.

I’ve depicted Matt on stage at the restaurant he ran on Norfolk Island, where we met – The Jolly Roger – a charismatic entertainer, in the spotlight, carefully holding his old Maton guitar. Chipped and covered in paint and graffiti, it has been Matt’s beloved companion, and fellow traveller, for some thirty years.

“And it’s no, nay, never,
No nay never no more!
Will I play, the Wild Rover,
No nay never, no more!”