Ben Cropp

Benjamin Cropp (born 19 January 1936) is an Australian documentary filmmaker, conservationist and a former Open Australian spearfishing champion. His father was a Methodist missionary on the island. He lived in various places such as Casino, Ballina and Bellingen as his father moved to different parishes. He grew up at Lennox Head in New South Wales. Cropp had a very religious upbringing, but when he was 18 "broke totally away from that".

Awards In 1970, Cropp became an accredited ACS member of the Australian Cinematographers Society and given a Life Membership in 2014. This was due to his winning numerous film awards, including the World Underwater Photographer Award in 1964, and his still photography was published in top magazines around the world, including National Geographic and the cover of Time.

In 1999, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.

In 2000, he was part of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame's inaugural induction.