Mark Ella AM (b. 1959) was named among the eleven inaugural 'legends' of the International Rugby Board Hall of Fame in 2013. One of twelve siblings, Mark, his twin Glen and their brother Gary began playing rugby at Matraville High School in the 1970s. Having played for the Australian Schoolboys in Britain in 1977–1978, Mark made his Test debut in 1980 against the All Blacks. In all, he played 26 Tests for the Wallabies, captaining the side in ten. In 1984 he was a member of the first and only Australian side to achieve a grand slam, scoring a try in all four of the Wallabies' Test victories against the Home Nations. Ella was named one of the four original Australian Rugby Invincibles in 2013.
When Nikki Toole was commissioned to photograph Ella she read his autobiography. Reading about the straitened circumstances of his childhood, she'd been impressed with Ella's energy, willingness to take risks and his thoughtfulness. She only took about six pictures during the shoot at her Melbourne studio: three while they were laughing and he was drinking coffee, and another three after she suggested he try not thinking about her taking his photograph. They ceased to engage, and of the second three photographs she knew that this one was 'the one'.
Commissioned with funds from the Patrick Corrigan Portrait Commission Series 2015
© Nikki Toole
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