🇦🇺Honouring Heroism: Mike Pratt, GC (1948–2025)

Mike Pratt, GC ‘Unarmed and single handed, he faced and attempted to arrest these dangerous armed criminals’ Credit: VC and GC Association/Rory Lewis

Through Heroes in Focus, Rory Lewis is dedicated to preserving the faces and stories of those whose courage defines our shared history. It was an honour to have captured the portrait of Mike Pratt, GC, whose bravery and humility stand among the finest examples of service.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, and serving with the Victoria Police, Pratt received the George Cross in 1978 for his remarkable courage during an armed robbery in Clifton Hill. Despite suffering life-threatening injuries, he subdued the gunman and saved many lives — an act that continues to resonate as a symbol of duty and sacrifice.

Through portraiture, Heroes in Focus ensures that the legacy of extraordinary individuals like Mike Pratt endures — not just as a record of service, but as an inspiration for generations to come.

📸 Portrait by Rory Lewis, Heroes in Focus Archive
🔗 Read more about his remarkable life: The Telegraph Obituary

RORY LEWIS

Winner of the Portrait of Britain in 2017 and 2018. Lewis is a dedicated portrait photographer who has spent over a decade capturing many of the world’s most recognised faces. Sitters have included the likes of William Shatner, David Cameron, Sir Derek Jacobi, Iain Glen and Natalie Dormer. Rory’s images have been exhibited on both sides of the Atlantic, and several of his iconic portraits have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in London. His recent project, ‘Soldiery’, which documented the British Army of the 21st Century, was completed over a two year period and has been hailed as a national success story, named by the BBC as ‘The changing face of the British Army’. Rory divides his time between London and Los Angeles, working with a wide variety of clients. In addition to his projects and private portraits, his photography has been commissioned by Pepsi, Universal, the British Army, The Times, The Guardian and Cancer Research UK, among others. Rory draws immense inspiration from the masters of art including Hans Holbein the Younger, Titian, Caravaggio and Jusepe de Ribera.

http://www.rorylewis.studio
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Field Marshal Lord Houghton Portrait Acquired by The Green Howards Museum

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Behind the Lens: Field Marshal The Lord Houghton of Richmond