David Rowe, who draws for Fairfax Media’s Australian Financial Review, was given the accolade during a ceremony at Old Parliament House in Canberra on Friday.

The 49-year-old, from Wombarra, told the Mercury it was a “great honour” to win the title – particularly after what had been an “eventful political year”. 

“It can get a bit dry sometimes and you’re struggling for ideas, but this year there’s been too much stuff going on,” he said.

Mr Rowe grew up in Canberra and started his career at the Canberra Times.

He then moved to London for work, before landing a job at the AFR about 25 years ago.

The veteran cartoonist described his job as “a learning process”.

“I love it because I’m a bit of a political junkie. I just love reading the news and sort of seeing what’s going on,” he said.

“Doing the cartoon gives you time to, I guess, try and work out what’s going on.

“A lot of times I’m [just] as confused by some of the stuff that goes on.”

Mr Rowe’s cartoons form part of the ‘Behind the Lines 2017: The Three Ring Circus’ exhibition on display at Old Parliament House’s Museum of Australian Democracy. The exhibition showcases the year’s best political cartoons.

Exhibition curator Holly Williams said Mr Rowe had “met the events both at home and abroad with a dark intensity and unflinching pen”.

“The figures he draws become lurid, bordering on the grotesque as he gives visual form to our uneasy feelings on the state of the world,” Ms Williams said.