How I became interested in Marine Aquariums

Late 70's - Early 80's...

In 1978 my family and I moved to Lae in Papua New Guinea. After a year or so we bought a boat and a share in a beach house at a place called Salamaua. The house was located on a 50m wide ithmus that ran at a 90 degree angle from the coast. After about 2-3 kms another right angle into a headland that ran parrallel to the coast for another 4-5 kms. Whilst the ithmus probably reached a maximum of 5 meters above sea level, the headland was like a small mountain range reaching over 100 metres at it's highest point. The result of this was a perfect natural harbour in the shape of a horseshoe with pristine coral reefs running on either side of the headland. For a number of years I spent 2 out of 3 weekends exploring these reefs and surrounding area in pursuit of what would become my two favourite boyhood pastimes - marine life and WW II relics.

Whilst I never became particularly good at catching fish, I certainly enjoyed trying and my success were proudly displayed in our aquarium back in Lae. The easiest fish to catch were clowns as rather than bolt for a hole or swim off they would sit in their anemone becoming easy prey! Other success stories were batfish & sea horses. Unfortunately the sea horses always ended up starving to death so I gave up on these.

During my first term at boarding school my parents moved from Lae to Mount Hagen - smack bang in the middle of the New Guinea Highlands. My Marine Aquarium adventure was on hold.

Early 90's...

Now at University with a very meagre University income, I decided to purchance an aquarium with my hard earned holiday money. I bought a 2nd hand not very well designed reef tank. After a number of years of mixed success and being convinced that I would never be able to succeed without a budget of $'000s to purchase all that equipment that was deemed essential to run a successful reef tank (as was the vogue at that time) I decided that it would be better to take a break from the hobby until I could afford the system I wanted.

Late 90's...

At the end of 1998 I decided that I would attempt to venture back into the marine aquarium hobby. With the aid of the internet I discovered that the world had changed in five years and I now did not need a high tech system to run a successful reef tank. Unfortunately it seemed as though no one else in Australia (certainly not the Sydney LFS's) knew anything about it.

Eventually I was lucky enough to come across a couple of Aussie aquarists whos assistance was invaluable. In January 1999 I bought another 2nd hand system (which was better designed - although still not perfect) and eventually got it up and running.

Mid way through the year, I was introduced to Gavan Harrison and between the two of us, we schemed up the idea that was to evolve into the Marine Aquarium Society of Sydney. Many months later it has evolved into a successful fledgling society...