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14 minute video on how the Busselton Jaycee's Oceanarium (in WA) was built and stocked in 1969/1970

Discussion in 'Australia' started by steveroberts, 31 Jan 2023.

  1. steveroberts

    steveroberts Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Sydney, NSW, Australia

    As mentioned in the video the Jaycees Busselton Oceanarium operated for about 18 years, but the Oceanarium itself remained open under a new owner until it closed sometime in about 1997.


     
    Last edited by a moderator: 4 Feb 2023
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  2. steveroberts

    steveroberts Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    From the Busselton Jetty Facebook Page are the following photos from back in the day with a few descriptive posts.

    *Photo by Arne Jepherson and post by Busselton Jetty & Memories of Busselton Facebook author contributors 21/2/21:

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    '...Blast from the past: In 1970, Busselton's Jaycees Oceanarium, between the Equinox Restaurant and the Jetty, opened to the public. Showcasing local marine life, sourced by Jaycee members from Geographe Bay, the Oceanarium was a popular attraction. Pride of place was Danny, the Grey Nurse Shark which was donated by the Cottesloe Oceanarium when it closed in (September) 1974. The story of the Jaycees Oceanarium, including a life size replica of Danny, is now on display in the Busselton Jetty Interpretive Centre Museum..'

    The following are from the Memories of Busselton Facebook Page (登录 Facebook)
    photo and story credit below to Theresa Basnett from 21/4/17:

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    'Here is John Valentine "walking" one of the Bronze Whaler Oceanarium sharks. This appeared in the Daily News in 1976. John used to swim and feed Danny the Grey Nurse shark from the Oceanarium. John tells us about the night of Cyclone Alby (4th April 1978) and how he spent the entire night at the Oceanarium to make sure that the pumps stayed running, as they pumped water from the ocean. He was worried that if something went wrong, all the fish would not survive. He remembers it as a very frightening night, as waves crashed over the jetty. He says he has never seen anything like it in his life. As we now know, there was great destruction visible the morning after in Busselton...'


    Photos below by Cheryl Watson from 9/4/17 same Facebook gallery of history of the Busselton Jaycees Oceanarium, of Danny the Grey Nurse Shark who died sometime in the mid to late 1980s:

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    Also thanks to Cheryl Watson who uploaded (again on 9/4/17) to the Busselton Jetty and Memories of Busselton Facebook page (again link to above) here showing one of the Aquarium volunteers refilling the Oceanarium tank (can see how it started to look aged and very tired just over a decade after construction..but it held well considering it was built ad-hoc by hardworking volunteers from the Jaycees club as the video above shows in detail, and remarkably was still open until at least February 1997!):

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    & also by Cheryl Watson (posted 9/4/17 but taken from same era in 1980s):
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    Just wanted to add that other additional animals the Oceanarium had in its 27 years of running was an orphaned Little Penguin at one stage, Port Jackson Sharks, Wobbegong, Stingrays, Cobbler Fish, Snapper Fish, Bronze Whaler Shark (as seen in the 1976 article photo) and towards the end of its existence another Grey Nurse Shark was acquired for a time as described in this local newspaper cutout advertisement from the summer of '96-'97 that I was given by Busselton Council and uploaded to the Australian media gallery here:

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    Last edited: 4 Feb 2023
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