English trout introduced to Tasmania in 1870

outofwater · #1 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 05:38 PM

Does anyone have any pictures of "real" English Brown trout?

Quote:

The Ballarat Trout Hatchery located in Gillies Street, Ballarat, is the oldest fish hatchery on mainland Australia. The Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society has operated the hatchery since August 1870. This Society was formed on the 1st August 1870 at a public meeting held at Ballarat’s historic Craig’s Royal Hotel. At that meeting it was proposed by the members present that…"it was desirable to introduce trout, perch and other English fish into Ballarat district waters."

English brown trout had been introduced into Tasmania in the mid 1860s. A consignment of 1000 brown trout ova was shipped to Melbourne for the Ballarat Acclimatisation Society in August 1870. These trout eggs were transported to ‘Ercildoun’ a property about 35 kilometres northwest of Ballarat. This was the home of Mr. S. L. Learmonth, a member of the Society, who had set up hatching boxes to receive the ova. After some early setbacks brown trout were successfully raised and in October 1872 some 1500 young fish were distributed into district waters.

Mr. Learmonth left ‘Ercildoun’ in August 1873 and the hatchery was moved to new ponds located in the northern end of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. In 1885 the Ballarat City Council generously granted the Society the permanent use of a larger block of land at the southern end of the Botanical Gardens in close proximity to Lake Wendouree. By 1890 the hatchery had been reconstructed at this site with a new hatching house and concrete ponds. This site is where they have operated from to this day. By 1899 the Society had reared and distributed into Ballarat district waters many thousands of trout as well as English perch or ‘redfin’ as they are more commonly known. It was also in 1899 that rainbow trout were procured from New Zealand for introduction into the Hatchery breeding program.

The Ballarat Acclimatisation in cooperation with the Victorian Government was responsible for the supply of fish to stock the States waters until the mid 1950’s when a Government hatchery was built at Snobs Creek. The Ballarat Hatchery has a unique history in that it helped pioneer the introduction of trout, perch and other game fish into Australia. Not only did the Acclimatisation Society supply fish and ova for all of Victoria but also to parts of South Australia, New South Wales and even as far as South Africa, Ceylon, New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. The Hatchery, during its history, was, at one time, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and is still regarded as one of the most respected of its kind in the world.
more: http://www.ballarat.com/fishing/accl...on_society.htm

fontinalis · #2 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 08:50 PM

The fish that were sent to Tasmania 1864 would have probably come from a hatchery owned by Frank Buckland, one of the first fish farmer's in the UK. I don't know where his hatchery was but his origional stock, I assume, would have come from the local population. His book that he wrote in 1863 contain's no picture's of fish.

bigrex1 · #3 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 09:12 PM

they probably came out of loch leven as it has stocked waters wordwide.

outofwater · #4 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 09:33 PM

Thankyou

Does anyone have a photo of a trout that would resemble the original inhabitants?

Wee Jimmy · #5 (**permalink**) 27-11-2007, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outofwater

Thankyou

Does anyone have a photo of a trout that would resemble the original inhabitants?

Loch Leven Brown Trout renowned worldwide....from Scotland.

rad · #6 (**permalink**) 28-11-2007, 10:51 AM

I may be wrong but i read somewhere that these fish where sent from Blagdon

#7 (**permalink**) 28-11-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wee Jimmy

Loch Leven Brown Trout renowned worldwide....from Scotland.

The brown trout that are stocked into our public reservoirs are Leven strain. They are bred and reared in a local government owned fish farm just for this purpose. They look just like this. Apart from the shape they also have a distinctive buttery yellow tinge and no red spots.

outofwater · #8 (**permalink**) 28-11-2007, 01:05 PM

Thankyou!

Great replies

Mat M · #9 (**permalink**) 28-11-2007, 02:23 PM

From my recollection of an article on the subject in Flylife magazine several years ago the brown trout ova shipped to Tasmania were from the rivers Itchen and Wey. I will dig out the issue to confirm.

They were shipped aboard a boat called the Norfolk. Brown trout were only chucked in as an after thought. The original shipment was for Atlantic Salmon but they never took hold down there and the brownies thrived.

Mat

outofwater · #10 (**permalink**) 28-11-2007, 02:30 PM

Quote:

The original shipment was for Atlantic Salmon but they never took hold down there and the brownies thrived.

Did the Salmon run away?

They have a big Salmon industry there now, yeah?

Does Tasmania still have Red fin?

Oh yes Matt that would be good thanks. Interesting

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