Whangarei fish museum collection still thrills young and old

Northern Advocate

1 May, 2018 12:00 AM2 mins to read

Milana Dixon checks a cruising Sea Horse at George Campbell's Onerahi home on Saturday.

The former curator of the Whangarei Fish Museum, George Campbell, still has a large collection at his Onerahi home and at the weekend the public got what will possibly be the last chance to have a look at them.

Amber Farrell puts in her Sea Horse Competition entry

Campbell, who ran the Whangarei Fish Museum at the Town Basin until it closed in 2001, opened his Onerahi home to the public on Saturday to show his collection of fishes, eels and other sea creatures, like sea horses.

Granddaughter Alyce Charlesworth, said Campbell aged 83, and was downscaling his collection but wanted to give the public one last chance to see it in its current form.

Organiser Alyce Charlesworth left watches on as and excited Thomas Potter sees his first sea horse.

Charlesworth may take over running of the collection, and may then reopen the collection tot he public, but first she has to learn how to look after the sea life to the same standard as Campbell.

''Granddad has done a wonderful job with them and many of the fish have way outlived their life expectancy. If I can't look after them to the same standards I won't do it,'' she said.

Alyce Charlesworth, right, shows Amber Farrell one of the eels on display.

Charlesworth said there was tremendous feedback form those that went along on Saturday and the creatures seem to love it just as much.

''The sea horses are normally grumpy and a bit shy, but on Saturday they were coming to the front of the glass to have a look at all these people coming to have a look at them.''