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Interview with Bern Cuthberston regarding the history of the Australian fishing industry (tape 1)
Date2 March 1990
Object numberANMS0871[191]
NameInterview
MediumCompact disk and tape
Copyright© Murdoch University
ClassificationsBorn digital media
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Murdoch University
DescriptionTape one of a recorded interview with Bern Cuthberston OAM in Hobart, Tasmania, as part of a series titled 'History of the Australian Fishing Industry'. It contains information on Bern Cuthberston's early years and family background, government survey of tuna in 1938, New South Wales survey in 1942, vessel commandereed for war service in New Guinea, role as a junior fisheries inspector, barracouta fishing move to crayfishing, pot limits introduced, decrease in catch, modern technology, Victorian and Tasmanian regulations, inspector Tom Challenger story, east coast fishing, introduction of smoked fish, shark fishing and deep water fishing, proccessing and canning of catch, Sydney to Hobart yacht race, sailing around the world with family, abalone diving success and transfer of licences.HistoryBern Cuthbertson first went to sea with his father prior to the outbreak of World War II and was engaged on fishing surveys in Tasmanian and New South Wales waters. His career in fishing has many facets including barracouta, shark, crayfish and abalone. He was also involved in the inspecting, processing, transportation and marketing of catches.
Bern also had wide experience in sailing, both in Australia and overseas. He won line honours aboard ASTOR in the
1964 Sydney-Hobart yacht race and sailed with his family from England to Tasmania. In 1986, and despite a physical handicap, Bern Cuthbertson sailed an open whaleboat replica ELIZABETH around Tasmania in a re-enactment of the west coast voyage of James Kelly in 1815-16 and published an account of that adventure. He was also very involved in sea cadet training and in the Bicentenary celebrations. He held a long time interest in the maritime history of Tasmania and accumulated a collection of seafaring artefacts. In 1998 Bern undertook another re-enactment voyage in a huon pine vessel he built himself, the NORFOLK, which followed the voyage of Bass and Flinders circumnavigation of Tasmania.
In 2000, Mr Cuthbertson was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia for services to the community and fishing industry, for the training of sea cadets and for services to Australia's maritime history. He passed away at Hobart in 2013.
This recorded interview with Bern Cuthberston is part of a larger series produced as result of an oral history research project conducted by the Economics Department of Murdoch University and coordinated by Malcolm Tull. The project commissioned researchers in every Australian state to interview fishermen and others involved in catching, processing and marketing fish. Their research involved questions about daily work, personal memories of life in the Australian fishing industry as well as questions about the economics of the industry.
SignificanceThis collection of recorded interviews is significant in providing a comprehensive record of commercial fishing from the 1950s to the 1990s across Australia.