Interview with Cecil Heynatz regarding the history of the Australian fishing industry
Date10 April 1990
Object numberANMS0871[173]
NameInterview
MediumCompact disk and tape
Copyright© Murdoch University
ClassificationsBorn digital media
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Murdoch University
DescriptionTape two of a recorded interview with Cecil Heynatz in Ballina, New South Wales, as part of a series titled 'History of the Australian Fishing Industry'. It contains information on Cecil Heynatz's early years, his father Alex, early boats, lobsters, resucue at sea, shark nets of Sydney, export of shark fins to China, the war years, Heynatz's vessel commandered during war, joining the Americans and fishing off New Guinea, species caught, oysters, new boat, seine netting, discovery of prawns, trawling prawns and problems, pioneers in prawning, quotas and prices, modern nets, ammunitions to New Guinea, air raid, diving on Japanese barges, fishing for the Americans, new technology, decline in catches, increased number of boats and undersized fish, environmental changes, the loss of species, his retirement, increased costs, limited entry and changes in the industry.HistoryCecil Heynatz and his brother, Charlie, started fishing with their famous father, Alex Heynatz, when they were still boys. Cecil was the eldest son and when his father's vessel was comandeered for War service, the then nineteen year old Cecil went with it to New Guinea as engineer. There he rejoined his father and together they did salvage work and then fished the surrounding waters to supply an American Army Hospital.
After the War, Alex Heynatz with Evans Padden, of Evans Head, pioneered the seatrawling for school and later king prawns, off the New South Wales and Queensland coasts, an industry which Cecil, now the owner/operator of his own vessel, is also involved in.
In this interview Cecil Heynatz tells something of the colourful family history and of his own adventurous career at sea. He also gives an insight into early trawling methods and subsequent developments, as well as some of the problems currently confronting the industry.
This recorded interview with Cecil Heynatz 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.
