This record is an exact rendition of the content of this object. As a result the museum would like to advise this work may contain themes, subjects and terminology that could cause offence to some viewers. The content does not reflect the views or attitudes held by the museum. The museum would also like to advise visitors this record may contain the names of, and artwork by, deceased Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

Interview with Neil Williams about the history of the Australian Fishing Industry (tape 2)

Date20 January 1990

Object numberANMS0871[113]

NameInterview

MediumCompact disk and tape

ClassificationsBorn digital media

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Murdoch University

Terms

DescriptionA recorded interview (tape two) with Neil Williams in Port Lincoln, South Australia, as part of a series titled 'History of the Australian Fishing Industry'. It contains information on the white pointer shark, a shark fatality and other encounters, shark behaviour, the cage, impact on abolone stocks, other risks, communication systems, need for abolone stock management, films and publications on the industry such as Caged in Fear, the National Geographic and For They Were Fishers.HistoryNeil Williams was the first full-time professional abalone diver working out of Port Lincoln in South Australia. With the help of his wife, Lyn, he started diving commercially for Port Lincoln oysters before changing over to abalone fishing using only the most basic equipment. His account of the risks he faced from bends, from shark attack and from all the other hazards of the sea make an enthralling adventure story and one he tells with great modesty and clarity. The rewards no doubt have been great but so have the risks. This recorded interview with Neil Williams 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.