Frank Olsen, guest speaker at a 40th anniversary event held at Osprey House, near Hay's Inlet, a declared FHA north of Brisbane.
Neoarius australis (river catfish). Illustrated by Frank Olsen from an early edition of Grant's Guide to Fishes.
Metapenaeus macleayi (school prawn). Illustrated by Frank Olsen from an early edition of Grant's Guide to Fishes.
Frank's 40-year-old fishy legacy
Forty years ago Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries established the declared fish habitat area (FHA) network (external site) to protect the State's fish habitats from the impact of development.
One of the public servants who established the network on behalf of the former Fisheries Department was Frank Olsen, who worked in the public service from 1952 to 1984.
Today 70 declared FHAs protect more than 880,000 hectares of fish habitats. The FHAs protect fish feeding, spawning sites and nurseries, and are relied on by Queensland's recreational, Indigenous and commercial fisheries.
Frank is also a talented artist. His fish illustrations were used in early editions of the well-known 'fisherman's bible' Grant's Guide to Fishes.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries' historian Ruth Kerr recently recorded Frank's oral history as part of the declared FHA network's 40th anniversary celebrations. A transcript of Ruth's interview is available from Queensland State Archives (external site).
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Last reviewed: 30 September, 2009
Last updated: 1 October, 2009
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