Spearfishing Through the Decades
This is where you will find photos, newspaper clippings and written recollections of spearfishing comps, events and results that go back to the beginning of organized spearfishing in New Zealand. Wherever possible we will acknowledge who posted them and who has commented and maybe even been there at the time.
the 1950s
Kingfish Haul - Boulder Bank, Kapiti Island 1957
LtoR: Ferril Rogers, Bill Baldwin, Johnny Sutherland, Doug Timbs, Arthur Spence, Bill Hall. front: Malcolm Blair?
Wellington Underwater Club
Mudgway Trophy Team 1959.
Denis Cutler, Paul Smith, Doug Timbs.
the 1960's
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1961 Festival Team
Wellington Underwater Club
Eddie Davidson, Ferril Rogers, Bill Baldwin, Doug Timbs, Geoff Henry.
17/12/62
Makara, Wellington
Early 1960's. Note the dry suits which many divers/ spearfishermen wore. Neoprene was just beginning to be used for wetsuits (and the NZ made ones were not very good!)
Doug Timbs, Wellington Underwater Club. 85lb Kingfish White Island, 1967
1967 National Spearfishing Champs
Kapiti Island
New Caledonia
South Pacific Spearfishing Champs 1968
Teams Competing:
New Caledonia
Australia
NZ
Tahiti
Wallis Islands
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NZ Team: Ray Hope ( Manager), Eddie Davidson ( Reserve: Wgtn)Willie Bullock (Junior, Wgtn), Cullum Campbell (Junior, Hastings), Ian Nilsson (Hastings), Dave Shields (Dolphins), Malcolm Blair (Wgtn), Bob Rosemergy (Wgtn)
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Event was won by New Caledonia, with an outstanding catch by Georges Tepava (1st) and second placed World Champion, Jean Tapu (Tahiti)
the 1970's
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1971
Mayor Island
Mini Convention
This was a very popular annual event , largely organised by Max Hetherington from the Wellington Underwater Club. The 1971 gathering will unfortunately be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The Nancibel hit a rock and sunk in Sou East Bay. All divers were safely rescued by other boats in the area. The picture below was taken just before it sunk. Three Scuba divers later got the bends. Henry Liaison did not recover, Ulf Chrisianson did but was for many years confined to a wheelchair and John Mazengarb had a "wildcat bend" and fully recovered. All were transported to the Devonport Naval Base recompression chamber. On a lighter note - John Anderson of the South Auckland Club won the heaviest Kingfish Trophy (73lbs).
The Decade that was the
70's
Take a deep dive into the vault. This collection brings together vintage images capturing the grit, passion, and spirit of 1970s spearfishing.
Click any photo to open the full-screen gallery view.
End of the 70s
Australian team :1979
Paul Riordan, Ray Johnston, Ralph Whalley.
with Jacques Berthomier( back to camera)
Wooden guns
Wooden guns. Pranger spearheads. 3/4 in rubbers, 5mm sprung steel shafts.
April, 1979, practice day
Steve Crabtree, Dave Mundell, Graham Byers
Shoal Bay, Port Stevens, NSW.Â
Big hair, interesting hats
'Nuff said
Day 2
Boondelbah Island, Port Stevens 1979
Dave Mundell, Steve Crabtree
Wellington south coast
Cray from the earlu 1970s. The tank is a standard alloy 80cu.Â
the 1980's
New Calendonia 1983
The rest of
Eighties
The boat featured on the right was lent to the NZ team by a local doctor to go diving with some of the locals. We had a great day out and left the boat moored and safe. The next morning this was the sight that greeted Francois Levionnois a local commercial diver and spearo/friend of the team. He had the gear to refloat the boat as seen above. He and Richard stripped the motors, re-assembled and got them running by 4pm, in itself a considerable feat. The electrics was another story that continued long after we had left!
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The owner was not pleased but soon found out that the seal on the propellor shaft had not been replaced properly during a recent service and insurance would cover it. We were thereby freed from blame.
Headline the next day in the local paper :Â
"Kiwis Sink French Boat" with a mention given to the French sinking of the Rainbow Warrior the year before!
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Footnote: The yacht Ouvea in which some of the French saboteurs escaped Auckland originally came from Noumea.
the 1990's
Alderman Islands, Tairua
1994 Swimoff
1994 Team - Darren Shields, Gary Conway, Ian Warnock, Steve Crabtree, Dave Turley, Dave Shields (Manager)
Interpacific - Noumea 1994
L to R: Loche Bleu (Blue Groper), Mecquox (Jobfish)
1996 Interpacific Team - Matauri Bay
Clive Harman, Peter Herbert, Ian Warnock, Shane Fitzmaurice, Pat Swanson, Paul Spence, Chris Browne (Manager)
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