Source: ANGFA Bulletin 22, December 1995, page 7.  View original scan (PDF)

ANGFA Conference ’95, the premier event of the ANGFA calendar, was held in Canberra on the weekend of 21/22nd October. Held at the Eagle Hawk Hill Resort, the event drew a healthy attendance from all around Australia. The ACT Group should be pleased with the results and it confirms the growing stature and popularity of the ANGFA Conference as the forum for the fishes of Sahul. This event is in the forefront of all aspects of the Australian aquarium hobby. Congratulations are due to Andrew Boyd, Leon Buker, Alan Ford, Peter Hughes, Hugh & Jennie Hutchinson, David Manby, Alan Salmon, Hans de Vries, Andy Wattam, Rick Wareing and the rest of the ACT team.

A total of nineteen speakers delivered their topics on a wide variety of subjects. Well known to all members of ANGFA and rainbowfish devotees, Gerald Allen delivered two subjects, his Kikori River and Irian Jaya excursions. Neil Armstrong presented a slide view of the Trifasciata group, Dr. Richard Barwick took us back in time with a visit to the fossil fishes of the Devonian era and beyond (a look back in stone!). Richard Carson, proprietor of Aquasonic gave us an overview of fish health and water quality, Alex Caughey brought us up to date on the Eachamensis debate and the recovery plans for the Trout Cod.

Roger Fox, editor of the only locally produced aquarium magazine “Practical Aquariums & Watergardens”, a must read for all budding aquarium hobbyists, presented water gardens and ponds. He was followed by Alison Copperfield with something a little different, Koi keeping made easy. (Koi are LARGE fish). Effie Howe, well known to readers of Fishes of Sahul gave an interesting presentation on “Field and captive studies of the impact of Gambusia holbrooki on Pseudomugil signifer”. Dr. John Kalish from the department of Botany and Zoology at ANU provided the life history strategies of headwaters stream fishes in the Australian Alps. Brian Lawrence – the River Murray experience – and Eddie Tootel showed us the correct way to grow aquatic plants.

Bill Talbot from NSW Fisheries told us what’s happening to native freshwater fishes in NSW. Dave Wilson from the Territory Wildlife Park Aquarium showed us how they do it in the Northern Territory. Dr. Bryan Pratt showed us how to collect Misgurnus anguillacaudatus, better known to aquarium hobbyists as the Asian Weather Loach, from the local streams in Canberra – and he doesn’t believe that birds can carry fish eggs from place to place! Andrew Murray showed us around the East Gippsland area in Victoria and the way it was. Noel Harcourt gave us all an update on the future plans of Melbourne Zoo.

Dr. Peter Beers from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) tried to frighten us with the proposed changes to the Quarantine regulations as it applies to ornamental fishes (he frightened me!). Aarn from the School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, then tried to confuse us all with the comparative anatomy of Cairnsichthys rhombosomoides, Iriatherina werneri and Rhadinocentrus ornatus. If you think that wasn’t enough, Heiko Bleher flew in on the Sunday morning into the welcoming arms of the Australian Customs Service to give us a slide presentation that left your eyes popping – what a weekend!

I guess by now that those who attended the conference should be over their withdrawal symptoms while those who did not attend can only wish! Never mind, the Victorian Group have a master plan for Melbourne next year. ☺