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18/11/2005: "PET PORPOISE POOL .....Tweed Heads, NSW"

The first dolphin oceanarium began as a accident at Snapper Rocks ocean baths. The story was some joking friends of Jack Evans (pictured with broom) dropped a dolphin (called porpoise in error) into his swimming baths at Snapper Rocks on the Queensland - New South Wales border.

The resulting publicity and income was such, that Jack Evans went into business and constructed an oceanarium near on the bank of the Tweed River, at the border holiday towns of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta at the southern end of the Gold Coast strip which includes Surfers Paradise.

This was the forerunner to other even more successful Gold Coast dolphin shows. Marineland and later Sea World were to both out perform the original Tweed Heads venue, shown here during a regular pool cleaning maintainence in the late 1960's.

Jack Evans attempted to expand his business with a whale pool. Unhappy with the construction he sought a better outcome in law courts and failed. It cost him everything. EDventually the porpoise pool became other amusement venues until it was demolished and returned to parkland.

In it's hey-day, the Pet Porpoise Pool at Tweed Heads was the centre of the universe for top divers. Offshore was Nine Mile Reef and Cook Island. Sharks and giant groper were once abundant. Free exhibits awaited capture.

Spearfishing champion, Vic Ley was employed as a dolphin trainer - and capturer, when it was possible to do such things more easily and without regulation.

Later environmental protests against poor conditions in other dolphin shows threatened to close all such pools. Some did go when land leases expired.

Many others began careers with dolphin care and management working for Jack Evans. Including Hec Goodall - later establishing the successful Pet Porpoise Pool at Coffs Harbour.