Father and son studied the book, and Les instructed Ian: "You'd better go down to Wellington and get some of these fish." Les then handed Ian £20 (2018: $1000), which in those days was a substantial amount of money.
While Ian caught the railcar to Wellington to purchase tropical fish from three contacts he had been given, his father cleaned out the goldfish tank and installed water heating.
The tropical fish tank in the shoe store would become an object of curiosity and fascination to customers and the owners would talk "nothing but fish to customers".
Les Mills was a member of the Thirty Thousand Club, a service club in Napier, which was founded in 1912.
At a club meeting in early 1957, Les mentioned that the basement of the War Memorial Hall, which was being built on Marine Parade, would make an excellent location for a public aquarium.
President Fred Browne agreed: "Right Ho! Les, here is £500 — you put an aquarium there."
A club deputation approached Napier City Council about the possibility of an aquarium in mid-February 1957. Mayor Peter Tait said their proposal would be given "full consideration".
A letter sent on February 19, 1957 by club secretary J V Wallis, to Napier City Council Town Clerk L P (Pat) Ryan, confirmed the club was interested in establishing a public aquarium in the basement of the War Memorial Hall. The club would offer £500 (2018: $24,800) towards the cost. The council's finance committee met with the club on February 26, 1957, with the club's intention stated to create an aquarium with tropical fish and "unusual specimens" provided by local fishermen.
An advert was placed in The Daily Telegraph and the Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune for April 1 and 2, 1957, to establish interest in the proposed War Memorial Hall aquarium. The advert requested people to "Please roll up!" to the Thirty Thousand Club rooms in Market St, Napier, on April 3 at 8pm.
Directly above this notice was another, addressing members of The Hawke's Bay Aquarium and Water Garden Society Inc (Society) to meet at the same time and place to discuss the reorganisation of the society, which had gone into recess in 1953, and to "meet a group of citizens interested in the organisation of the proposed aquarium. News and views of existing proposals."
At the meeting, Les Mills addressed the 11 members of the society in attendance. For reasons of privacy, he suggested the members go to an adjoining room and discuss if they wanted to disband their organisation or continue but with a complete reorganisation.
They didn't take long to decide that they wanted to join the other 16 people in attendance to reform the society, through which they would pursue an aquarium in the War Memorial Hall basement.
New officers were elected, including Fred Browne of the club as presidentand Les Mills as chairman. Gordon Dine, a society member, who would become the first curator of the aquarium, was also voted on to the committee.
At the opening of the War Memorial Hall on July 14, 1957, Ian Mills, Tony Dennis, Jack Dallimore and Gordon Dine had arranged three three-foot long (900mm) fish tanks in the foyer.
Fish tanks of that era consisted of iron frames, glass sides and putty holding them all together. Unfortunately, two of the hastily constructed tanks leaked and the volume of water flooded the downstairs ladies' toilet.
On July 24, 1957, society chairman Les Mills wrote to the council for permission to use part of the War Memorial Hall basement for an aquarium. This area contained a kitchen and supper room.
Mayor Peter Tait and two councillors (the aquarium subcommittee), met members of the society on August 8 and discussed an agreement to operate the aquarium. The council would give permission for the aquarium to go ahead in the basement and would receive the £500 grant from the club and own the equipment, but the society would manage and control it.
Admission charges would be set at sixpence for children ($1.20) and one shilling and sixpence for adults ($3.60). The society would handle the money and pay maintenance and other costs. Any surplus went to the council each year but would be used to expand the aquarium.
From these small beginnings, and the effort put in by the aquarium's first curator, Gordon Dine, to have exhibits worthy of display, this ensured eventually it would have its own purpose-built building, although it took 19 years for this to happen.
* I am taking pre-orders for my Historic Hawke's Bay book due out in late November, which is a collection of my best HB Today articles from 2016-2018, with additional photos and story material. The book has 160 pages with 26 in colour. Cheque to Michael Fowler Publishing of $59.90 to PO Box 8947, Havelock North or email below for bank details. Includes free delivery in Hawke's Bay. Please state if you want it signed. It will not be available in bookshops.
* Michael Fowler FCA (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a chartered accountant, contract researcher and writer of Hawke's Bay's history.
