Marineland, 1966-1981, a timeline

1964: A Tauranga entrepreneur approaches Mount Maunganui Council with a proposal to create a 'large outdoor aquarium' on the old quarry site on Moturiki Island, just off the main Mount Maunganui beach. A sketch of 'Bay City Seaquarium' was published in the Bay of Plenty Times, 3 August 1964. In December J.B. Gilpin Brown, senior lecturer in Zoology at Auckland University, was shown around the site.

1965: Negotiations continue through into 1966, with the Minister of Lands signing off agreed terms for the alienation of public land, and a 25-year lease for Bay City Enterprises.

1966: Construction begins, with drilling and detonation of explosives on the old quarry floor. Loose material was removed and pools created for marine life including dolphins, fish and marine mammals.

May 18: Mount Dolphin Pool lease approved.

June: A former Wellington Fire Engine was purchased.

2 September: Power and telephone cables had been laid but not yet connected by local authorities. 50% completed was the pools, combined office block and caretaker's house. The submarine observation chamber, with four windows each side to separate the shark pool from the dolphins pool, was to have the reinforced concrete roof repoured the following week, around the same time as a 30,000 gallons per hour capacity pump was being installed to supply fresh sea water.

The Bay of Plenty Times quoted Director Mr D.A.J. Hall as hoping for the Labour Weekend opening to have "the seaquarium stocked with about four dolphins, two sharks, and five other species of fish. After catching the live fish in Bay of Plenty waters the company will have another task - the catching of lots of herring and mullet to keep display fish alive."

Labour Weekend 1966 Marineland opens.

1967: Minister of Marine, Mr Scott, visits in June 1967.

1968: Requests from the developer to build a bridge or causeway from Marine Parade to enhance visitor access were denied by the Council, as per the agreed lease condition that there should be no obstruction across the beach. During 'acrimonious exchanges' a rock causeway 'suddenly' appeared, but before legal action started, the cyclone in April with 12 hours of high winds and seas, washed the causeway completely away (also sinking the ferry Wahine in Wellington Harbour).

1969: To celebrate the second birthday of sea elephant Caesar in September, local children under 14 were were invited to visit for free.

1970: Aquarium laboratory planned for Marineland. Newspaper article, 7 August.

1973: Oil-covered kororā discovered on the Mount beach were cared for by Marineland. A giant petrel was released. A new aquarium to enable viewing of 'many different' small marine life was opened.

1975:

• June 16: Wall collapses in heavy seas.
• July 30: Trainer Alan Horobin dies.
• August 22: Marineland almost complete.

1976: Newspaper article 11 November 'Marineland has come a long way in 10 years'.

1977: Newspaper article 13 May 'Persistence finally pays off' about arrival of kea.

1977: New manager Rex Green plans changes to layout and entertainment programme.

1979: Flier produced promoting Mount Maunganui Marineland New Zealand "Open every day - year round, 9am-5pm with feeding times at 10.30am, 2pm and 4pm....wide selection of Sea Mammals & Aquatic Life...Aquarium-saltwater, freshwater & tropical fish. Bird Aviary plus Monkey, Guinea Fowl, Peacock, Wallabies etc.".

1980 November:

• Owner offers Marineland to Mount Council. Newspaper article 6 November, p. 1.

Owner Peter Sorrenson was unable to continue operations for personal reasons, and offered to sell the complex to the Mount Maunganui Borough Council.

• New design needed for Marineland. Newspaper article 12 November, p. 1.
• Viability not reason for sale. Newspaper article 12 November, p. 1.
• Regional issue - Bruce Townshend. (Kaimai MP). Newspaper article 18 November, p. 11.
• Marineland on the rocks. Mount News, 27 November 1980.

1980 December:

• Report heard in confidence. Newspaper article 4 December p. 7.
• High cost to improve Marineland. Newspaper article 18 December p. 9.
• Marineland remarks appall owner. Newspaper article 19 December p. 7.
• Marineland report pure nonsense. Bay Sun, 20 December.
• Marineland sale date will remain. Newspaper article 31 December p. 1.

1981:

1 February "about 70 Tauranga businessmen" and MP for Kaimai Mr C.B. Townshend were shown around the complex by owner Peter Sorrenson., who the Bay of Plenty Times quoted as stating that "He had given the council till the end of this month to make its decision...if it decided not to buy, he would dismantle the entire complex."

• Recommendation - Trust. Newspaper article, 5 February, p. 8.
• Marineland on the rocks. Bay Sun, 7 February.
• Support for it's retention, by City Council. Newspaper article, 10 February, p. 8.
• Open house to Public. Newspaper article, 13 February, p. 1.
• Big crowd at open house. Newspaper article, 16 February, p. 8.
• Council won't buy Marineland. Newspaper article, 18 February, p. 1.
• 1400 people flock to Marineland. Mount News, 19 February.
• Marineland trust - last resort. Newspaper article, 12 March, p. 8.
• Marineland not sold yet. Newspaper article, 28 April, p. 11.

1981 closure: Marine animals were sent to Marineland in Napier, and other animals to organisations in Australia.

1981 June: The Mount News reported on 4 June that an Auckland firm had agreed to buy Marineland. On 12 June the Bay of Plenty Times reported that the sale by Marineland proprietor Peter Sorrenson's sale to Puttersland Holdings Ltd needed Council approval urgently to ensure that the proposed $200,000 'Sea Adventure' attraction could be completed for a December opening. "Mr Sorrenson said the facility was still open to the public at a reduced admission fee. This would continue until all of the major attractions - the seals, sea lions, otters and penguins - had been sold."

On 25 June Council approved redevelopment. Leisure Island then operated on the site through to 1990.

Staff included:

'Captain' Tom Allison, Marineland head keeper, trainer.

Mr. N. Beauchamp, attendant, caretaker of Mount Maunganui Seaquarium.

Rex Green, manager.

Peter Harford, attendant, trainer.

Alan Horobin, trainer.

Mr Rex Piggales, manager.

Mr P. Sorrenson, managing director.

Animals included:

Dolphins, penguins, sea lions, seals, fish and other marine life, chimpanzees, ferrets, guinea fowl, kea, llamas, monkeys, peacocks, possums and wallabies.

• Alfie, kororā (little penguin).
• Caesar, ihupuku / ihu koropuka (sea elephant / elephant seal)
• Cheeky, minah bird, originally brought in with a broken wing.
• Cheetah, chimpanzee, gave birth to a son at Marineland in August 1968.
• Ringer, aihe (dolphin).
• Sammy, kekeno (fur seal).
• Snoopy, chimpanzee.
• Thrifty, chimpanzee.

Marineland 'inhabitants' published in the Bay of Plenty Photo News No. 56, pages 8-9.

Bay of Plenty Photo News ran many articles with photographs of events, visitors and animals at Marineland. The above front cover was from No. 80 published on 7 February 1969, and the one below from No. 92, 7 February 1970.