Cristian Poulson created the first resort on Heron Island in
the 1930s. Poulson was a fisherman and ran a turtle soup cannery on the island
in the 1920s. Turtle harvesting and processing was seasonal work and, as the
turtle population declined, Poulson made more money taking tourists to the
island in the off season. In 1930, he took over a failed effort to establish a
resort on Heron Island. In 1932 he opened his resort in the converted turtle
factory. It took visitors 6-8 hours to reach the island in sail-powered motor
launches; there was no harbor and passengers were ferried ashore across the
reef flat in small boats. Researchers and educators used the resort in the
1930s and the island was declared a national park in 1943. In the 1940s,
glass-bottom boats towed by motor boats allowed visitors to view the coral
reef. Passengers huddled under a blanket to view the reef through a glass
panel.
 |
| Catch of the day from the 1960s (link) |
