Aussie Finch Forum

I am researching this information and I am unsure where to find the following information. I thought someone out there may be able to point me in the right direction.
Could anyone please tell me:
The year the Australian government banned importing Finches?
The year they stopped exporting Australian birds
and What years did they stop legal trapping in each state?

Courtesy of Google

The year the Australian government banned importing Finches? 1945
The year they stopped exporting Australian birds? ????
and What years did they stop legal trapping in each state? 1985 last official

Danny wrote:The year the Australian government banned importing Finches? 1945

We went through this a little while back . .

And, while there were a few 'educated guesses' no one could come up with documented evidence of a definite date

The topic was eventually 'locked'

A quick perusal, Lonchura, may give you a starting point

The 'last' trapping dates should be a little easier to find as they would be in the living memory of a number of the 'veterans' who frequent this place

I think WA was the last to stop legal trapping in 1986 . . but will do some more 'homework'

Brief timeline for WA

1912 - 1986 Trapping of finches was legal by licensed trappers

1952 Restricted to Kimberley District

1960 Overseas export of all native wildlife prohibited by Commonwealth Govt

1973 Trappers to keep detailed records

1976 Trapping of Yellowrumps prohibited

1981 Trapping of Zebra finches prohibited

1982 Trapping of Gouldian finches prohibited

1986 Quotas introduced on all other species

1987 All finch trapping probibited (presumably at the close of the 1986 season)

1952 - 1986 'Problem finches' could be destroyed by property owners but not trapped for sale . . (Sound familiar??)

SOURCE: Franklin DC, Burbidge AH, Dostine PL. 1999. The harvest of wild birds for aviculture: an historical perspective on finch trapping in the Kimberley with special emphasis on the Gouldian Finch. Australian Zoologist. 31:92-109.


Thanks for the help with URL . . tried to post it but couldn't

Not much luck with Qld history so far . . it's there somewhere amongst all that junk

I purchased WE Masks from a licensed trapper in 1971 (@ $7.00 per pair) . . but no paperwork changed hands

Aviary registration came in at around that time so am guessing that trapping would have been outlawed around that time ('71/ '72)??

Mate of mine (long gone to the Big Aviary in the Sky ) used to do a lot of trapping in N Qld & N T at that time as well . . but he didn't concern himself too much with formalities such as licences . . but the practice must have still been reasonably 'kosher'

It was once considered a reasonable way to earn a living .
My father and great uncle trapped parrots around the Riverina area . Horse and cart , traps and cages and a few days in the bush .

Not condoning it but that's how things were .

To my knowlege, some licenced trapping of introduced and 'problem' species still goes on - most notably Goldfinches, Greenfinches and White Cockatoos.

Add Galahs & Corellas to that list, all birds trapped are recorded, & a royalty is paid to National Parks.

they trap pest birds here. 28's being one and redcap or western king parrots are another, othere than that not much else is allowed...pete

Thank you all so much for spending the time to reply to my questions. This information has be of considerable help.

I think it's fantastic that a site like Aussie Finch Forum exists. I have tried several forums, however I consider this to be the best and most reliable. The combined wealth of knowledge held by forum members is just amazing. Once again thank you all.