2024 AFTA Hall of Fame Inductee – Ern Grant

Ern Grant was a Queensland government biologist and, in 1963, was asked to produce a book called Know Your Fishes.

This book was commissioned due to the introduction of size and bag limits and the realisation that many anglers couldn’t correctly identify fish, which made prosecutions for illegal catches difficult.

In 1965, that first book evolved into Grant’s Guide to Fishes.

As a government biologist, Ern was allowed to spend 30 percent of his time on producing his books … which he did.

After he retired from the government in 1984, Ern continued to produce his books, including 12 editions of Guide to Fishes, which today, despite the many online apps on fish identification, is the “go-to source.”

Ern’s big book, Fishes of Australia, was published in 1987 and was widely acclaimed for its excellence and making it easy for anglers all around Australia to correctly identify the fish they had caught.

Apart from producing the consummate books on fish and crustaceans, Ern also did some other amazing things.

In 1967, he assembled the largest display of corals in the world for the Montreal Expo.

His interest and knowledge of corals led him to publish in 1991, the Corals of the Great Barrier Reef, which greatly helped people identify the different corals they saw while diving and snorkelling on the GBR.

Ern was also involved in establishing a fish hatchery at Borumba Dam near Imbil in the early 1980s and ran a fisheries research station on the Noosa River from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s.

His late wife Meg and son Morgan helped him with producing his wonderful books, and Morgan still markets the Guide to Fishes, although since 2021, it has only been available as an online book.

So now we get to why the Australian Tackle industry is honouring Ern Grant by inducting him into our Hall of Fame.

When I was a kid, my dad had a copy of Guide to Fishes and used to lend it to me to read, with the threat of heavy punishment if I lost or damaged it.

I devoured every bit of knowledge I could from that book on fish and crustaceans … as did kids all over the country … and it’s what started me on a lifetime of fishing and enjoying the coastal environment.

My story is one I’ve heard many, many times and there’s no doubt in my mind, that Ern Grant was responsible for countless thousands of young anglers starting a life of fishing and coastal adventure.

In our industry this is significant, as there can be no doubt, that over the 50-plus years Ern Grant wrote and published his books, that story was repeated thousands of times, meaning Ern was a huge catalyst in stimulating sales in tackle shops, as these inspired young anglers to continue on their fishing journey.

Sadly, Ern passed away peacefully in his sleep a couple of weeks ago, one month and three days after his 100th birthday.

His son Morgan was going to be at AFTA to accept this award on Ern’s behalf, but unfortunately, is unwell himself and couldn’t make it.

He asked me to accept it on Ern and the family’s behalf and I am honoured to do that.

So, here’s to Ern Grant, a wonderful, kind, gentle and knowledgeable man who did more for our industry than many others have.

We salute you and thank you for your wonderful contributions to the world of fishing.

Award presented by Steve Morgan and accepted by Kord Luckus on behalf of the Grant family.

Steve Morgan