Sharing lifelong passion for fish

Self-confessed ‘fish nerd’ Steve Baines will bring his unique blend of exuberance and education to this year’s Redcliffe Show with presentations sure to delight all ages.

Steve has been a regular at the EKKA for the past 40 years as a competitor, steward and judge, but has also drawn attention with his huge eye-catching displays which bring dinosaurs and fish together.

He has also published three children’s books centred on the Rodney Rainbowfish character, which aim to educate the next generation about the importance of preserving a precious resource – fresh water.

Steve is excited to be coming to this year’s Redcliffe Show, an event he remembers attending as a child.

“Each year at the EKKA, since I did the book, I’ve built a display. Last year, I built a display of a walk-through gorge. You walk through this gorge and there were dinosaurs and an aquarium with a lung fish, which is a living dinosaur,” he explains.

Steve is planning to bring one side of the gorge to the Redcliffe Show, enabling visitors to enter at one end and walk through to the other. Inside, they will see ‘dinosaurs’ and maybe even an aquarium.

He is also planning to give a number of book readings across the three days of the Redcliffe Show, dressed in his goldfish suit complete with fish shoes, socks and hat.

“The kids love it,” Steve says.

The 68-year-old’s passion for fish can be traced back to his childhood – growing up in the Pine Rivers area.

“When I was eight years of age, I would wander the swamps and creeks with my bucket and a little net. The only rule that we had in those days was you had to be home before the street lights came on,” he recalls

“I had this passion for anything sort of fishy.”

Steve became very ill the following year, with a blood disorder, and his parents were told he would likely die before he turned 11 years of age.

They were encouraged to allow Steve to embrace any special interests.

“They said, ‘he’s mad, mad keen on fishing’,” Steve recalls.

“So, every primary school talk and every high school assignment (I did after that) was on fish. I can remember to this day my teacher saying ‘forget about fish. Get on with your studies, so you can get a real job.’”

He reckons he’s done alright pursuing his passion, which has seen him become a sought-after expert in large aquariums.

“I really don’t know what the fascination is but I’m just a little fish nerd,” Steve says smiling.

The Rodney Rainbowfish book series, which he created with encouragement from his wife Sue-Anne who is also a kindergarten teacher, educates children about serious environmental concerns such as pollution, invasive species, endangered species and development.

“They’re not combative, the way I write them, and it’s not controversial,” he explains.

“On the planet we have three per cent of fresh water and most of that is frozen at the north and south poles.

“If we lose the Great Barrier Reef that’s sad, if we lose koalas that’s sad … if we lose a lot of other things that’s sad… If we lose three per cent of fresh water, we have no life. That’s us included.”

He is hoping Rodney Rainbowfish and his friends will teach children and their parents how important protecting that three per cent of fresh water is.

“I’m trying to educate people about what should be in our creeks and what shouldn’t be,” Steve says.

“People want to be entertained (at the Redcliffe Show). They want to have fun. If, as a result of that, there’s a tiny bit of education in there … then that’s great too.”

See Steve Baines at the show

Friday: 11.30am and 2pm

Saturday: 11.30am and 3.30pm

Sunday: 10.30am and 1pm