Doug Tarca – Yellow Submarine. Townsville & North Queensland Maritime History. Great Barrier Reef.

Doug Tarca, a professional diver became passionate about conserving the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef and making these accessible to the public. After obtaining a permit to harvest corals, he opened Tarca’s Coral Gardens in South Townsville, which had large displays of fluorescent corals and also sold a range of novelties made from shells and corals. In 1983 he launched Reef Link, the first daily tourism service between Townsville and the Great Barrier Reef. Guests were transported by means of a fast catamaran to a set of pontoons, moored at John Brewer Reef, where they could swim, sunbathe, snorkel and scuba dive. A highlight was a trip in the Yellow Submarine, a semi-submersible designed by Tarca which enabled guests to see the Reef below the water line. Tarca was also instrumental in the development of a floating hotel that operated at John Brewer Reef during 1988-1989. His other business interests included a ferry service to Magnetic Island and patenting an innovative oil spill containment system (OSCS) for tankers.
The Townsville Maritime Museum is the custodian of the Doug Tarca Archive, consisting of documents, photos, plans and many objects, some of which were donated by members of the Tarca family still residing in Townsville.

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