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“Twenty Five Years At City Aviary – Retirement”

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Description: This image was published in the September 10th 1978 edition of the Tribune weekly newspaper with the caption: “Who's a pretty boy then? Mr Russell talks to one of his own birds, an Australian sulphur-crested cockatoo named Joe.”

The short article read: “Twenty five years as the man in charge of Palmerston North's Esplanade Aviary have come to an end for Mr George Russell. His retirement was announced at the last meeting of the Palmerston North City Council. The Mayor, Mr B. G. C. Elwood, said Mr Russell has made a significant contribution to a major city amenity in a ‘quietly dedicated’ manner. Mr Russell told the ‘Tribune’ last week that he won't be forsaking his feathered friends altogether during his retirement, despite the fact that he won't be working at the Esplanade aviary any more.

He's got about 100 birds of his own, at home. And the man who's taken his job over at the Esplanade is well qualified for the task: Mr Russell's son Peter is now in charge. Mr Russell (Snr) is an aviculturist, and has entered birds in numerous competitions around New Zealand. He's also been made a judge of them, for competitions.

But he joined the council as a gardener – the bird-keeping duties were secondary work to gardening. That was in the days when old aviaries were sited near the swings and paddling pool at the Esplanade. ‘when there were about 12 budgerigars and a couple of pheasants’. Now there are more than 200 birds to look after, most of them bred there, and the aviary ‘is one of the best for a couple of hundred miles’.

The aviary was expanded about 15 years ago. ‘and then it took me all my time to look after it.’ Mr Russell says his interest in birds developed from an early age - his father used to race pigeons. Looking after birds for 25 years "is an interesting job, if you put your mind to it."

‘People have called in by the busloads, at times’. He's even seen people sheltering under umbrellas in the pouring rain to watch the creatures in their cages. And it's not cruel to keep the birds caged, as some people believe, he added. ‘Most of the birds are bred to a cage life half of them would die if they got outside’.

OWN BIRDS: He intends enjoying his retirement, looking after his own birds and small garden, or doing the odd job. ’And if my son gets stuck, I'll be there to help him out. But I think he knows as much as I do about birds,’ Mr Russell said.”

This image forms part of the Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection. Unfortunately, only negatives between April and December 1978 are held.