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Biography: Tarlton, Kelvin Ewart (Kelly)

Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, 1985

In these clips from a 1985 documentary, Kelly Tarlton identifies the site for his underwater world on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive and discusses the building of the aquarium. He died shortly after it opened, aged 47.

Using this item

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Reference: TZP95346

Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World (1985). Courtesy Jane Gilbert (Milestone Partnership) and Television New Zealand. From material preserved and made available by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

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How to cite this page

Lynette Townsend and Sarah Burgess. 'Tarlton, Kelvin Ewart (Kelly)', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2020, updated September 2020. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/47332/kelly-tarltons-underwater-world-1985 (accessed 19 June 2026).