The tendency to keep ornamental fish and water plants in or near the home dates back to the earliest times. A gentleman called Schierig collected evidence from old Egyptian homes and also from locations in Pompeii of forms of containers which could only have been used for the keeping of fish and plants. This latter fact was borne out by Professor Barry Cunliffe in his film of the locations in Pompeii and Herculaneum which were both destroyed by the volcanic eruptions of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
It is not known exactly when fishkeeping began in this country, but it is believed to be in the mid 1700's. Certainly the fish being kept would be native rather than exotic species and more than likely used as a change of diet rather than a decoration.
Fishkeeping as we know it today does however have an 85 year history. It started to become a fashionable hobby amongst all classes around 1920 and by 1924 a Mr. A. E. Hodge had founded the Amateur Aquarist Magazine which was well recieved as it was the only advisory aid available. It was reasonable to assume that larger conurbation areas would produce the most active participants and so it proved resulting in the formation of clubs and groups in these towns and cities where members could exchange experiences for mutual benefit.
The first Yorkshire society being established in Leeds in 1936, closely followed by Sheffield in 1937 and Bradford and Hull in 1938. Sadly the outbreak of the second world war in 1939 caused all aquatic activities to be suspended.
The Leeds and Sheffield societies was reformed in 1946 along with a new society at Halifax. As each year passed fishkeeping became more and more popular with new societies being formed regularly. By 1957 there was some 27 societies listed in Yorkshire when it became apparent some form of co-ordinating body were required to formulate future policy and to achieve this a group of the most suitable representatives were elected, at a meeting in Leeds, on 14th December 1957 to form The Yorkshire Federation of Aquarist Societies. The inclusion of "Federation" in the name did not prove universally acceptable. Could it have been that members felt the similarity to the F.B.A.S. which had been established in 1946 may be a little confusing?. In any event the body was renamed The Association of Yorkshire Aquarist Societies on 26th April 1958. However by 1970 there were several societies just outside the Yorkshire border who wished to be affiliated.
In order to accomodate them the third name change was made and from 1972 it became The Yorkshire Association of Aquarist Societies and has remained so ever since. It may come as a surprize but no fewer than 157 societies have been registered in our region since the Leeds one in 1936.
The aims of the association were and still are to increase fishkeeping knowledge of affiliated members and apprise the grass roots membership of aquatic developments either by newsletter or through society delegates who represent them at regular Association meetings and in general to try and ensure all societies are striving to reach the same objectives.
The Judges and Standards committee have had the unenviable task of keeping everyone advised of name changes and their list of standards has gone from a pocket sized issue to a voluminous tome. 1975 saw the first Yorkshire Aquarist Festival organised by a committee whose members were drawn from member societies. Visitors could only be inspired by the ingenious designs of tableaux produced by competing societies. Tableaux being mandatory as the means of exhibiting fish. In its heyday both days of the exhibition were needed to savour each and every entry. Spiraling costs of materials caused more moderate designs until finally the basic cube became the accepted norm. In conclusion may I compliment the great number of aquarists who have represented our association at some time during the last 48 years and single out for special mention the sterling work done by Mr Trevor Douglas of Hull who, for around a quarter of a century has, concurrently, held the post of Association Chairman, Chairman of Judges and Standards, ' A' class Judge and Speaker as well as looking after the tape and slide library.

The Yorkshire Association of Aquarist Societies would like to say a big thank you to Mr Gerry Hawksby for this summarisation of the history of the Association