| Introduced to make wildlife more familiar to European colonizers (Ref. 48787). Introduced in New South Wales in 1894 with 3000 ova from New Zealand to a hatchery at Prospect reservoir. By 1908, populations were well established in highland waters and by 1922 considered to be more successfully established than brown trout (Ref. 13364). Self maintaining populations of rainbow trout occur in higher altitude waters of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Populations are maintained by stocking in warmer rivers and reservoirs throughout New South Wales and Victoria. Cooler waters in Tasmania mean that trout are common down to sea level. Trout populations are also present in rivers and reservoirs around Adelaide in South Australia and in the south-west of Western Australia. Populations in Western Australia are largely maintained by continued stocking as there is an absence of suitable natural spawning sites. There are also isolated populations of sea run trout in Tasmanian and Victorian streams.
Rainbow trout require moderate to fast flowing, well oxygenated waters for breeding, but they also live in cold lakes. Rainbow trout survive better in lakes than in streams (Ref. 26519). Because of its history of introduction into Australia, rainbow trout can genetically be considered as a single stock.
The success of trout in Australian waters is largely attributable to the similarity of Australian and ancestral habitats, and the absence of large, coldwater predatory native fish. However, trout are thought to have displaced native trout (Galaxias species) from many waters (Ref. 26536). Also Ref. 1739.
Ref:
Lever, C., 1996
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