A large saltwater crocodile killed in the Queensland Gulf Country, 1964

Modern firearms allowed large animals to be killed with some reliability, although at times crocodile hunters found themselves hauling in animals that were only stunned. Carcases that sank could sometimes be retrieved once they had started to bloat, but often the skins were damaged. Some hunters used harpoons to retain control of the animal’s body, others occasionally went into water to retrieve carcases, despite the possibility that other crocodiles were present. Crocodile measured 14 feet, Kurumba, Queensland. Photograph by Robin Smith. Collection of the National Archives of Australia