George Craig and Cassius the crocodile an enduring partnership

Cassius, the largest croc in captivity, doesn’t have a birth certificate but was probably born somewhere between Gallipoli and the Great Depression. Take a look inside the incredible world of his owner George Craig.

This pair have clocked up two centuries of living between them, and neither looks ready to vacate the planet anytime soon.

George J. Craig, 93 this July 10, owner operator of Green Island’s Marineland Melanesia and Crocodile Habitat, is the sort of exotic individual far North Queensland once threw up routinely.

George Craig and Cassius the crocodile on Green Island. Picture: Brian Cassey

But George’s resume possibly outshines that of even the most intrepid global adventurer who ever called the far north home, and is more than worthy of the handful of the books already written about him.

Born in South America, educated in England, George was schooled in the arts of athletic aquatic performance at Henry Seff’s Aquashow in London’s Earls Court in post war Britain, where he kept pace with Hollywood Tarzan star Johnny Weissmuller in synchronised swimming and diving.

George Craig and Cassius the crocodile on Green Island. Picture: Brian Cassey

After touring England he stowed away on a boat to Jamaica and picked bananas for a living before sailing to Australia and defusing World War 11 bombs which dotted Darwin.

Then he headed to Papua New Guinea with a .303 rifle to hunt crocs and collect Melanesian art works before washing up on Green Island where he bought what is now the Marineland Melanesa Tourist attraction in 1971.

George Craig and Cassius the crocodile on Green Island. Picture: Brian Cassey

Cassius the largest croc in captivity doesn’t have a birth certificate but was probably born somewhere in between the year before Australian soldiers landed on a Gallipoli beach and the start of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

According to the Marineland website, Cassius is a ‘minimum 110 years old’, is 5.48m in length and weight more than a tonne.

Cassius, the world’s largest croc in captivity. Picture: Brian Cassey

These two life forms, who appear to have a great affection for one another, are not as co-dependent as they might appear.

They have been together since 1987 when George put Cassius in the back an Avis-rent-a-truck and transported him across the NT and onto a ferry boat to Green Island.

But George doesn’t worry about Cassius’s fate when he shuffles off this mortal coil.

George Craig at his Marineland Melanesia tourist attraction. Picture: Brian Cassey

He has a large tribe of kids and grandkids who will look after the five and half metre croc when he’s gone.

And if Cassius goes to croc heaven before George, well, George reckons he’s grown used to losing old friends.

“I have had an interesting life, but life can be tough.’’ he says, adding a pointed comment that he has been private enterprise the whole way, never relying on a public sector pay cheque.

“When you’re in private enterprise you often find you and your family have to work constantly - we had a fire here once and had to build everything back up again.

“I’ll keep working and I’ll keep going - I reckon I have a few years left in me.’’