Humpty Doo Barramundi
You can hear about Dan’s story at the Women in Business Lunch with Carolyn Creswell: from Kitchen Table to Global Brand keynote event in Darwin on Friday 10 October 2025.
A business that proudly carries the name of the Northern Territory’s most iconic fish and quirkiest community has grown 20,000 times since it was founded. Humpty Doo Barramundi started in 1993 by producing about 6kg of the world’s tastiest fish a week. It now sends tonnes of barra to restaurants and fish markets around the country and the world – and is the largest barra farm in Australia.
Chief Executive Dan Richards says the barra is popular not only because it’s delicious, but because the farm has minimal environmental impact and the provenance – proof of where, when and how the fish are grown – is impeccable.
“The Territory is a small community so what we do here really matters. The environment is harsh, the conditions often difficult, but there is magic here for those who love it.
“I see tremendous opportunity for further growth, access to new markets domestically and around the world.
“I am passionate about what opportunities we can create as well as how we can use our businesses as a force for good in our communities.”
Humpty Doo Barramundi, which employs about 150 staff, many of them trained after being recruited directly from school, has stayed resilient by diversifying its markets and customer base.
The business uses live animal inventory tracking, a Barra-Tinder app to drive breeding program decisions, internally developed AI fish-counting tools, product traceability, fish-breeding apps and HR tools to support its complex and growing operation.
