Melbourne Zoo, considered among the best zoos in the world, was founded by the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria in October 1857 in Richmond. The zoo opened in its current location on October 6 1862, when it moved from Richmond to Royal Park on land donated by the City of Melbourne. The higher grounds of Royal Park were considered more suitable for the animal’s health than the damp ‘Richmond Paddocks’.

History

Modelled on London zoo, it is Australia’s oldest zoo and one of the world’s best. Like other zoos in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide, the early days of the zoo practised ‘accli­ma­ti­sa­tion’ of exotic species. The zoo housed animals in small enclosures at the Royal Botanical Gardens, where they recovered from the long sea voyage before being introduced to the Australian environment. Po­ple in those days thought animals such as blackbirds, pheasants, quail, salmon, camels, goats and sheep could prove valu­able sources of food and income.

However, despite the move to Royal Park, by the late 1860s, the zoo was in financial trouble. The public had lost interest, and Albert Alexander Cochrane Le Souëf (1828-1902) was appointed the first Director of the Zoo. To save the zoo, he made several significant changes. Le Souëf expanded the zoo’s role by building a collection of animals for the amusement and education of Melbourne’s citizens. Additionally, he developed extensive gardens and picnic areas. By 1880, Melbourne Zoo’s animal collection included lions, tigers, a panther, deer and hoofed animals such as sheep and cows. All of which were considered exotic for the colony at the time.

Early Animals

In 1881, an ele­phant and an orangutan arrived, fol­lowed by rhi­nos, hip­pos, bison, zebra and giraffe. Wallace the lion, came in 1891 and was famous for his love of classical music. During the first half of the 1900s, visitors could ride on Queenie the Elephant, throw peanuts to the bears or watch Mollie, the orangutan smoke a cigarette in her enclosure.

Mollie the Orangutan was one of the zoo’s most beloved characters in the early 1900s due to her intelligence, quirky personality, and the human-like habits she was taught. She came to the zoo in 1901 at only a few months old and remained a crowd favourite until she died in 1923. From the late 1800s and early 1900s, the humanisation of animals was common in zoos worldwide, and Melbourne Zoo was not exempt from the practice. Mollie was known for her ability to light and smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol and her elaborate ritual for setting up her bed each night, using hessian sacks in her cage.

Unfortunately, Mollie also had a habit of setting her bedding on fire due to her talent for lighting matches. After she partially burned down her wooden enclosure, it was replaced with a concrete one. Following her death, Mollie was stuffed and displayed at the Melbourne Zoo.

Elephant Rides

Melbourne Zoo had three elephants, Queenie, Betty and Peggy. Queenie, loved for her gentle nature, was a significant zoo attraction for over 40 years at Melbourne zoo. She walked a circuit giving daily rides to up to 500 children for tuppence each. Children would place apples and peanuts on the circuit posts for her to eat as she passed by. However, on September 19, 1944, she sadly crushed and killed her keeper at the end of her working day.

Following the incident, the zoo retired Queenie from giving rides and Peggy and Betty took over giving rides. After public support, the zoo decided to keep her as an exhibit. However, in 1945, she was put down. The reason given for this was that it was wartime, fodder was scarce, and the zoo could not afford to keep her. By 1962 elephant rides at the zoo had ceased for safety reasons.

Ethical Zoos

Thankfully times have changed. Modern zoos of today bear no resemblance to their predecessors. Capturing animals in the wild for display is now illegal. The cramped, concrete and brick steel-barred cages are gone. Instead, their natural bio-climatic habitat is recreated. Subsequently, they have room to roam. Melbourne zoo is part of a world-leading organisation dedicated to fighting extinction. As a not-for-profit organisation, the funds raised from visitors are ploughed back into helping wildlife. Zoos Victoria – the parent organisation of Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Zoo, and Werribee Zoo is involved with more captive breeding programs than any other organisation in Australia.

“I justify zoos providing they are scientific, providing they are selective about what they keep and provided they keep them to the highest possible standards. That’s okay by me,”

Sir David Attenborough

While zoos are loved by many, they still have their detractors. Opponents of zoos argue that conservation doesn’t justify keeping animals in captivity.

‘PETA doesn’t believe that animals are ours to use for entertainment,’ 

Claire Fryer, PETA

Captive Breeding Success

In 2021 Melbourne zoo released 8 critically endangered Plains Wanderers back into the wild. They also successfully bred 50 Grassland Earless Dragons, 4 Mountain Pygmy possums, 21 Helmeted Honeyeaters, and 11 Eastern Barred Bandicoots.

Moving the Elephants

Melbourne Zoo has a herd of 6 Asian elephants – at the time of this post, three are pregnant after conceiving naturally. The three elephants will all deliver towards the end of 2022. While the Melbourne Zoos ‘Trail of the Elephants‘ is ‘award-winning’, I have always disliked it. It’s a dusty or muddy enclosure (depending on the season) that seems way too small for them. They are rotated through three different enclosures, but none are large. However, the good news is the entire herd will move to Werribee Open Range Zoo in 2024 after an $87 million expansion. The new space at Werribee Zoo will give the elephants 22 hectares to roam across the savannah with the zebra, Rhino and Giraffe.

Visiting the zoo

Melbourne zoo is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm.

Adult entry is $42; Seniors are $38 and Concession $31.50. Children under16 are free on weekends, public holidays and school holidays. At all other times, children are $21.