The Hobart Zoo (also known as Beaumaris Zoo) was an old-fashioned
zoological garden
A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes.
The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zool ...
located on the
Queen's Domain in
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
,
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
, Australia. The Zoo site is very close to the site of the Tasmanian
Governor's House, and the
Botanical Gardens
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
. Although its location is now primarily the site of a
Hobart City Council
Hobart City Council (or City of Hobart) is a local government body in Tasmania, covering the central metropolitan area of the state capital, Hobart. The Hobart local government area has a population of 53,684 and includes the suburbs of West ...
depot, some remnants and archaeological remains of the original Zoo can still be seen.
The Zoo was set in the surrounds of sweeping gardens, and had commanding views across the
River Derwent.
Thylacines
![Tasmanian tiger](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Tasmanian_tiger.jpg)
The Hobart Zoo is most famous for being the location where footage of the last known living
Tasmanian tiger
The thylacine ( , or , also ) (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') is an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The last known live animal was captured in 1930 in Tasma ...
or thylacine was taken in 1936. It died in captivity in Hobart Zoo on 7 September 1936.
National Threatened Species Day has been held annually since 1996 on 7 September in Australia, to commemorate the death of the last officially recorded thylacine.
History
The zoo was originally called Beaumaris Zoo, and was opened in 1895 at the private residence (named "Beaumaris") of Hobart socialite
Mary Grant Roberts
Mary Grant Roberts (15 April 1841 – 27 November 1921) was an Australian zoo owner. Roberts owned Hobart Zoo from when it opened in 1895 until her death in 1921. The zoo was closed in 1937.
Life and career
Roberts was born in Hobart, Austra ...
. Mrs. Roberts owned and operated the zoo from 1895 until her death in 1921.
This zoo, which included a breeding programme for
Tasmanian devils
The Tasmanian devil (''Sarcophilus harrisii'') (palawa kani: purinina) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. Until recently, it was only found on the island states and territories of Australia, state of Tasmania, but it has be ...
, rehabilitated the image of native animals and attracted scientific interest in them.
1922
After Mrs Robert's death, the family offered the Beaumaris zoological collection to the Hobart City Council, which accepted the offer in January 1922 on condition that the Tasmanian State Government gave a subsidy towards the zoo. A subsidy of £250 per annum was approved on 10 February 1922 by the Tasmanian State Government and appropriated for the new zoo.
In March 1922, the Hobart City Council advertised for a curator to take care of the Beaumaris zoological collection that were still housed on the Roberts property. On the evening of 27 March the Hobart City Council Reserves Committee held a meeting to consider the applicants for the curator's position. Arthur Reid was appointed as curator of the future municipal zoological gardens not yet constructed at the time.
Arthur Reid, the new curator who had been born in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, had emigrated to Tasmania at the age of 21, and had been an avid naturalist since boyhood. When he had come to Tasmania, Reid had taken a special interest in the rearing of
pheasants
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasi ...
and English birds. Reid died aged 70 years on 13 December 1935.
On 30 May 1922, Reid left for an 18-day tour of various Australian zoos, including
Taronga Park Zoo
Taronga Zoo is a zoo located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in the suburb of Mosman, on the shores of Sydney Harbour. The opening hours are between 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning 'beautiful water view'.
...
,
Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo is a zoo in Melbourne, Australia. It is located within Royal Park in Parkville, approximately north of the centre of Melbourne. It is the primary zoo serving Melbourne. The zoo contains more than 320 animal species from Austra ...
and a zoo in
Ballarat
Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...
. Reid was tasked to inspect the various enclosure designs,
zoological
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and dis ...
collections, and gain experience in the management methods of these facilities. On his return, he was to advise the Reserves Committee of his findings. Reid also intended to arrange the exchange of birds and animals with these zoos. Tenders had been put out during May for the construction of the new boundary fence that was to surround the chosen site for the new zoological gardens. Once returned, Reid was also tasked with the supervision of overseeing the transfer of the Roberts collection over to the new site, once the enclosures were completed.
The original Roberts collection had suffered losses during the time period between the death of Mrs Roberts and the acquiring of the collection by the Hobart City Council. The Tasmanian devils that had been at the forefront of the Beaumaris collection were no longer present. Only one thylacine was noted, which had been in ill health but recovering due to Reid's care. A new pair of Tasmanian devils had been promised to replace those that had died. Other animals listed including
wallabies
A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...
,
kangaroos
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
,
possums
Possum may refer to:
Animals
* Phalangeriformes, or possums, any of a number of arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi
** Common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula''), a common possum in Australian urban a ...
as well as varying
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of birds were all reported as being in the best of health.
In July the Reserves Committee received a report from Curator Reid, after an article in the ''Illustrated Tasmanian Mail'' (22 June 1922) alleged
animal welfare
Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
issues amongst the animals housed at the Roberts property at
Battery Point
Battery Point is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is immediately south of the central business district. It is in the local government area of City of Hobart.
Battery Point is named after the battery of guns which were est ...
. Reid reported that the Tasmanian devils had been disposed of before the Hobart City Council had taken the collection over. He had also advised that there had been an aged wallaby which had died, and the 'wolf' (referring to the thylacine) had not had a mate for over two years. No
wombat
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are adap ...
s were present in the collection, and a
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
had not had a mate for 18 months. He had also destroyed what was termed as a 'native cat' (
quoll
Quolls (; genus ''Dasyurus'') are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. Anoth ...
). 48 animals were noted as being in the collection on 19 April 1922, with further additions bringing the total to 54 animals, by Reid in his report to the Reserves Committee. 100 birds were also present in the collection.
During late August a large
wedgetail eagle
The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. Adults of this species have lo ...
, caught in a rabbit trap, was captured in
Pyengana, Tasmania
Pyengana is a village in north-east Tasmania, Australia. At the , Pyengana had a population of 123.
It is part of the Break O'Day Council administrative region, with less than 1% in the Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is ...
, by a representative of the
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...
Milk Company. The bird of prey was then sent to Hobart for addition to the zoo, where it was cared for by Curator Reid.
In September members of the public gave the future zoo a pair of Tasmanian devils, as well as black and grey possums.
By early October, the boundary fence around the zoo site had been completed, workmen were putting finishing touches to the large pond which would house the collection of
water bird
A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...
s, and the animal enclosures aviaries and runs were nearing completion. Some construction was delayed due to a hold up in the supply of wire netting from Sydney. A pair of
African lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
s were donated by the Taronga Park Zoo. An
echidna
Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...
, wallabies, possums,
eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
s and more Tasmanian devils were further donated by various members of the public then added to the collection still housed at Battery Point. During mid-October the sole remaining thylacine from the Roberts collection died of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
. Its remains were sent away to be preserved for future display.
With its loss, the Hobart City Council sent an appeal to the public for another live
specimen
Specimen may refer to:
Science and technology
* Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount
* Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
to be obtained for the zoo. Tenders had been received for the construction of the curator's office, a tea kiosk and other buildings.
Through the month of November, progress on the construction of the zoo was nearing completion. The site was now fully enclosed by the new boundary fence, aviaries and enclosures were almost finished. Accommodation was being made ready for a long list of animals and birds, including
deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
,
emu
The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...
,
ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
, and
peafowl
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are refe ...
. A terraced enclosure for the African lions had been started with cuts made into the
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
of the hill. The design plan was to have the enclosure viewable, from both above and below, with a
moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
at the front, and concrete walls on the sides, some 40 feet wide with a den area attached. A large
figure of eight pond was now a feature of the site, 300 feet in circumference for the aquatic birds, an arched bridge for the pond was also in the planning stages. Trees, shrubs and flower beds were being planted around the site. The Reserves Committee had also accepted tenders for the construction of an office and store. Provision had yet to be provided for a tea house and public lavatory.
On 29 November the
Tasmanian Legislative Council
The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two chambers of the Parliament, the other being the House of Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in the state capital, H ...
approved a clause in the Hobart Corporation Bill for the Hobart City Council to "...establish and maintain zoological gardens to be known as the Beaumaris Zoo in such portion of the Queen's Domain as it may determine, and also to expend on the zoo such annual sum as the Council may think proper."
1923
By the end of January 1923 the new zoo was ready to be opened. The animals were transferred from the old Beaumaris property at Battery Point, to the new zoological facility by the Hobart City Council at the rehabilitated quarry site at the
Queen's Domain,
on 1 February 1923. An aged kangaroo, however, died shortly after arriving at the Queen's Domain site. The African lions, due from Taronga Park Zoo, had not yet arrived in time for the impending official opening on 2 February.
The official opening ceremony took place on the Friday afternoon of 2 February 1923 officiated by
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
Williams, who performed the opening ceremony in the absence of the mayor, Alderman McKenzie. Ida Roberts, the daughter of Mary Grant Roberts, who had donated the original Beaumaris zoological collection to the Hobart City Council, was also present at the opening of the new Beaumaris Zoological Gardens. The zoo contained at the time of opening 100 animals and 220 birds.
On the opening day the two Tasmanian devils that had been given to the zoo escaped from their enclosure, and were later found hiding under a
culvert
A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe, reinforced concrete or other material. In the United Kingdom ...
. Despite efforts to recapture the escapees the
marsupial
Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a po ...
s eluded zoo staff. The animals were recaptured on 17 February after Curator Reid built a box trap baited with lambs heart, and left it near the culvert where the pair had been hiding.
The gate that currently secures the site was installed on 9 September 2000 (World Threatened Species Day). It was designed to communicate the history of the site to the passing public, and secure the site, and won an award in 2001 for landscape design from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.
Closure
The Zoo was closed in 1937 due to severe financial problems. The site was acquired by the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
and converted into a fuel storage depot for the nearby shore base. The Navy used the site from 1943 until 1991,
when it reverted to the Hobart City Council and was used as a storage depot.
The future
A conservation plan was published in 1967 as ''The Beaumaris zoo site conservation plan''.
Proposals even as late as 2003 were for then future uses of the site, which previously included proposals as a sculpture park for Tasmanian artists, and as a wildlife rehabilitation centre. The plan to build a new zoo had been in mind for a few years. However, the property, described as a "national treasure" and as "a special place in the state's history", was sold at auction in 2019 for $3.9 million Australian dollars (two and three-quarter million $USD), which now a 16 room privately owned family home.
[https://www.realestate.com.au/news/one-of-tassies-most-significant-homes-has-new-owners/]
References
External links
*
{{Zoos of Tasmania
History of Tasmania
Zoos in Tasmania
1895 establishments in Australia
1937 disestablishments in Australia
Former zoos
Parks in Tasmania
Defunct tourist attractions in Australia
Zoos established in 1895
Zoos disestablished in 1937