James Francis Lacey (5 June 1934 – 31 January 2008) was an Australian whose work was considered instrumental in the development of the Western Plains Zoo in

Dubbo Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Go ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, as its general manager from 1988 to 1992. Lacey also served as the administrator of

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Po ...

beginning in 1983.

Early life

Lacey was born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

, Australia, in 1934. He resided in the city until he was 29 years old. He moved to

Young, New South Wales Young is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and the largest town in the Hilltops Region. The "Lambing Flat" Post Office opened on 1 March 1861 and was renamed "Young" in 1863. Young is marketed as the Cherry Ca ...

, with his wife, Judith, and their oldest daughter, Elizabeth, in 1963. The family moved again in 1971, this time to the city of

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's ...

. There, Lacey was employed as a Regional Development Officer for The

Riverina The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...

Career

Jim Lacey was appointed the

administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...

in 1983 by the Department of the NSW Government of the

Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislatur ...

, Neville Wran. Lacey was praised for his work as administrator of the island, which is a territory within

. Lacey's work on Lord Howe Island was noticed by John Kelly, the chief

zoo 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 z ...

Director of Parks and Wildlife. Kelly asked Lacey to join the Western Plains Zoo in 1988 as general manager, an offer which Lacey accepted. (The Western Plains Zoo is now called the Taronga Western Plains Zoo). During his time at the zoo, Lacey worked to grow and develop the zoo's facilities, while maintaining an open-range

concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by ...

for the animals. Lacey oversaw the introduction of Asiatic lions to the Western Plains Zoo. Another of Lacey's initiatives involved the construction of elevated canopy-level platforms in the zoo's koala exhibit, so visitors could view the koalas at eye level instead of from the ground. Lacey also travelled to Zimbabwe to negotiate the acquisition of several endangered black rhinos. The black rhino breeding program at the Western Plains Zoo is now a well regarded initiative. Lacey hosted

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

on her visit to the Western Plains Zoo in 1992. He also aggressively promoted the zoo as a major area

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

. Lacey voluntarily left the zoo in 1992. Lacey moved to

Darwin, Australia Darwin ( ; Laragiya language, Larrakia: ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. With an estimated population of 147,255 as of 2019, the city contains the majority of the residents of the spa ...

, where he took a position at the Northern Territory Wildlife Park for two years and developed a similar open range concept for the animals of that zoo as well. Lacey and his wife later moved to

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

. He served as the New Business Development Manager on the local council until his retirement in 2004. He moved to Woonona upon his retirement.

Death

Jim Lacey died on 31 January 2008, at a hospital near

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near w ...

at the age of 73. He was survived by his wife, Judith, and their five children: Elizabeth Hirst, Mary Louise Lacey, Catherine McClintock, Andrew Lacey and Anne Lacey. Lacey's funeral was held at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Bulli.

References

External links

Sydney Morning Herald: James Francis LaceyTaronga Western Plains Zoo Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacey, Jim 1934 births 2008 deaths Lord Howe Island People from Dubbo Australian directors Australian public servants Zoo directors