I came across the TV ad from the 1980's for the African Lion Safari - a wildlife park on Sydney's outskirts that closed in 1991 Wikipedia also has an entry at African Lion Safari (Warragamba) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There was one at Rockbank, between Melbourne and Melton, in Victoria as well. It has long since closed, but some of the infrastructure (including the building that housed the office and what was part of the lion enclosure) is still decaying away there. I suspect the development of Werribee Open Range Zoo only 15 minutes away eventually killed it off.
I think it closed well before Werribee came on the scene, indeed I think it may have closed before Bacchus Marsh, which was better known. I presume it was built at Rockbank to catch some of the traffic going to Bacchus Marsh, a strategy that probably did neither park any good.
Right. I knew about the one at Bacchus Marsh too. In fact, I once had a school camp on the site. Growing up in the area, it used to amaze me that there used to be TWO safaris with LIONS nearby. And it seemed quite unfair that both were closed. I believe Rockbank also had giraffes - do you remember other species for either park? Incidentally, I know a funny story from someone I know of her first time meeting her future husband's four sons from a previous marriage. Someone didn't tell her to keep the window closed when going through the lion reserve at Bacchus - a lioness backed up, and directed a long stream of lovely green urine straight through the window onto her! Four boys in the backseat had a great time. Incidentally, I'm amazed that African Lion Safari had dolphins.
Never went to Rockbank. My one excursion to Bacchus Marsh was with the family of a friend on a trip to Ballarat. They were very indulgent of my zoo interests but I couldn't convince them to go to two lion parks in one weekend! I remember being impressed there was a hippopotamus at BM and there may also have been giraffes and zebras. Don't remember much else besides deer and of course lions. It was 35 years ago...
