Whenever I return to Melbourne, a trip to the Melbourne Zoo is guaranteed. And what is even more guaranteed the more time goes on is that I'll get nostalgic for the old zoo I knew as a kid, back in the 1980's; and frustration at the parts I don't remember super well, followed up by Google searches that always end up leading me to this site. This time around (was back in Sep), I thought I'd throw out the questions that continually come up in my mind: 1. Are there any 1980's era Melbourne Zoo maps online? Earliest I have found is circa 1992 (on this site a couple of years ago I think). I've never been able to find one representative of prior to the Pygmy Hippos moving to the rain-forest. (If I could go back in time and tell younger me to hold onto physical zoo maps back then as I do now, I would! ) 2. What was between the Ape Grottoes and Arboreal Treetop Walkway prior to the Gorilla Rain Forest construction? Were there more Arboreal Treetop Walkway enclosures than there are today? I feel that they were, but I'm not sure whether I think that just because they were likely more visible with less rain-forest vegetation than they have been since the late 90's. I remember (vaguely) when the Giant Pandas were housed there in 1988, but otherwise I draw a blank - was it just an exhibit less walk from the Ape Grottoes to the Treetop Walkway? 3. Are there any photos out there of the old Pygmy Hippo enclosures by the (old) elephants? My childhood memory of them is both vivid (dark green colored rectangles with glass viewing) and also very vague: - where exactly were they positioned? I always think of them running west to east right at the end of the path past the (old) elephants, but that doesn't seem practical, so I question that memory. - was the Bistro lake part of their enclosure? 4. When were the Old Ape House and Ape Grottoes built / opened? Not really 1980's related, but I came across a 1950's map this week and they're not on it, so it makes me curious what era they were. 5. What, if anything existed where the Otter & Sumatran tiger exhibits are these days? I remember those two enclosures being new (early 90's), but I don't have a great memory of what was there previously in the 80's. I kinda remember it as all kangaroos and wallabys, but was that really all that was along the south part of that path from Main Drive to the Butterfly House prior to the tiger enclosure? 6. What happened to the 5 pole sculptures that were in the fountain at the zoo entrance in the 1980's? On a visit in 2007 when I still lived in Melbourne, I noticed they'd been relocated (after decades of probably passing them there) to where the entrance to Wild Sea now is (I think - or across from the Seal Pool if not). Did they zoo preserve them once Wild Sea was constructed? I haven't noticed them anywhere on my trips back post 2009 (though I don't think I've consciously looked for them). Bonus points: does anyone remember when that fountain at the entrance was removed? Admittedly I had forgotten about the fountain until I came across some photos the State Library has this week, so I'm guessing it was early in my childhood (pre 90's). 7. Was there an Australia walk past the Butterfly Kiosk up to the Great Flight Aviary? I remember a gate past the Kiosk & picnic tables (essentially where the elephant barn is now I think), but don't see it on any map I have - am pretty sure it existed until the whole area was redeveloped for the Trail Of The Elephants - or is my memory wrong? In addition to any answers, any I'd love to see any photos or maps from this era.
Certainly that was my recollection. I have a memory as a child of always feeling it was such a long walk down a path to the start of the treetop monkeys. There was definitely no exhibits where the hippos and mandrill exhibits where built and like you I recall a lot more sparse native vegetation with eucalypts. I always assumed that part of the temporary panda exhibit was later part the footprint of the gorilla exhibit that opened soon after. My recollection is as yours, they were directly beside the elephant house. Roughly where the Japanese garden is now. But I seem to recall the enclosures themselves being on on the elephant house side, not the lake side. But like you, vague. I was perhaps 7-8 years old I'm going to take a guess that the grottoes, based on their Flintstones-inspired design, where built in the 60's or early 70's. The arboreal walkway I have no memory of not existing and it was certainly there when the pandas visited in the 80's. I'm going to guess it was new then however. It's still largely the same treated pine boardwalk and the diagonal timber slats on some walls screams 80's to me. Still a terrific exhibit. I hope they never tear it down. I remember a path with wallabies and kangaroos, specifically yellow footed rock wallabies around where the tigers were. The pelican lake was always on the opposite side and predates the Asia section being built. Id' forgotten about those poles! Yes so do I! The bistro next to the butterfly house was there before the elephant exhibit was built. it was just later "disguised" as an asian styled building when Trail of The Elephants opened. I remember in the paved area front of the bistro, around where the gift shop is was a circular and very exposed exhibit for koala. Interestingly they had both northern and southern forms on display. I recall much of the space now occupied by elephants central and bull elephant exhibits was taken up by birds and natives. There was a path with a long row of aviaries that housed small parrots and finches on one side. on the other was larger grassy exhibits for ratites. Ostrich, Rhea, cassowary and brolga I think. if you wandered to the other side there where low concrete walled enclosures for wombats and echidnas. There was another that i want to say was a pit that had climbing frames that came up to eye level. this had matschies tree kangaroo. later, I recall a larger fenced enclosure that had goodfellow's tree kangaroos and grey dorcopsis wallaby living together. I think the area that was the "cow" elephant exhibit was a kangaroo and emu walk through that took you to the entrance (now exit) of the Great Flight Aviary. I think after the GFA the path lead back closer to where the orangutans are now, there was a small enclosure for quokka right as you popped back onto the main path near the giraffe. I have this vague memory of a very different tiger exhibit when I was very young. I think perhaps it was near the lions. It was a large concrete pit not unlike the old tiger exhibit at Taronga. Was it perhaps where the bears later where?
Ahh, yes, the eucalyptus! I definitely use to feel it was a long walk. From photos I found of the pandas a couple of years back I believe you're right about them being housed in what became the gorilla exhibit. One of the photos shows the "rock" wall with a window (which I think is close to the food preparation room). Construction on the rain forest was occurring in 1988, so the timeline fits. What I remember seeing of the pandas was a square enclosure (kinda like the old wombat/echidna enclosures near the GFA, but on a much grander scale) that had a wooden deck / platform for them (but like my pygmy hippo memories, this is very vague). Generally what I remember of going to see the pandas is that overall the area was under a reasonable amount of construction (likely for the forthcoming rain forest) and it was a bit of a mess and reasonably congested both with the construction and crowds for the pandas. I also kind of remember this changing a lot, likely due to the rain forest construction - each time we visited the zoo it seemed the path to and from the treetop walk was always different or with some sort of detour or diversion. (All of this is based on 30 year memories which may or may not be accurate). Thanks! The pygmy hippos being directly besides the elephant house makes more sense than my memory of them blocking / cutting the end of the path past the elephants. I really wish I could remember this better and/or could find photos of it, but this helps. 60's or 70's makes sense - I believe the gorillas arrived in 1973 from my recent research. The grottoes are definitely an "were always there" part of the zoo for me (hence the curiosity as the when they actually were new). As a kid (and well, later in life also) I always anticipated going and viewing the gorillas, and would often insist that was our first stop (despite occasionally changing it up and going past the baboons, penguins elephants and pygmy hippos first - and then insisting we go straight to the gorillas from there). Is my memory that until the gorilla rain forest opened, you couldn't exit out the south side of the grottoes and had to walk back to the entrance correct? Given how much that changed over the 30 years (you could enter, then you couldn't, then you could enter the other side, then you could only view the last grotto, then it was completely closed off at some point) it's hard to remember exactly. The arboreal walkway opened in 1980. Like you, I don't remember it not existing - not surprisingly as I was 3-ish when it opened. I completely agree with you, I hope they never demolish it. I miss the angled windows though - those were great for looking down into the exhibits. Correct. I remember the koala's being almost directly outside the butterfly house, not sure how true that really is. A favorite family story is when my younger sister dropped one of her shoes into this koala exhibit - my dad jumped in to grab it, and the moment he was jumping back over the circular wall she kicked her other shoe in! Wow - I remembered the aviaries, however I had forgotten about the bigger birds being there. I kinda vaguely remember this now that you mention it, I wish I could remember it better. Thanks for at least triggering my memory somewhat on this. I remember the wombats and echidnas clearly. At one time there may have been a Tassy Devil in that area too (?). My memory of the area closer to the giraffes (essentially orangs now) is unfortunately pretty vague for me. I did find a photo in one of my parents albums last month that might have been the tree kangaroo's enclosure. I think as a kid there was always excitement to get into the GFA, so this area was overlooked (after always stopping at the wombat & echidna) hence my bad memory (?maybe). Beyond the path back to the giraffes I feel like there may have been a picnic area (by the water birds lake). Another timeless family story is when my sister & I were going to feed the pelicans, and ended up getting chased by these huge birds. We were absolutely terrified, while my parents were immensely amused, laughing their heads off while it all transpired. I think this is where that terrifying moment happened , though overall I don't remember that side of the lake well. My memory of the tiger (other than in TOTE) was in the big cats section. My memory (which could be wrong) is that when you passed the bears, where the path curved around slightly (to the right) the big cat enclosures began, the first lot formed a rectangle around the path with 3 caged enclosures and the tiger was in the one on the left. Without photographic evidence I could be wrong (it being 30 years ago and all), however it's a pretty solid memory (which is why I think the tiger was there through the very early 90's also - before probably moving to TOTE - unless there were 2 tigers). Is this what you're thinking of? Speaking of the bears - that's another question for me - were they always there? By always I mean in the 80's, and by there I mean the current snow leopard exhibit. The reason I ask is that I definitely remember that enclosure all through the 90's, but also remember it being "new" to me at some stage / don't remember it as a younger kid. I don't know if that's just my failing memory though. As kids (80's) we would always go through the big cats, so I don't think I don't remember it because avoiding that area. For this reason I'd love to see an 80's era map. Thanks for your recollections!
No I think a different enclosure entirely. I have an old Melbourne Zoo book that was bought for me as a VERY young child. There is a photo in it of the tigers in a high concrete-walled exhibit. When i was a child, i remember feeling like i'd this exhibit in real life. I feel like i remember viewing the tiger through a small window in a dark undercover area. thinking about the design the only place I can imagine it was is where the bears later resided. The plaque that was in front of the bears if I recall had the bear exhibit being opened by Sir John Cain. He was premier in the early 80's to 90ish. All this is leading me to think perhaps the bear exhibit used to be the tigers. My memories of looking into the tigers from a "dark undercover area" could be that tunnel section of the bear exhibit. with the small glass window (still there in the current snow leopard version).
Hmm, is the book titled "Zoo Melbourne" with a kangaroo on the front (apparently second edition, 1973)? If so, I have the same book. And if so and I'm looking at the same photo, I see what you mean. Personally I can't remember seeing tigers in that exhibit, but to the best of my memory the only two places with underground viewing windows were the seal pool and what become the bear (and currently snow leopard), so you could be right on tigers being in there at one point. That would/could also explain why I don't remember bears (or the exhibit itself) until closer to the 90's - maybe it was under renovation & closed in the late 80's as it transitioned from tigers to bears. I'll go back through my personal photos and see if I can find any for the plaque on the bear exhibit - I stared taking photos of those in the last decade, though I'm not sure I have one from that exhibit.
The section which now has the gorilla enclosure previously held the pandas (as we all probably know). However before that, this section had 2 large, grassy enclosures - one with guanacos and one with sitatungas - opposite these (along the front of the zoo fence) were the different species of dog (jackals, wolves, coyotes, dingos - not sure exactly which species though). I've got some old maps and booklets from the early 1980s showing these things - but I also remember seeing it when I was a little boy.
Ir seems my memories go back further than most. I have memories going back to the mid to late 60's, so think I can help here. On the other hand while I go there maybe a couple of times a year for functions, meetings etc it is two decades since i really "visited" and saw the whole zoo, so forgive me if my knowledge of the current layout is a bit vague. To give context Melbourne Zoo prior to 1965 was a typical menagerie zoo with exhibits randomly laid out and many dating from the 19th century. At the time there was a serious debate about closing the zoo. When Dunbavin Butcher became Chair of the Zoo Board he resolved to set about improving it and bringing it into the modern world. The first new enclosure of this era was the Lion Park, which brought a huge reaction with newspaper stories about "people being caged (in the above ground walkway, I guess) and the lions roaming free below". Of course it must have seemed like freedom to the lions compared with their previous enclosures. Two masterplans that I am aware of affect the current layout of Melbourne Zoo: Early '70's Taxonomic based plan Mid '80's David Handcocks immersive geo-habitat themed plan But would a younger you have listened to an adult you? In the mid 1960''s the rectangular area from the main drive back to the back of the treetops exhibit and from the south wall to about where the tree kangaroos are now was basically subdivided into grassed enclosures on a grid. There were I thing four canine enclosures against the boundry wall, I remember dingoes, black-backed jackals, African wild dogs and coyotes, but the species would have changed over time. The other enclosures, which were larger, would have contained whatever was available that fitted. Others have mentioned guanacos and sitatungas and I remember tapirs, in fact I took a photo of one with a calf with my mother's old box brownie, certainly my first ever zoo animal photo. Early on in the south-east corner (closest to the entry) was a koala exhibit made up of a number of roofed pens arranged in a crescent. I remember for a time they had a cuscus. In the north-west corner there was a beautiful 19th Century cast-iron aviary, which was the home of the curassows. The great ape grotto was one of the first taxonomic plan developments and was certainly operational but very new in 1974 when I went behind the scenes and met the gorilla babies. The treetops was a little later, part of the same plan. The idea was that the space in between was to be filled with similar primate exhibits but none were ever built. The giant pandas (which were only there for two or three months in 1988) were housed in a portion of the gorilla rainforest when it was under construction. It was the first of the Hancocks plan enclosures and would have been completed in 1989-90. The treetops enclosures were integrated into the Hancocks plan and were to only house African rainforest monkeys and the zoo went someway to achieving that. The small enclosures at both ends were turned into aviaries and for a while housed African grey parrots and Nyasa lovebirds. I'll come back to the rest of your post later.
The gorilla babies would have been Rigo and Yuska. I visited in 1981 from the UK and there were four gorillas by then in the grotto enclosure, with the addition of the adult Buluman and Betsy from Taronga. I didn't see Rigo then as the other three were together. I remember a group of about 8 chimps in one of the other grottos also, plus Orangutan male Santan with a terribly short/bristly coat (due to the hard surfaces) in the third one(or were there four?). I presume the original Panda exhibit was the closer part to the rock wall and indoor dens of the current gorilla enclosure. With the big viewing window?
Part II The hippo house was where you remember it, more or less, right at the end of a pathway and in many ways hidden away. However for most of its life it housed common hippos, not pygmy hippos. They may have housed pygmy hippos after the commons were moved to Werribee and before the current pygmy hippo enclosure was constructed, but I don't recall that myself. It must have been of fairly modern construction in that it used plate glass windows for viewing into the enclosure but it was a shocker of concrete and steel, with ponds for the hippos that allowed them to submerge but barely turn around. The lake was not part of their enclosure. All the lakes were ornamental (one did have mute swans on it) until they worked out how to use the islands for gibbon enclosures in the 1980's. 4. See part I. You are right about the kangaroos and wallabies. This area is another part of the taxonomic plan, this time for macropods. The enclosures circled the lake and had ha-ha's at viewing points. It was quite a varied collection of macropods. The lake was built to house the pelicans as another part of the Australian theme. The tiger enclosure and the bird aviaries were the first part of the Hancocks plan Asian rainforest. You can be sure that anything that could be considered a work of art or monument would be put into storage if not in current use. The Peter Pan statute that can be seen on the main drive was in storage for 50 or 60 years until it was resurrected some time in the 1980's. When opened it was called the Fauna Park and also contained deer, maybe sheep or goats and some larger birds. It even had a brolga for a period. It predated the much larger Australian Walkthrough to the north of the Great Flight Aviary and may have been an experiment. The area was quite small and it was closed some time in the '90's if not earlier, certainly well before the elephants. Hope that helps.
There were/are four grottos. Totally inadequate for the animals they enclosed, although certainly better for the chimps than their old enclosure. The panda exhibit was the northern part of the gorilla rainforest and I presume, yes used the indoor facilities. I think the big viewing window you refer to may be on the southern side.
Before Big Cat Alley (another Taxonomical plan exhibit group) the tigers and leopards were kept in a row of 19th Century steel and concrete cages which was just downhill from the Lion Park. Certainly not a pit, the floors were at maybe waist height? (maybe a little lower but seemed higher to a school boy). The solid walls and back, with the mock rock and cave like dens may have given the impression of a pit though. Somebody mentioned that the bear exhibit was opened by Sir John Cain? Both John Cain senior and junior were staunch Labor men and would not have succumbed to accepting a knighthood. In any case the bear enclosure was opened by Peter Evans, an ABC radio personality of the time who campaigned for a new bear enclosure to replace the old bear pits. The enclosure only ever contained bears although it included an enclosure for badgers.
Melbourne Zoo had 2.5 Chimpanzee in 1981 (one of which died in August that year): Beautiful (F) Born in the wild 01/01/1957 Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 18/10/1961 Died at Melbourne Zoo 20/11/1988 Teddy (M) Born in the wild 01/01/1952 Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 27/10/1966 Died at Melbourne Zoo 17/01/1992 Molly (F) Born in the wild 01/06/1953 Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 27/10/1966 Died at Melbourne Zoo 28/08/1981 June (F) Born at Wellington Zoo 15/09/1960 Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 27/10/1966 Sent to Hyderabad Zoo 15/10/1992 Ernie (M) Born at Melbourne Zoo 15/12/1969 Died at Melbourne Zoo 23/02/1993 Sandra (F) Born at Rotterdam Zoo 28/02/1971 Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 16/10/1976 Sent to Taronga Zoo 23/02/1993 Koko (F) Born in the wild 01/01/1972 Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 16/10/1976 Sent to Taronga Zoo 23/02/1993 The five females were unrelated; Ernie was the son of Teddy and Molly.
Hmmm, maybe the bear encloser was built and opened in 1985/6, given what I found in Age articles re: Peter Evans. The "waterfall and a double-sized Olympic pool" sound like the bear exhibit (though I don't know if the moat is double Olympic sized ). If opened in 1986 probably explains why I don't remember it always being there. The enclosure for the badgers was across from the lions between the entrance & exit for the covered/indoor viewing area, correct? July 17, 1984 ...Three years ago, the zoo opened its first public appeal, with actress Lynda Stoner and a cast of extras in cuddly bear suits, imploring the public to pay up and be bear lovers. The intention was to move the bears from their concrete pits into a more aesthetic environment with trees, shrubs and rock pools. On paper, the polar bears were promised a waterfall and a double-sized Olympic pool. Unfortunately, Senda, Oscar and Ronald will not see this grand plan realised. The three polar bears are dead. Sep 19, 1985 ...Reprinted on the box is a quote from Barry Hill, who wrote in Green Guide: "(Evans) was the supreme bear with the sore head, but he was a warm bear." Rather fittingly, proceeds from the sale of the cassette will be used to support the building of a new bear exhibit at the Melbourne Zoo. Evans loved the zoo, to be sure, and would nave appreciated such exquisite irony. May 7, 1986 ...pop single and raised $50,000 to build a five-star bear enclosure at the Melbourne Zoo. And now (ta-ran-ta-rah!) comes an 'Evans, the Wireless Scrap book', featuring pictures and words about the career of Melbourne's late and lamented favorite breakfast-time raadio grump,
It's entirely possible that I just assumed they were pygmy hippos since it was demolished and pygmy hippos then showed up in the gorilla rain forest. My memory is really vague, and at that age I doubt I would have been able to tell a pygmy hippo from a common one. Once again, it's a shame to not have a map that would probably specify which it was. Ahhh, I kind of remember that now. I'd been a little confused why they'd have so many areas for kangaroos and emus, particularly given the bushland north of the Great Flight Aviary (and the kangaroo / wallabies on the way to this area), it makes much more sense that this would be deer etc. I think that's probably also why we didn't go through there on every zoo visit too. Thanks a lot for the information in both posts!
My guess on the window is the one that is part of the communal den towards the northern path. ZooLex Image - Picture Views
Pygmy hippos were definitely kept in the concrete hippo enclosures next to the old elephant enclosure - I remember them well. This was after the common hippos went to Werribee. I actually don't ever remember seeing common hippos there - though I may have seen them when I was very young. They (pygmy hippos) eventually moved to the rainforest along with the mandrills - which were originally kept in the old "Top Six" concrete monkey enclosures along the fence near the front gate.
The old zoo book I mentioned earlier has a photo with common hippos cramped in there, but it absolutely held pygmies for years thereafter, presumably as you say after Werribee opened. As I child I only ever saw pygmy hippos in that exhibit.
