Over the years I have accumulated a good assortment of zoo and wildlife park guides and species inventories. I am looking to sell them, either as one lot or individually depending on interest. The following items are available (by region): Oceania: Adelaide Zoo - guidebook (1984) Britain & Ireland: Edinburgh Zoo - guidebook (c.1962) Dublin Zoo - guidebook (1999) Chester Zoo - guidebook (1998) Bristol Zoo - guidebook (c.1968) Europe: Aalborg Zoo - map & animal inventory (1994) Zoo Blijdorp (Rotterdam) - map (1989) Zoo Antwerpen - map & guidebook (1989) Dortmund Zoo - inventory, information, 9 photos by keeper & international studbook for the giant anteater (1991-92) Allwetter Zoo Munster - overview of year incl. inventory (1994) Zoo Wuppertal - guidebook incl. inventory (1994) Zoo Frankfurt - guidebook (1988) Tiergarten & Delphinarium Nurnberg - guidebook (1994) Zoo Leipzig - inventory & map (1993) Zoo Zurich - guide & inventory (1993) Zoo de Mulhouse - guide, map & 8 postcards (1991) Parc Zoologique de Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, St Etienne - map, postcards & 8 issues of triannual zoo magazine (1989-92) Moscow Zoo – 10 photocards of zoo & 24 of aquarium in sleeves (1985) North America: Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg – guidebook (1993) & various brochures, incl. ‘Pandas in Person’ (1989) Sacramento Zoo – 6 issues of ‘Maagizo’ magazine (1990-94) & various brochures Chaffee Zoological Gardens, Fresno – guide & various brochures (1994) San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park – map, brochures & 2 news releases (1988) Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs – 3 brochures (1994) Rio Grande Zoological Park, Albuquerque – map & various brochures (1986-1994) Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville – map & brochure (1995) Baton Rouge Zoo – map & information brochure (1994) Audubon Zoological Garden, New Orleans – guides for zoo & aquarium, brochures, issue of ‘The Institute’ magazine (1991) & inventory (1993) Knoxville Zoo – map & brochures (1994) Riverbanks Zoological Park, Columbia – map, brochures, factsheet & issue of ‘Riverbanks’ magazine (1994) North Carolina Zoological Park, Asheboro – factsheets & brochure in special sleeve (incl. beautiful ‘Guide to the Plants & Birds of R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary’) & Sonora Desert factsheets in separate sleeve (1993) Detroit Zoo, Belle Isle Zoo & Belle Isle Aquarium – map, factsheets & inventories of zoos & aquarium (1994) Mesker Park Zoo, Evansville – various brochures (1994) Cincinnati Zoo – map & brochures (1988) & inventory (1995) Cleveland Metroparks Zoo – map & information brochure (1990) National Aviary, Pittsburgh – ‘Bird Calls’ newsletter, map, inventory, various brochures & 9 photocards (1994) Bronx Zoo & New York Aquarium – zoo map & various brochures (1988) Staten Island Zoo – ‘Developments in the 80s’ book, guide, various brochures & issue of ‘Animaland’ magazine (1990) Buffalo Zoo – map & inventory (1994) Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested or would like more information on particular guides. Regards, Maurits Zwankhuizen Canberra, Australia
I was the one that purchased the collection from the gentleman in Canberra, Australia, and by chance my wife and 3 kids recently visited my father-in-law in Melbourne. She was able to pick up the heavy package and when she brought it back to Canada it was like Christmas for me as I've spent a number of evenings going through all of the maps, guidebooks, animal inventory booklets and other delights. On a side note, while in Melbourne for 3 weeks my wife and kids visited these 7 zoos while I taught high school, worked on my Master's Degree in Education, and salivated with jealousy at home. Healesville Sanctuary (3 times) Melbourne Zoo (twice) Werribee Open Range Zoo Melbourne SeaLife Aquarium Moonlit Sanctuary Maru Koala & Animal Park Ballarat Wildlife Park
Oh my god, that must be really hard for you. Were these zoological institutions some you haven't seen before? That would be even harder. Imagine my kids would visit a zoo I havent' visited before would take me in huge depression...
Haha! I was very busy while they were gone but I do admit that I wish I could have been touring those zoos with them. There are 3 out of the 7 that I've been to before and here are the 18 Aussie zoos that I've visited in my lifetime. AUSTRALIA: 18 zoo/aquarium total (in order of preference) Zoos: 15 1- Taronga Zoo (2007) 2- Melbourne Zoo (2007) 3- Adelaide Zoo (2007) 4- Perth Zoo (1987) 5- Healesville Sanctuary (2007) 6- Monarto Zoo (2007) 7- Alice Springs Desert Park (2007) 8- Cleland Wildlife Park (2007) 9- Sydney Wildlife World (2007) 10- Phillip Island Wildlife Park (2007) 11- Marapana Wildlife World (1988 - 1986) 12- Crocodylus Park (2007) 13- Kuranda’s RainForeStation (2007) 14- Big Apple Tourist & Wildlife Park (1988 - 1986) 15- Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary (2007 – now closed) Aquariums: 3 1- Sydney Aquarium (2007) 2- Melbourne Aquarium (2007) 3- Busselton Aquarium (1987 - 1986 - now closed)
That would be sooo frustrating Snowleopard! I would have forbidden them from visiting any zoos Did they see many species you haven't seen? Healesville has a few new extremely-rare-in-captivity species, but you might have seen Numbat at Perth?
On my Facebook page my wife posted 3 clear photos of a numbat, and if you search "Scott Richardson" then you'll be sure to "friend" me. I'm not worried about my zoo nerd identity one iota.
I can't find any information on the Busselton Aquarium online. Do mean the Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory? Or was there a dedicated aquarium in Busselton between 1987-1996?
The Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory opened in 2003 and I've never visited that establishment even though I spent 6 weeks traveling all over Australia in 2007. I lived 30 minutes away from a small aquarium in Busselton in the years 1986 to 1988 and I clearly remember visiting a fairly tiny, shabby little aquarium on a number of occasions. There was a central shark tank and a bunch of side tanks scattered around and even at a young age I was aware that the establishment had seen better days. It was right next to the beach and I have no idea what it was called and that's why I listed it simply as 'Busselton Aquarium' on this thread. When I spend some time looking for information via Google I cannot find anything about the aquarium and I'm hoping that one day someone on ZooChat will recall also visiting the now closed facility.
Just stumbled across these posts about the Busselton Oceanarium Log into Facebook Log into Facebook Was this it?
That's it! I have visited exactly 520 different zoos and aquariums in my lifetime (413 zoos/107 aquariums) and I was beginning to think I'd imagined a 'Busselton Aquarium' from my youth. However, without a shadow of a doubt the Busselton Oceanarium is what I went inside on several occasions between 1986-1988. Thanks for the information!
Thank you for this....... I also had a tiny aquarium (same description as SL) on my list that I often visited as a child. I had thought it was in Bunbury as that is where my relatives lived (who we were visiting when I visited the aquarium). Now I'm thinking we maybe drove down to Busselton for the beach. Unless anyone is aware of a similar place in Bunbury?
Was it the Dolphin Discovery Centre at Bunbury perhaps? According to their website, they opened an "Interaction Zone in 1990 and the Dolphin Discovery Centre in 1994". (Dolphin Discovery Centre) They also opened a large expansion in February 2019. (Media Statements - Expanded and upgraded Dolphin Discovery Centre now open)
Thanks Bru, but no......I'm talking 1975-78!! There were certainly no dolphins at the place I'm talking about. This was a little aquarium on a beach. No windows. Inside there was a central tank in which the water circulated around in a loop. It was metal with windows in it, not glass. Contained local species. Grey nurse sharks, etc.
That sounds like the Jaycees Oceanarium at Busselton. I found a news story from 1976 Memories of Busselton and a patch https://www.facebook.com/BusseltonMemories/photos/a.160929910751204/1102015926642593/ and VINTAGE JAYCEES OCEANARIUM EMBROIDERED SOUVENIR PATCH WOVEN CLOTH SEW-ON BADGE | eBay It would be great to find some photos of inside the oceanarium!
Nice finds Bru! It certainly would be fantastic to get some pics of inside. There's an outside chance I might trawl some up from my relatives, but to be honest, they used to just leave me to it in there on my own when I was a kid, and my 6-8 year old self obviously didn't have a camera!
In my database I have noted: Oceanarium-Busselton Jetty & Underwater Observatory, Busselton, WA 6280, Australia. I think it's possible the Oceanarium existed initially, and then they added the Underwater Observatory?
Hi MJB, I've done some digging around and from what I can gather, the Oceanarium was open in the 1970s and 1980s (according to aerial photographs and news clippings that I could find) and closed in the late-80s. The Busselton Jetty & Underwater Observatory opened in 2003 and I believe the Oceanarium and Underwater Observatory are separate entities. Having said that, I've emailed Busselton Jetty & Underwater Observatory to clarify.
@snowleopard @Newzooboy @bru04 @MJB I too remember Busselton Jaycees Oceanarium, visited in January 1995 and my Dad remembers it in the mid to late 70s when it first opened. I never saw Danny the Grey Nurse Shark, when I went it was Port Jackson Sharks and Stingrays. Do you guys remember the building as having two tanks? I remember a large circular one with porthole windows you could walk around and look into, and also a tank that like a large circular glass tank but smaller than the bigger tank and more in resemblance of a large touch pool. Apparently there was a rescued Fairy Penguin and rescued Sea Turtle at different times in its existance and also Bronze Whalers in the large tank during the late '70s. This guy who worked there apparently stayed all night with the sharks during Cyclone Alby in '78. Apparently the Aquarium opened around September 1974 with Sharks and fish brought from closing down Cottesloe Oceanarium. Apparently Jaycees closed around Feb 1997. Busselton Jaycees Oceanarium opened September 1974 - February 1997 - ZooChat P.S Sorry Snowleopard I just re-read one of your posts above and I see the Oceanarium did have a range of smaller tanks also at one stage. They may have still been there in Jan '95 and I just got distracted by the Sharks and Rays in the larger two tanks (there were certainly other fish in the largest tank like Snapper and Cobblers but I only paid attention to the Sharks and Rays). Also the man who worked there put a wooden paddle into the open-top glass circular tank (was about 1.3m high give or take) to stir the Port Jackson Sharks inside to move about a bit for us kids (they were resting comfortably on the bottom when we first came in).
