Melbourne Zoo opened in 1862 on its Royal Park site, displaying animals that had previously been on public view first at the Botanic Gardens and then at ‘Richmond Paddocks’, along the Yarra River opposite the Botanic Gardens.  This low-lying riverside site was found to be too damp for the animals, thus the move to the higher ground of Royal Park.

Like other historic Australian zoos in Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth, the Zoo was initially involved in the ‘acclimatisation’ of exotic species, which people in those days thought might prove valuable additional sources of food and income.

Melbourne Zoo’s layout was modeled after London Zoo, with formal Victorian-era gardens the major attraction when the Zoo first opened, because there were few animals here then, just a few monkeys and a limited selection of native species.

The development of the Zoo as we know it today began when Albert le Souef was appointed as Director in 1870. He acquired monkeys, American Black Bears, lions, tigers, and other exotic species.

At first, these new animals were housed in old circus cages, and then wooden houses were built for them, along with a bear pit and aviaries.

Mr le Souef was also well aware that the Zoo was a popular meeting place for Melburnians, so he developed picnic grounds and enhanced the garden displays.

For almost 20 years there was no entry fee for Zoo visitors, but in 1881 an entry fee was introduced to provide funding so that more animals could be added to the collection. An elephant and an orang-utan arrived in 1881, followed by rhinos, hippos, bison, zebra and giraffe.

The Zoo developed a diverse collection of Australia’s unique wildlife, and in 1934 a special section was opened to display platypus, koalas, and other native wildlife.

In the 1890s the Zoo began building a new kind of exhibit: they were brick, with bars across the front viewing area. A similarly-designed exhibit built in 1928 has been preserved in the Zoo’s Heritage Zone, along the main drive, so visitors can contrast that stage of the Zoo’s evolution with the modern setting they see today.

Another major change in Zoo operations can be clearly seen in the contrast between the life of the Zoo’s elephants in the early days, when they lived in the heritage Elephant Barn and gave rides to visitors. Many family albums throughout Victoria would have photographs of those elephant rides, but they stopped almost half a century ago, in 1961. 

Now the elephants live in the spacious surroundings of the award-winning Trail of the Elephants, which was recognised as having set a new benchmark for Asian Elephant exhibits when it opened in March 2003.

The only reminder of the Fun Fair that provided entertainment for generations of visitors is the magnificent 19th century English-made merry-go-round, which is still a much-loved feature of the Zoo. It is on the State’s Heritage Register as a significant part of Victoria’s history, so Heritage Victoria recently funded and managed a major restoration to return this magnificent merry-go-round to its original glory.

In the 1960s the Zoo’s still ongoing modernisation program began, under the visionary guidance of long-serving Board Chairman Alfred Dunbavin Butcher. He played an important role in the Zoo’s history for 40 years, first as a Board member and as Chairman from 1962 to 1987. His vision and considerable political acumen transformed the Zoo.

The Lion Park was the first major exhibit to be completed under this new direction, followed by other significant developments such as the Arboreal Primates treetops walkway, the Great Flight Aviary for Australian birds, and the extremely innovative Butterfly House, which is now named in his honour.

In the 1980s a Master Plan for future development divided the Zoo into ‘bioclimatic zones’, where animals that share a common native habitat would be grouped with or near each other.   Landscape design would aim to ‘immerse’ visitors in the same habitat as the wildlife on display.

For example, the African Rainforest area features gorillas and mandrills.  The Asian Rainforest began with displays for otters and tigers, and was later incorporated in the Trail of the Elephants with additional Asian wildlife species further along the jungly walkway.

It was Dr Butcher’s vision that led to the opening of the Zoo School in 1969 and to the launch of the Friends of the Zoos in 1980. Both these initiatives have flourished, with more than 150,000 students a year now benefiting from the wide variety of Experience and Learning programs, and more than 60,000 Victorians are now members of Friends of the Zoos (FOTZ).

The Friends of the Zoos members are a great asset to the Zoo. They donate their time and skills to help visitors as Guides and Volunteers. They also help to increase community awareness of the aims and achievements of Melbourne Zoo and its two sister zoos. In addition, FOTZ contributions help fund capital developments at all three zoos.

Dr Butcher worked closely with the selected student, Catherine de Courcy (B.A. and Dip Lib and Info Studies N.U. Ireland; MA, Melbourne University) for 18 months to discuss the philosophy behind the transformation of the Zoo.

Dr Butcher believed that knowledge of the organisation’s history was vital to its future success, so as a retirement gift in recognition of his major contribution, the Zoological Board provided a grant for a Melbourne University graduate student to research the Zoo’s history.

Although Dr Butcher read the draft of Catherine de Courcy’s MA with great interest, unfortunately he died three months before the thesis was submitted in 1990.

Catherine went on to use the research as the basis of a general history of zoos, The Zoo Story (Penguin, 1995 – now out of print but available in libraries).

Melbourne Zoo’s history continues to evolve, with developments being planned, new species arriving, and births happening frequently. New events, additional conservation programs, and more educational experiences are introduced at regular intervals, so this community icon will continue to be enjoyed by Victorians and our visitors.

The Le Souef family’s contribution to Australia’s Zoos

Albert Le Souef was appointed honorary secretary of the Acclimatisation Society in 1870. During the following thirty years he introduced all the elements of a modern zoo to the evolving institution.

He lived in the Zoo with his large family, and his children were involved in his work from an early age, both helping to care for the grounds and looking after ill or injured animals in the family home.

His eldest son Dudley was Assistant Director for several years and succeeded him as Director, to 1923.

Two other sons studied veterinary medicine and worked at Melbourne Zoo before moving on to other zoos.

Sherborne Le Souef supervised the creation of the new Taronga Zoo and supervised the move of the animals to the new location on Sydney Harbour from their previous location in Moore Park.

Ernest Le Souef became the Foundation Director of Perth Zoo, which has already celebrated its centenary.