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Zoo visitors in the 1890s

Zoo visitors in the 1890s

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Melbourne Zoo visitors, c 1890

Public Record Office Victoria
VPRS 8850/P2, unit 70

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Free for educational use. Contact Public Record Office Victoria for permission to reproduce in other contexts: http://prov.vic.gov.au/copyright

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State of Victoria

By the 1890s, visitors to the Zoo would have experienced landscaped gardens and avenues with amenities such as food stalls, benches, shelter sheds and toilets.

By this time there was a growing collection of exotic animals and an Australian fauna collection. Zoo visitors could ride on Ranee the elephant, watch the lions being fed and view Tasmanian tigers and devils.

Further information:

Melbourne Zoo: Acclimatisation to Conservation, Mark Kellet, Australian Heritage Magazine, 2009

The Zoo Story, Catherine de Courcy, Penguin, 1995

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Story objects

An early Zoo star: Wallace

The Zoo's first hippos stars: William and Rosamund

A true Zoo character: Mollie

A Zoo icon: Queenie

A family favourite: Betty

Orang-utan twins: Bono and Suma

First gorilla baby: Mzuri

A Zoo first: Mali

Early attractions at the Zoo, 1893

Zoo visitors in the 1890s

Donkey and carriage rides, 1900s

Zoo memories from 1940

Train rides for children

Feeding the animals

Zoo poster, c 1950

Zoo carousel, 1970s

Zoo memories from 1980

Zoo employees, 1896

Zoo keeper, 1944

Elephant keeper, 1949

Animal superintendent, 1967

Zoo education staff, 1970s

Primate keeper, 1991

Fighting extinction: inside and outside the Zoo walls

Fighting extinction: Sumatran tigers

Fighting extinction: Asian elephants

Fighting extinction: Lord Howe Island stick insect

Fighting extinction: southern corroboree frog

Fighting extinction: eastern barred bandicoot

Outside the zoo walls: tenkile

Outside the Zoo walls: orang-utan

Outside the Zoo walls: gorilla