History of the Moore Park Zoo

Moore Park, originally part of an area of 1,000 acres set aside by Governor Lachlan Macquarie as common pasturage in 1811, is named after Charles Moore, a prominent citizen of Sydney and Mayor of the City from 1867 until 1869. He was instrumental in establishing the right of the City Council to maintain the Common as park land for the recreation of the people of Sydney and round about. The Sydney Common, later to be known as Moore Park, was dedicated on 5th October, 1866. It was not until 1879, that the High School site, then known as Billygoat Swamp, was set aside for the establishment of a Zoological Garden. 

The Zoological Society of New South Wales was originally envisaged as a "Society for the acclimatisation of song birds and useful game". At least this is what the circular advertising the inaugural meeting of 24th March, 1879, suggests. Two names appeared on this first circular one of whom, Walter Bradley, came to be known as the founder of the Zoo.

In its early days the Society engaged in "acclimatisation" activities. A number of game and other birds were purchased and liberated in the State. Fish were also imported and farmed, including brown trout. English Perch were bred and harvested in one of Moore Park's ornamental lakes.

It was not long before some members of the Society turned their attentions towards the establishment of a Zoological garden. In June 1879, following a request to the Mayor of Sydney, the area known as Billygoat Swamp was granted to the Society. Work began in July 1880 and the Sydney Zoo began to take shape. By 1882 considerable progress had been made. The grounds had been leveled and planted and a considerable lake had been formed. At this stage the cost of buildings, including aviaries, and the other improvements came to £1,119/8/10. More aviaries were yet to be built as well as proper animal houses.

Jessie the Elephant

The most significant additions to the collection in 1883 were two elephants. Jumbo, a gift to the Society from the King of Siam, arrived at Circular Quay on 12 July 1883, while Jessie, the younger of the two, arrived near the end of 1883. It is recorded that the elephants' daily food allowance was 100lbs of hay. In return for this they entertained tens of thousands of children and brought the Zoo considerable revenue into the bargain. For example, in 1891, the proceeds of the "two penny" elephant rides alone had been more than £680. This represented approximately 81,600 riders altogether. In 1894 the Zoological Society conceded a request by Williamson and Musgrove to hire an elephant for the play "Round the World in Eighty Days." The elephants were further expected to earn their keep by doing heavy work when required. An unsourced newspaper article from 1912 proclaims:

In addition to being one of the sights of the Zoo, "Jessie" is used for a variety of tasks. If there is any really hard pulling or lifting to be done, the elephant is brought out, and shows wonderful intelligence in understanding just what is to be done. She has the strength of several horses, and advantage is gained of a steady pull against the rather disjointed work of a team.

Jessie lived to see the move to Taronga Park in 1916.

The bears also received considerable attention, with one bear pit taking pride of place in the embankment at the entrance to the gardens on Randwick Road (now Anzac Parade). At least one of the two pits dates from 1883, originally without the flights of steps which now run up either side. The steps, however, would seem to have been added soon after. To entertain the crowds the unfortunate animals had to climb poles placed in the centre of each of the circular pits. There is also some evidence of the use of balls and swings. Their daily ration was generally a thick soup of meat, pollard, grain, and potatoes, turnips, or cabbage when in season. This concoction was boiled for several hours before serving. The large open pits were apparently too much of a temptation for some visitors who attempted to supplement the bears' diets. There is one account of an attempt to harm the bears in 1892 when some youths apparently threw down a hollowed cork which contained a lolly surrounded by a row of pins. Fortunately the attempt did not succeed.

The Society's grounds were eventually opened to the public in 1884, and by 1887 the Zoo was observed to be in a "very thriving condition."

Victorian Pleasure Resort

The Zoo quickly became one of the many entertainment venues which operated in late Victorian Sydney. The following description (from the Sydney Morning Herald of 26 December 1900) gives some idea of what could be expected from a day at the Zoo:

The Zoological Gardens were well patronized yesterday, there having been an average Christmas Day attendance. On the beautiful lawns of the popular resort were many family parties, and the visitors included a good many of the soldiers encamped on the Agricultural Society's Grounds.

Bands were also not out of the question, and the elephants were always a popular attraction:

The Zoological Gardens attracted a large number of visitors on Saturday afternoon, and a very good deal of interest was taken in the animals. ... Jumbo as usual was kept fully employed during the afternoon. The Coldstream Band was in attendance, and enlivened the proceedings with choice selections of music at intervals. (Sydney Morning Herald, 24 December 1883)

The well-known Chinese entrepreneur, Quong Tart ran the Zoo's Refreshment Rooms during the 1880s and 1890s.

Fetes were also held in the Zoo's grounds. The Girls Realm Guild of the Sydney Girls' High School held a Zoological Fete at Moore Park in 1913 in what was to become their home only eight years later. Competition between the various entertainment venues around Sydney was at times quite fierce as they attempted to maintain attendance figures. This can be seen in the following advertisement, variations of which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald of 2 January 1901:

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, MOORE PARK. THE COMMONWEALTH HOLIDAYS. THE BEST, THE CHEAPEST and by far the most amusing and instructive place to go to is the "ZOO." By far the BEST PLACE FOR PICNICS is decidedly the "ZOO" with its well-kept Lawns, Terraces, and Flower Gardens, with its Pretty Lake and Weeping Willows, Aquatic Plants, and Gold fish. ALL VISITORS TO SYDNEY SHOULD MAKE A POINT OF SEEING THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. PARENTS SHOULD TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO THE "ZOO," TO SEE THE "WILD MAN OF THE WOODS," or the ORANG-OUTANG OF BORNEO. THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS are, of all places, the most delightful place you can take your children to, for in the MENAGERIE they will see TWO POLAR BEARS swimming and diving in their new house. CAGES FULL OF LIONS. CAGES FULL OF TIGERS. CAGES FULL OF PUMAS.ELEPHANTS. CAGES FULL OF LEOPARDS. BEARS, HYENAS, JACKALS, DINGOES and all kinds of animals too numerous to mention. Ostriches, Emus, Cassowaries, a flock of lovely Flamingoes, Swans, Ducks, Coots, Water Hens, Mucaws , Parrots and Parakeets, Eagles and Vultures, and Finches and Song Birds, too many to enumerate. At 4pm THE LIONS, TIGERS, LEOPARDS, and PUMAS WILL BE FED, AND AT 4.30 THE PELICANS. Refreshments can be obtained at moderate prices at the Refreshment Rooms. ADMISSION TO THE GARDENS, 6d; Children, 3d. The Randwick and Coogee Trams stop at the Gates. Fare, 2d; Children, 1d.

Plague and other misfortunes

The years around the turn of the century were rather unfortunate for the Zoo. In 1900 a disastrous flood was caused by a burst water main in Cleveland St. This was followed in 1901 by a drought, and in April, 1902 the Zoo was closed due to an outbreak of Bubonic Plague amongst the animals. Of the 25 animal who died at the time only five were actually diagnosed as having succumbed to the Plague. The subsequent vigorous disinfecting was thought to be responsible for killing the larger number. It was suspected that the Plague was carried into the Zoo by the rats from the nearby tip at Moore Park (now part of the Golf Course). The outbreak set the Zoo back considerably as much had to be burned. The Zoo reopened on 18th August of that year.

As if this was not enough, religious fundamentalists sought to exact their toll. The years around the turn of the century saw agitation over Sunday Observance, including an unsuccessful attempt by one gentleman in 1906 to bring an action against the Zoo's board under the Sunday Observance Act, an old English Act from the time of George III, which had remained in force in New South Wales.

The Zoo outgrows its site

By 1910 it had become clear that the Zoo's Moore Park gardens were unsatisfactory. The site was too open, subject to flooding, too near the city tip, and the cages did not conform with recently emerging views on the keeping of animals. The site was also too small. The fifteen acres at Moore Park compared unfavourably with the Zoos of other Australian cities - Melbourne had 50 acres and Perth had 40. Another site had to be found. A site of 50 acres at Ashton Park was eventually chosen (after numerous sites, including at Maroubra and Long Bay, were considered), a trust was formed and preparations commenced there in August 1912. The animals were transferred to the new site in 1916. The 177 animals and 339 birds were mostly transported by road or in boats. Jessie the elephant was ferried across on a special pontoon.

During its 32 years at Moore Park, the Zoo received approximately 7,500,000 people. Many of whom were admitted free or at a nominal rate on Sundays. The school children of the state were always given free run of the Society's collections.

The New Inhabitants

With the transfer of the animals the Moore Park Zoo was closed some four years before the expiration of the Society's lease there. The site was eventually dedicated for the Sydney Girls' High School in November, 1919. They occupied the site from 1921 followed by the Boys' School in 1928.

The only reminders of the old Zoo, apart from the occasional flooding on the site of the ornamental ponds (filled in by 1929), are the two bear pits, one in each of the schools. These pits have, over the last 70 years, been used as places for punishing miscreant girls, completing unfinished homework, storing maintenance equipment and disused school furniture, and more recently, a prefects’ study. When a new building was planned in the late 1960s, the Headmaster of the Boys' School, Murray Callaghan, prevailed on government officials to preserve the Boys' bear pit. The resulting court yard and preserved bear bit are now the central features of the Sir Charles McDonald Building which was opened in 1972.