.
| Tasmania:
Between 1880 and 1930, there were three primary points of supply for the
export of live thylacines to zoos within Australia and overseas; the Beaumaris
Zoo in Hobart (both at its Sandy Bay and Queen's Domain locations), the
City Park Zoo in Launceston, and the menagerie of wild animal dealer James
Harrison in Wynyard. The vast majority of live thylacines were
procured by and exported through these three centres. Prior to 1880,
thylacines were obtained for zoos through the services of local agents.
In the case of London Zoo, Ronald Campbell Gunn, Dr. J. Grant and Dr. A.
B. Crowther provided the zoo with its earliest thylacines. |
.
.
|
Primary
thylacine distribution network from wild capture to the various zoos.
|
.
.
|
Routes
of thylacine supply. Satellite image: Google Earth.
|
.
| Beaumaris Zoo [Hobart] -
Sandy
Bay [1895-1921], Queen's Domain [1922-1937]:
The Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart was in reality two separate zoos that operated
under the same name. The original Beaumaris Zoo, located in Sandy
Bay on the outskirts of Hobart, was noted for its displays of thylacines,
and was opened to the public in 1895 by Mrs.
Mary Grant Roberts. Mrs. Roberts ran the zoo as a private concern
in the gardens of her home until her death in 1921. During her period of
ownership, she is known to have exported a total of eight thylacines: six
to the London Zoo, one to the Bronx Zoo in New York, and one to Taronga
Zoo in Sydney.
.
Thylacines
exported from the Beaumaris Zoo (SB)
Source:
Thylacine Museum |
.
| N |
A/J/P |
Sex |
Sold
/ exchanged |
Date
of departure |
Date
of death |
| . |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
A |
F |
London
Zoo |
21/1/1909 |
5/6/1914 |
| 2 |
A |
M |
London
Zoo |
21/1/1909 |
Died
in transit |
| 4 |
P |
M |
London
Zoo |
1/3/1910 |
20/11/1914 |
| 5 |
P |
F |
London
Zoo |
30/9/1910 |
Dead
on arrival |
| 6 |
P |
M |
London
Zoo |
28/9/1911 |
Bronx Zoo [New
York] 20/11/1912 |
| 7 |
A |
M |
London
Zoo |
30/9/1910 |
25/12/1914 |
| 11 |
A |
F |
Bronx
Zoo [New York] |
14/4/1917 |
13/9/1919 |
| 13 |
P |
M |
Taronga
Zoo [Sydney] |
12/10/1918 |
14/11/1923 |
.
| A/J/P |
Adult
/ Juvenile / Pup |
| N |
Refers
to sequential number in table
on page 4. |
| Short
dates are formatted Day/Month/Year. |
. |
.
| (Research
on this listing is ongoing and further information will be added as it
becomes available.) |
|
.
.
|
Mrs. Roberts with wallabies
at the Beaumaris Zoo, circa 1910.
|
.
|
In an article entitled "ANIMALS FOR LONDON ZOO - THE TASMANIAN CONTRIBUTION"
published in the Mercury newspaper on the 5th August 1908 (p. 2), Mrs.
Roberts provides an insight into the variety of animals and birds she exported
to London. She writes:
"As many of our residents were interested in the recent consignment of
animals to the London Zoo, they will, doubtless, be glad to hear of their
safe arrival in London, and of what it consisted, no particulars as to
the latter having appeared in the local press. By the last English
mail Mr. David Seth-Smith, one of the council of the London Zoological
Society and who was deputed on very short |
| notice
to visit Australia in the interests of the proposed 'special exhibition'
(the outcome of an Indian collection which had been presented by the Prince
of Wales) has written me to the following effect:
'You will be glad to hear that the stock I got from you has travelled very
well indeed. The only thing (of your lot) we lost on the journey
was the little squatter pigeon, which died the day we left Hobart.
One of the parakeets (Platycercus flaviventris), and better one of the
two, unfortunately died through the delay in dock this end, the Whitsun
bank holiday having caused a great deal of delay in getting the stock to
the zoo. One fire tailed finch also died. I think the society
is very well pleased with the result of my expedition. We have landed
close on 700 creatures, counting birds and reptiles, and many are either
new to the collection or have not been represented for many years.
I am so very grateful to you for your kindness in getting so many nice
things for me. The Zoological Society would be very glad to buy the
Tasmanian tiger, and if you could get a pair for us we should be very grateful'.
The collection from here comprised a very fine sea-eagle (the only one
obtained), wedge-tailed ditto, one swamp and one brown hawk, one white
goshawk, six kangaroo (Bennett's wallabies), six black opossum, two grey
ditto, one rufous bellied |
.
.
| A
thylacine at the Beaumaris Zoo (SB) circa 1910-1920, possibly reaching
through the wire fencing of its enclosure to obtain some food from the
keeper visible in the background. |
. |
|
wallaby, one kangaroo
rat, four flying squirrels, two echidna (porcupines), two Cape Barren geese,
four Tasmanian king teal, four maned geese (wood-duck), two parrots, one
black magpie, one native hen, one squatter pigeon, nine fire-tailed finches,
three Tasmanian devils. More of the parrots (the common green one)
were urgently needed; being confined to Tasmania, they are much sought
after by English aviculturists, as also the swift lorikeet. More
native hens would have been acceptable, and the tiger cat was wanted, it
belonging, like the tigers, and the devils, to the Dasyuridae. |
. |
