1921: Mary Roberts passes away.
1922: Hobart City Council agreed to take over the animals from Beaumaris Zoo.
Arthur Reid was chosen to be the zoo’s curator. He chooses the site. The site was a former 1820s sandstone quarry which provided stone for numerous Hobart buildings and housed the first powder magazine. Arthur Reid said if the animals couldn’t be free, they could at least have the best view in Hobart. He visited Taronga Zoo in Sydney and decided to copy their enclosures.
1923: Beaumaris Zoo transferred to the Domain. The Zookeeper's Cottage was built as the residence for the curator of the Beaumaris Zoo. Zookeeper was Arthur Reid. Daughter was Alison Reid. Alison worked as a fulltime unpaid assistant.
As well as the native animals there were exotic animals. Such as elephants, bears, polar bears, lions, monkeys, tigers, zebras. There were tea rooms and concerts by bands on a Sunday. Many festivals and activities.
Several animals escaped including a pair of sun bears who were shot by the police.
Arthur Reid’s daughter became famous for taking Mike the leopard for a walk on the Domain on a leash. There are stories of her scaring people she didn’t like the look of.
1935: Arthur Reid died and his family was asked to leave their residence.
1936: The last captive Tassie tiger died. The zoo thought they would just get another one.
1937: The zoo was closed for economic reasons. Hobart City Council owns the Zookeeper's Cottage and the Beaumaris Zoo site.
WW2: The site was converted into a naval fuel depot.
Today: Many of the cages and fences remain. A haunting reminder of the last of a species.
1922: Hobart City Council agreed to take over the animals from Beaumaris Zoo.
Arthur Reid was chosen to be the zoo’s curator. He chooses the site. The site was a former 1820s sandstone quarry which provided stone for numerous Hobart buildings and housed the first powder magazine. Arthur Reid said if the animals couldn’t be free, they could at least have the best view in Hobart. He visited Taronga Zoo in Sydney and decided to copy their enclosures.
1923: Beaumaris Zoo transferred to the Domain. The Zookeeper's Cottage was built as the residence for the curator of the Beaumaris Zoo. Zookeeper was Arthur Reid. Daughter was Alison Reid. Alison worked as a fulltime unpaid assistant.
As well as the native animals there were exotic animals. Such as elephants, bears, polar bears, lions, monkeys, tigers, zebras. There were tea rooms and concerts by bands on a Sunday. Many festivals and activities.
Several animals escaped including a pair of sun bears who were shot by the police.
Arthur Reid’s daughter became famous for taking Mike the leopard for a walk on the Domain on a leash. There are stories of her scaring people she didn’t like the look of.
1935: Arthur Reid died and his family was asked to leave their residence.
1936: The last captive Tassie tiger died. The zoo thought they would just get another one.
1937: The zoo was closed for economic reasons. Hobart City Council owns the Zookeeper's Cottage and the Beaumaris Zoo site.
WW2: The site was converted into a naval fuel depot.
Today: Many of the cages and fences remain. A haunting reminder of the last of a species.