Victoria’s largest regional zoo, Halls Gap Zoo, is celebrating a milestone this year as it reaches 40 years of nurturing animals. The zoo, which occupies 52 acres alongside the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, opened in December 1982 and today is home to over 130 species with 450 individual feathered, furry, rough-skinned and reptilian creatures.
Originally founded by a couple from Melbourne, the Wallaroo Wildlife Park, as it was then known, opened for the first time on Boxing Day 1982, with Yabby the dingo as its first resident. Today, the oldest animal at the zoo is an Adelaide-born 39-year-old black-handed spider monkey named Renaldo.
Over the last four decades, the zoo has been committed to protecting native species with multiple breeding programs for threatened animals, including Southern White Rhino, Red Panda, Tasmanian Devils and Brush-Tailed Rock Wallaby.
Since its inception, the zoo has remained family-owned, and the current managers, Mark and Lisa Treweek have run the zoo for the last three years. During this time, they have been focused on improving enclosures, helping with breeding programs, and surviving covid lockdowns and floods the last few months. New exhibits for 2023 include a new crocodile facility and wombat tunnel as well as a habitat for a family of otters arriving at the zoo in the first quarter of 2023.
Mark Treweek, General Manager, Halls Gap Zoo said: ‘We are excited that the zoo is celebrating such a significant milestone. We are so proud to be working with such a dedicated team who provide daily care for all our species with many animals part of regional conservation breeding programs. We have faced challenges in the past three years with six covid lockdowns and continual rain this spring, but we and all our animals are looking forward to a bumper summer season ahead of us’.
Halls Gap Zoo is a must-do day out for families holidaying or living in the Grampians and surrounding regions. From native wildlife like crocodiles, wombats, and Tasmanian Devils to more exotic creatures like giraffes, cheetahs, and rhinos, the zoo has it all. The zoo also offers very popular up close and personal encounters with a variety of animals, which is a separately ticketed experience.
Tickets cost $38 per adult and $19 per child. Halls Gap Zoo is open every day except Christmas Day from 10am – 5pm. For further information and to book visit www.hallsgapzoo.com.au
The Grampians region is a road-tripping paradise with an abundance of picturesque towns, wineries and cellar doors, breathtaking lookouts, hiking and walking trails, water sports, galleries, public art displays and lakes and waterways to discover. Whether it’s fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, sailing, water skiing or swimming, visitors can enjoy a variety of water activities on our lakes and waterways, which comprise the largest gravity-fed water distribution system in the world. Located just a 2.5-hour drive from Melbourne and 1.5 hours from Ballarat.
