Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens
Former zoo in Broome, Western Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens, also known as the Pearl Coast Zoo,[6] or simply Broome Zoo,[6] was a 64-acre (26 ha) zoo founded by Lord Alistair McAlpine in the Cable Beach suburb of Broome, Western Australia.
| Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens | |
|---|---|
 The entrance to the zoo in 1989 | |
 | |
| 17.9322°S 122.2140°E | |
| Date opened | 12 August 1984[1][2] |
| Date closed | early 1990s (some point after December 1992)[3] |
| Location | Lullfitz Drive[4] (modern-day Sanctuary Road), Broome, Western Australia[5][6] |
| Land area | 1984: 25 acres (10 ha)[2] 1988: 64 acres (26 ha)[7][2] |
| Annual visitors | upwards of 35,000 visitors a year (in 1989)[2] |
First opened in 1984 as the Pearl Coast Wildlife Park,[1] by 1988 the zoo had more than doubled in size.[7] It was one of a number of developments of McAlpine's in the town credited with transforming Broome from a "derelict"[5] place into "an international tourist destination".[8] The zoo ran into financial difficulties in the early 1990s, ostensibly due to falling visitor numbers,[2] and rebranded itself as the Wonderful World of Birds for a period.[3] McAlpine's attorney, however, revealed in late 1992 that the zoo had been running at a loss ever since it opened.[3] The zoo closed at some point after December 1992, at which point most of the animals had been sold.[9] At its peak, the zoo consisted of 75 acres, of which 35 acres were built upon.
In 2012, The West Australian described the former zoo as "a lush, tropical oasis ... filled with weird and wonderful exotic animals and a cacophony of bright, colourful birds".[2]
Background
Summarize
Perspective
McAlpine, a "quixotic" and "eccentric"[10] wealthy English aristocrat, first visited Perth in 1960 on the maiden voyage of the SS Oriana.[5] He pursued some property developments in the city, including the construction of the Parmelia Hotel.[1] McAlpine visited Broome for the first time in 1979,[6][5] on the advice of his Perth lawyer, John Adams,[10] who suggested they fly there together in McAlpine's private plane as he was at that point searching for a location to showcase his collection of heritage mining equipment.[10]
McAlpine was taken by the town, although he described it as derelict.[5] According to a 2018 interview with Sue Thom (guest relations manager at McAlpine's Cable Beach Club Resort since its opening in 1988), upon arriving in Broome, McAlpine went to look at sea shells and later rendezvoused with the rest of his party at the Roebuck Bay Hotel for lunch.[10] Midway through the meal, he announced that he had already bought his first property in the town, reputedly having signed the deal on a beer coaster[10] at the Roey pub.[5]
Broome development
From this initial first trip, McAlpine enthusiastically began purchasing large landholdings in the area (at one point owning more than 20 properties),[5] and undertaking several development projects.[6] McAlpine was familiar with property development since his time in Perth in the mid-1960s.[5]
In 1982, McAlpine purchased a home for himself in Broome (still standing as of 2025, and known as 'McAlpine House') from a family named Kennedy.[11] This was to become his residence in Broome for more than a decade, and where he would plant and keep an extensive tropical garden with aviaries housing exotic birds, including his prized eclectus parrots.[11] By 1984, the house was described by Broome News as "one of (Broome's) showcase residential homes" with grounds "...packed with exotic plants and wildlife from all over the world".[1] It was from this context that McAlpine's idea for a wildlife attraction in Broome originated, eventually resulting in the opening of the Pearl Coast Wildlife Park in 1984,[1] later to be renamed the Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens.
At the time of the zoos construction, Broome was still a very isolated outpost with "hardly any shipping, the last piece of road between Halls Creek and Broome was still dirt track, (and) freezer trucks had just started to come through", according to Thom.[10] In this unlikely location, McAlpine chose to build "a zoo filled with endangered and exotic animals", confident that it would attract tourists.[10]
Conscious that potential visitors to Broome would have limited accommodation options, McAlpine also purchased land at Cable Beach where he oversaw the establishment of the town's first luxury accommodation, the 600-bed[10] Cable Beach Club Resort,[6] opened in 1988 to coincide with the celebrations for Australia's bicentennial.[10]
What is now the Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa was at that point "just a caravan park and paddock" on the headland, according to Thom. McAlpine spent AUD $55 million (at 1987 prices) developing the resort, hoping to develop Broome as a tourist destination for visitors from Australia as well as overseas.[10] McAlpine's low-rise, largely timber resort was the antithesis to what other developers such as Christopher Skase were building on the east coast in places such as Port Douglas, Cairns and the Gold Coast.[10]
According to the Australian Financial Review, many of Broome's present heritage buildings "owe their current existence and reinvention (as cafes, restaurants, art galleries) to McAlpine's wallet and passions" at this time.[10] Some buildings, such as the microbrewery and restaurant Matso's Broome Brewery, "were physically transported from their original locations when it would have been far cheaper to build replicas".[10] McAlpine also helped to preserve the Sun Picture Gardens.[10]
In an official guidebook for the Pearl Coast Zoo published in 1988, the appeal of Broome to the prospective visitor was described thus: "Although pearling is still an important activity, Broome has evolved from these origins to become a popular tourist destination. The special appeal of the town is due to many factors including: its splendid, sub-tropical climate; the distinctive character of its architecture; the magnificent wide, sandy beaches with vivid aqua-blue ocean and relaxed lifestyle of its people".[12]
Pearl Coast Wildlife Park
Summarize
Perspective
McAlpine's Pearl Coast Wildlife Park, the initial name for what would eventually become the Pearl Coast Zoo, was officially opened on Sunday 12 August 1984.[1][13] The September 1984 edition of Broome News (at that point the town's only newspaper) reported on the opening thus:[1]
"The new Pearl Coast Wildlife Park... is a $350,000 donation to the Broome community and the tourist industry of the north, according to Mr. Dowding. Mr. Dowding opened the park on behalf of the Premier (of Western Australia), and said that Lord McAlpine, who financed the venture, had made a unique philanthropic gesture to the people of Broome. "Lord McAlpine has already spent a fortune developing the project and by the time it is finished the investment will be over $1m." Mr. Dowding said. "I cannot remember anyone previously making a financial commitment like this in Broome with no thought of profit or return on their investment"[1]
McAlpine, then 42 years old, was at that point reputed to have been amongst the top six wealthiest people in the United Kingdom.[1] By the time of the opening of the park, McAlpine also was in possession of his own private zoo in London, but unlike his Broome venture was not open to the public.[1] Speaking to Peter W. Lewis of Broome News in 1984, McAlpine explained the reasons for his opening of the park: "My motivation for establishing the Pearl Coast Wildlife Park was that I love animals, and many of the animals you have in the Kimberlies (sic) just could not survive in the United Kingdom... We have not finished (the park) yet. All the profits from the Park will be poured back into it. I hope to obtain crocodiles and other reptiles, so that it will become an education centre for both children and adults".[1]
The park initially housed only kangaroos, camels and wallabies[2] and covered a total of 25 acres (10 hectares).[2] It is known that the park also occasionally took donations of animals, as by 1988 it was published that a grey kangaroo named "Sheeba" was actually a pet who had been donated. Full-page advertisements for the Wildlife Park were published in the Broome News at first, offering the visitor the chance to see kangaroos, wallabies, emus, water buffalo, camels, antelopes, swans, colourful parrots and "many other native birds", with a publicity photo of "singer Dianne Hammond" feeding one of the parks fallow deer.[14] The "latest arrivals" were advertised as being "Banteng wild cattle from the feral population of the Cobourg Peninsula" (in the Northern Territory), "now classed as rare and endangered in the wild". The opening hours were listed as 09:00 to 16:00, Mon-Sun with an entrance fee of $3 for adults, and $1.50 for children (aged 4–14 years). The address was listed as "Lullfitz Drive, off the Cable Beach Road near Cable Beach".[14]
McAlpine's development of the wildlife park reflected his passion for gardens and animals,[6] and in his mind acted as a sanctuary for the rare species he brought there which would otherwise have been at harm from industrial development, hunting or civil war.[2] The similarity of the Broome landscape to parts of Africa from which many of the animals were taken was also a major factor in the choosing of Broome as the site for his park.[7] It was still, however, a challenge to adapt the dry bushland to the needs of a wide variety of animals, and according to a 1988 guidebook took "several years of hard work together with an imaginative and positive approach" to produce what would eventually become the Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens.[7]
On 27 March 1985, the Kimberley Field Naturalist Society was established at the 'General Office' of the Pearl Coast Wildlife Park by a group of 20 amateur naturalists from Broome, Derby, Kununurra and even as far away as Tasmania.[15] Special thanks were extended to Ross Gardiner and Lord Alistair McAlpine for the provision of the meeting facilities, and the group aimed to assist in the conservation of the Kimberley's natural resources through their ventures.[15]
By May 1985, the opening hours of the Wildlife Park had increased from 09:00 until 18:00, Monday to Sunday,[16] but by June 1985 had reduced an hour from 09:00 until 17:00.[17] A "Special Feature" at the park, consisting of "Native and Feral Fauna of the Kimberley Region", was advertised in the local paper.[15]
In the July 1985 edition of Broome News, Lester Knight, an RSPCA inspector, noted the fast-growing hobby of aviculture which was evident in Broome, "mostly likely on account of the wonderful display of exotic and native birds which are to be seen at the Pearl Coast Wildlife Park and other permitted collections in the area".[18]
In August 1985, it was reported that the Council had advised the Department of Lands and Surveys that it supported Lord McAlpine's application in buying additional land to expand his wildlife park and "the proposed by-pass road route".[19] A month later, in September 1985, a full-page advertisement in the Broome News announced the latest animals to arrive to the wildlife park: "colourful macaws from South America (the only macaws in W.A.)".[20]
In October 1985, Broome News ran a six-page interview with McAlpine, styled as 'The Lord McAlpine of West Green', in which questions relating to the future development of north-western Australia as well as his Wildlife Park were posed.[21] Journalist Ieva Tomsons mentioned that the park was much improved since its opening, to which McAlpine replied: "I've spent an enormous amount of, there is an enormous amount of me in it. It's going to be much more interesting and I want to go into other things here. I want to be able to show small mammals of the Kimberley which people never get to see because they are mostly nocturnal and also the sea-life".[21]
The possibility of building a simulated reef at the park was mooted by McAlpine, adding "All that sort of thing I want to do here, but first of all you have to start off with the spectacular sort of things that the public can see. The number of people who will visit the nocturnal house (in the next 10 years) will be very small, or the number that will spend any time looking at these animals will be very small. It doesn't make them cross the road, whereas buffalo do".[21]
Land acquisition
In the aforementioned October 1985 McAlpine interview, it was mentioned that he was "still battling" with the Lands Department over his desire to buy more land around his wildlife park, but that the issue was "over the terms not the principle."[21] He added "The land that I want around this area is some 20 acres, around the back here to extend my Park. This land across the way, Jack Kimberley's land came up for sale and I bought it because it's convenient for me to have a piece of land to quarantine animals which is not absolutely within the Park. It's also that I need another house and really it's cheaper to buy the land and the house than to build. I'm already building two more houses for staff and I need a third one".[21] McAlpine explained "I like housing people because I think that you get better people".[21]
In February 1992, when the Broome Shire Council began considering the option to rezone the zoo land for another purpose, Western Australian Planning Minister David Smith explained to a journalist the process by which McAlpine had initially acquired it:[22]
...the lots were allocated to Lord McAlpine, initially as special leases with freehold conversion available subject to satisfactory development and payment of purchase price. "The further land bought was for extensions to the zoo," he said. "Prices for the lots were established by the Valuer General." Mr Smith said Lord McAlpine had paid a total of $730,000 for freehold leases on 51.6 hectares.[22]
Water supply
When asked in October 1985 about the water table in the Cable Beach area, McAlpine defended his use of water at the park, stating "My system of watering is the most economic. Actually I use much less water than almost anyone in this district because virtually all my water, with the exception of the front lawn [..] is dribble (drip irrigation). Most of the plants in the Park are native which don't need a colossal amount of water."[21] On the subject of the lakes which McAlpine was intending to create in the park, he assured "There is very little evaporation in the lakes because we have fountains which cool the water so that there is very little loss by evaporation. Bit (sic) of loss by seepage but presumably that goes on down."[21]
McAlpine was against the installation of an artesian bore at the time of being interviewed, as he believed he wouldn't need "anything like that quantity of water", clarifying:
"I've got two bores on this property and think I take out about 10,000 gallons a year, it's a very, very small quantity of water to take out. I am putting in a garden at the far end because I have to grow fruit for the birds, a lot of birds need specialist fruit. I will put some sort of gadget on the pipe to reduce salinity, but my water here is only 800 parts per million so it's perfectly tolerable. There is a chronic water problem around Broome but my particular piece of it is reasonably good. On the 25 acres I've got, I've got two bores."[21]
Three years later in 1988, however, the official guidebook of the zoo explained their use of water at that point, with the noting of "an artesian source":[23]
"...rainfall is unreliable in the Broome area. The Zoo's water supply is provided by an artesian source 800 metres below ground. As it has a high content of iron and salt, the water must be treated by a desalination process before it is acceptable for use by animals or irrigation. The treated water is pumped into a series of man-made lakes and ponds within the Zoo. The largest lake has an area of over 13,000 square metres and has been skilfully constructed so as to blend into the landscape. In addition to serving the Zoo's permanent inhabitants, it attracts many of the migratory birds, which include waders that fly south from Siberia and Scandinavia".[23]
Further animal acquisition
From the late 1980s, "a steady stream of animals were trucked and flown to Broome", according to The West Australian, including oryx, addax, sitatunga and zebra.[2] Within five years of opening, the zoo was home to Australia's "best collection of Australian parrots and African exotics".[2] In 1989, the zoo's 280 aviaries contained more than 80 varieties of birds, including the rare palm cockatoo, South American macaws and eclectus parrots.[2] McAlpine invested millions of Australian dollars into a bird breeding program, which eventually supplied zoos all over the world with rare birds.[2]
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According to the zoo's 1988 guidebook, the first exotic species (other than camels, kangaroos and wallabies) to enter the zoo were scimitar-horned oryx, imported from Marwell Zoological Park in Hampshire, England in 1987.[24] John Knowles, the Director of Marwell Zoo was pictured in the guidebook walking around Pearl Coast Zoo on a site inspection with members of staff. A number of Nyala antelope were also brought from Marwell Zoo around the same time.[25] "Since then there has been a constant flow of new arrivals from all over the world" the guidebook continued, "the most recent being a pair of pygmy hippopotamuses who are on breeding loan from Melbourne Zoo".[24] The hippos were flown into Broome onboard an RAAF Hercules plane.[24] A November 1990 article in New Idea magazine confirmed that they had produced a male baby.[26]
A breeding pair of greater kudu were brought to the zoo in 1987; at the time the only members of the species in Australia.[25]
Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens
Summarize
Perspective
In 1988, a 60-paged A4-sized guidebook was published by the park/zoo, entitled "Pearl Coast Zoo", aimed at providing an insight into the development of the establishment and the daily activities onsite.[27] In its introduction (and title), the premises was no longer described as a "wildlife park", but rather a "zoo", and explained that it specialised in the acquisition and breeding of rare and endangered species.[13] At that point the zoo housed "more than 1,000 birds and 200 mammals", including, "at time of printing", the "only specimens of red lechwe, gemsbok, nyala, greater kudu, waterbuck and Congo buffalo in the country".[13]
The 1988 guidebook was prefaced with a section named "Australia - The Ark" in which the ethos of the zoo was laid out:[28]
- "Mankind's destruction of the animal kingdom is of worldwide concern... [..] In addressing this problem, Lord McAlpine considers that Australia with its favourable climatic, environmental, and political conditions, has the ability to fulfil the role of an "Ark" for the world's unique and diminishing wildlife. It is upon this philosophy that the Pearl Coast Zoo was established - to provide a sanctuary for the protection and breeding of rare and endangered birds and mammals [..] The simulated natural environment created for the animals at the Pearl Coast Zoo also provides visitors with a wonderful opportunity to view and learn about some of the world's most unique wildlife."[28]
In keeping with the spacious and naturalistic settings that had been created for the animals, only species from the same climatic band as Broome were selected for the Pearl Coast Zoo collection, and for this reason the guidebook explained that animals such as polar bears and Antarctic penguins would not be seen in the park.[7] Boab trees, typical of the Kimberley region, were transplanted to the zoo grounds, having survived "a ten-hour road journey from Derby".[7] To provide protection to the birds from the hot climate, African-style palm-frond thatching was used in the aviaries as roofing material, which was noted as "blending in beautifully with the tropical landscaping of Broome".[29] Overhead sprinklers were also integrated to ensure that birds were kept cool on very hot days. The Palm Cockatoo aviary, at nearly 14 metres high, was specially planned as to allow "full flight travel" for the zoo's rarest (as of 1988) bird, the Great Palm Cockatoo. To create an appropriate environment for the birds, their aviary was landscaped to include a waterfall, pond and a "healthy collection" of Pandanus palms - the kernel of which is a food of the Palm Cockatoo.[29] A corner section of the dismantled Palm Cockatoo aviary still stood in situ in a corner of unused ground off Koolama Drive as of January 2025.
The 1988 guidebook claimed that the successful breeding programme at the zoo was a "true indication" that the animals were accepting well to their new environment therein and felt "at home".[30] "With new species of rare and endangered mammals continually arriving", the guidebook stated, "the Zoo has exciting plans for the future [including] a 25 hectare extension to the grounds which will house exhibits for Reptiles, Galapagos Tortoise and Primates" as well as a large walk-through aviary to stand over 20 metres high.[30] A plant nursery was also kept at the zoo, where non-native species could be acclimatised. Future plans at the time included "the propagation and growth of rare and endangered plants".[30]
The zoo also had a shop, named the Gatehouse, at which art made by local Aboriginal people could be bought. The pieces were sourced from communities in Broome, 'Beagle Bay Mission' (now known simply as Beagle Bay), the Bidyadanga Community (also known as La Grange), and Derby.[31] The guide stated that: "This gives the Zoo a wide variety of authentic artefacts, including shields and stone and wood carvings."[31] In addition to this, carved 'burial posts' used by Aboriginal communities in burial ceremonies on Bathurst and Melville Island were featured in the grounds of the zoo.[32]
A typical day at zoo as of 1988 consisted of an early morning meeting at which staff were briefed on special instructions for the day, followed by the feeding of birds and mammals, and inspection of animals for good health.[33] All food items were at that point freighted from Perth, while the zoo did produce some of its own pelletised feed itself.[33] The zoo had its own veterinary clinic, and veterinarian Dave Morrell, to care for its animals, who were prone to occasionally breaking a wing or leg when frightened or fighting. The vet also attended to injured wildlife brought in for treatment by the public.[33] Animals with ungulated hooves had to be checked regularly for over-growth, at which point the mammal would be anaesthetised for hoof trimming. Other staff at the time included Trevor Gibson (curator of birds), Rose Crowd (office administration), Graham Taylor (manager), Ian Waight (park supervisor) and Chris Mitchell (mammal keeper).[34]
Zoo collection (1988)
As of 1988, the zoo's collection of animals included:[35]
- 1,000 birds
- 200 mammals
Mammals
Species names are as published in the guidebook:[36]
- Scimitar-horned oryx (the "pride of the zoo's mammal collection")[36]
- Gemsbok (the "only zoo in Australia" to have these animals)[36]
- Red lechwe
- Greater kudu
- Sitatunga
- Nyala
- Addax
- Chital
- Grevy's zebra
- Ellipsen waterbuck
- Dromedary camel
- Congo buffalo
- Cheetah
- Water buffalo
- Banteng cattle
- Blackbuck antelope
- Nilgai
- Hog deer
- Javan rusa deer
- Western grey kangaroo
- Red kangaroo
- Euro (aka common wallaroo)
- Nailtail wallaby
- Ground cuscus
Birds
Parrots
Species names are as published in the guidebook:[35]
- Great palm cockatoo
- Scarlet macaw
- Blue and gold macaw
- Red lory
- Chattering lory
- Lilac-crowned amazon
- Red-browed fig parrot
- Crimson-winged parrot
- Eclectus parrot
- Golden-shouldered parrot
- Scarlet-chested parrot
- Red-collared lorikeet
- Varied lorikeet
- Blue-winged parrot
- Thick-billed parrot
- African grey parrot
- Plum-headed parrot
- Rock parrot
- Nanday parakeet
- Jandaya parakeet
- Sun conure
- Cuban conure
- Red-tailed black cockatoo
- Derbyan parakeet
- Moustached parakeet
- Gang-gang cockatoo
- Major Mitchell's cockatoo aka pink cockatoo
- Glossy black cockatoo
Soft-billed birds
Species names are as published in the guidebook::[37]
Finches, pigeons and doves
Species names are as published in the guidebook:[38]
- Blue-faced parrot finch
- Cuban finch aka the Cuban melodious finch
- Long-tailed grass finch
- Star finch
- Bleeding heart pigeon
- Spinifex pigeon
- Torres Strait pigeon
- White-fronted ground dove
Water birds
Species names are as published in the guidebook:[39]
Ratites
Species names are as published in the guidebook:[40]
Indigenous flora
In addition to the many mammals and birds onsite, the guidebook also listed the varied indigenous plant and tree species which were growing onsite. The guidebook noted that 15,000 trees had been planted as of 1988. Note: species names are as published in the guidebook:[41]
- Magabala (Marsdenia viridflora)
- Guwal (Flueggea virosa)
- Gabiny (Terminalia ferdinandiana)
- Wild pear (Persoonia falcata)
- Northern sandalwood (Santalum lanceolatum)
- Nawulu (Terminalia petiolaris)
- Candelabra wattle (Acacia holosericea)
- Yugulu (Cassytha filiformis)
- Long-fruited bloodwood (Eucalyptus polycarpa)
- Northern kurrajong (Eucalyptus terminalis)
- Sandpaper fig (Ficus opposita)
- Boab (Adersonia gregorii)
- Weeping Mitchell grass (Astrebla elymoides)
- Kimberley couch (Brachyachne convergens)
- Mossman River grass (Cenchrus echinatus)
- Kimberley horse poison (Crotalaria crispata)
- Sensitive plant (Neptunia dimorphantha)
- Wild passionfruit (Passiflora foetida)
- Camel bush (Trichodesma zeylanicum)
- Prickly mimosa (Acacia farnesiana)
- Chinese lantern (Dichrostachys spicata)
- Peachwood (Ehretia saligna)
- Native fuchsia (Eremophila maculata)
- Wild cotton (Gossypium australe)
- Prickly grevillea (Grevillea angulata)
- Silver leaf grevillea (Grevillea refracta)
- Broome pindan wattle (Acacia eriopoda)
- Ironwood (Erythropleum chlorostachys)
- Broome bloodwood (Eucalyptus zygophylla)
- Helicopter tree (Gyrocarpus americanus)
- Common hakea (Hakea arborescens)
- Bauhinia ('Lysiphyllum cunninghamii)
Breeding successes
The zoo stated that it was "committed to an acquisition and breeding programme in conjunction with other zoos and wildlife parks (which) creates a mutual improvement of the genetic viability of their respective collections."[28] In this way the diminishing stocks of the rare species could be re-established. The zoo confirmed that "several" of the animals in its possession were there on breeding loan, and detailed some of its breeding successes:
- Scimitar-horned oryx:Three baby oryx had been born at the zoo, with the African animal noticeably "thriving in the Broome environment"[36]
- Gemsbok: "At present, the Pearl Coast Zoo is the only zoo in Australia with these rare and beautiful mammals. The group at the Zoo are young adults, approaching breeding age".[36]
- Blackbuck antelope: The species was noted to breed well in captivity, and 10 fawns had already been born at the zoo.[42]
- Hog deer: In 1988, the doe (female) hog deer gave birth to one female calf.[43]
- Javan rusa deer: A "number" of baby Javan rusa deer had been born at the zoo.[43]
- Ground cuscus: In 1987, a baby cuscus was born at the zoo.[44]
- Great palm cockatoo: "The most significant event in the Pearl Coast Zoo's ambitious breeding programme was the birth of a baby Palm Cockatoo in 1987."[35] The fertile egg of the parrots had to be removed from the nest and hatched in the incubator room of the Breeding Complex due to the parent's tendency to break their eggs in captivity.
- Red-browed fig parrot: The successful breeding of the red-browed fig parrot at the zoo was noted to have produced "valuable information" which would be applied to saving the "very rare" Coxen's fig parrot, then at risk of extinction.[45] As of 2025, it is still highly endangered.
Latter years (post-1988)
Russell Chapman, Attorney for McAlpine, would reveal in late 1992 when the zoo had almost closed that "during the past four years", it had "operated under extremely adverse conditions", owing first to the 1989 Australian pilots' dispute and afterwards the early 1990s recession.[3]
In early 1989, McAlpine purchased two lots of land for a total of $110,000.[46] In late 1991, he bought a further lot for $620,000 after a revaluation of the area increased the price.[46] By this stage, the zoo had more than doubled in size from its original acreage, as the State Register of Heritage Places noted:
"The zoo featured natural enclosures covered approximately 60 hectares (sic - acres?) and a large wetland was the centre piece of the grounds. Movement around the grounds was largely on walkways approximately 2 meters above the ground enabling visitors to view into the enclosures. The focus of the collection was African species, particularly antelope as the climate was similar to the African environment but without endemic diseases. Native parrots were also a speciality of the collection with three large aviaries for a diverse and wide ranging collection of rare birds. The museum had a successful breeding program in several species. Despite some initial opposition from locals and some environmentalists the zoo was initially a success. However, a number of factors, including economic recession and the pilot strike in 1989, lead to the demise of McAlpine's Broome assets and the zoo closed c1991."[6]
The "kilometre long elevated walkway" was noted as a feature of the Pearl Coast Zoo in the guidebook of 1988, noting: "This gives visitors an excellent, unobstructed view of the animals in their bush surroundings. The timber walkway also provides another form of shade for the animals during the heat of the day".[30]
According to former staff, Lord McAlpine would frequently visit the zoo himself, "doling out jobs as he strolled around the thatched roof enclosures to check on the animals".[2] In a November 1990 article in New Idea magazine, it was revealed that 48-year-old McAlpine had recently dropped into Broome unannounced and in disguise "to look over his zoo... wearing scruffy jeans, shirt and old felt hat"... looking "anything but one of the richest men in Europe".[26] The magazine noted that travelling and living incognito had become somewhat of an "irritating fact of life for Lord McAlpine" owing to the fact that he had recently been placed on an IRA hitlist. "A survivor of the Brighton hotel bombing in 1984, he is a prime IRA target", the magazine recounted. McAlpine's West Green House in Hampshire had also recently been bombed by the group in June 1990, a building in which he had been living just a few weeks prior, and where the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had previously been a guest.[26][47][48] Delivering a press meeting at his "$50 million Cable Beach Club", Lord McAlpine quipped "I often remind the staff that if they see a rather scruffy person in jeans wandering about the place not to throw him out. It could be me!"[26]
The 1990 article also confirmed that Diana and Congo, pygmy hippopotami borrowed from Melbourne Zoo on a breeding loan had produced a male baby, which zoo keeper Sheila McCoey was pictured holding. Other breeding happenings were relayed to locals via a public notice board: "Every day a 'match and hatch' despatch is posted on a noticeboard outside reception, giving details of breeding successes at the zoo."[26]
In May 1991, The New York Times visited the zoo, and reported that a white rhino was "on the way" as a new addition. The article made no mention of any financial difficulties the zoo might have been struggling with.[49]
Plans for a walk-through aviary
In the 1988 guidebook, the idea to build a large "walk-though rainforest aviary" was mentioned as a possible plan for the future.[30] Very little additional information was given about the planned project, other than it was envisaged to stand over 20 metres high and would contain a large waterfall and flowing creek.[30]
In February 1992, McAlpine again announced plans to construct a walk-though aviary onsite, in order "to house the ever increasing numbers of birds and to allow for diversification in species".[46] The planned aviary "would be larger than the one in Singapore" (Jurong Bird Park) and might well be the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere".[46][2] The planned aviary was to measure 240 metres long x 96 metres wide x 7 metres high, and would be built over 2.3 hectares, housing species from Northern Australia.[46] As reported in the North West Telegraph: Kimberley Edition at the time:
"The public will be able to walk through and view at close quarters birds that it would take many days to see while walking through the Kimberley bush". He (McAlpine) said the zoo has had many successes in breeding rare and endangered species of birds and has been credited with two first breedings in captivity. "Two years ago we were given a Collecting Permit from CALM to collect 12 White-quilled rock pigeons," he said. "We have since been very successful in breeding this species and many of the birds will be made available to other zoos."[46]
Zoo director Graham Taylor added that the aviary would not be as high as existing ones onsite already, but would be built to blend into the bush. "There will be feeding stations at several points inside the aviary and native bird species in the area will be encouraged to come and go freely". Taylor added that the zoo already had most of the materials on hand that would be needed to construct the aviary, and the only costs that would be incurred would be for engineering advice and labour for construction.
Financial difficulties
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Perspective
In February 1992, Planning Minister David Smith inspected what was at that point referred to as "the Old Pearl Coast Zoo" which the Broome Shire Council was at that point considering rezoning.[22] Smith assured reporters that he was just "familiarising himself with the area", and that the rezoning matter was "in the hands of the local community and the council."[22]
Smith explained that McAlpine had paid "a total of AUD $730,000 for freehold leases on 51.6 hectares" on which to build his zoo, and that "the owner (was) now simply exercising his normal rights as a citizen to apply to council and the Department of Planning and Urban Development to be allowed to use the land for an alternate purpose".[22] The rezoning application was, by 27 February 1992, noted to have been with the DPUD who were "likely to seek approval to advertise", after which the Broome community would be consulted.[22]
In March 1992, Taylor acknowledged that the zoo was struggling financially, and identified a number of factors that were contributing to this, including the ongoing recession as well as cheap airfares to the eastern states of Australia which were drawing potential visitors there instead.[46] There had been at least a 15% drop in tourism to the zoo in 1992 as opposed to 1991, and Taylor advised that this had been a "major factor" in the decision to relocate the larger animals, which had been "a sad move but an economic necessity";[46]
- "...This in turn has meant that we now employ only nine people as compared with 39 last year. The government really needs to inject some funding into a major advertising campaign tourism promotion of the area, and Ansett needs to help out with better airfare deals to the north". Mr Taylor said although the zoo was never intended to make money, neither could it afford to continue making a loss. And since Lord McAlpine did not want to close it down, some sort of action needed to be taken.[46]
Zoo director Graham Taylor confirmed that regardless of other proposed developments on the site of the zoo, the integrity of the zoological gardens would remain intact. "Our brief is to increase the numbers of birds, reptiles and primates at the park," he said.[46] "The bird collection already numbers 1,400 which is larger than any other bird display in zoos throughout Australia. By the end of 1994, we hope to have increased bird numbers to around 2,500".[46]
The Broome Advertiser of 3 December 1992 noted the zoo had closed its gatehouse, and that "total closure of the park (was) inevitable":[3]
Lord McAlpine's Wonderful World of Birds, better known as the Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens, in Broome, has closed its gatehouse. While the public will, for a time, continue to have access to the gardens through the office; and while it will remain open for tours and the visitors from Singapore who will be in Broome later this month, it appears that total closure of the park is inevitable. The news has come as a blow to staff, who learned of the decision just late last week. Several have been given notice."[3]
Attorney for McAlpine, Russell Chapman, explained that "years of running at a loss" had finally taken its toll on the business, as well as the recession.[3] Chapman explained that the zoo had been running at a loss ever since it opened, and while management had tried through various means to make it viable, they couldn't do so any longer.[3] Visitor numbers had dropped "by around 60% during the past two years", Chapman explained, adding:[3]
- "Although our bird breeding program has been going extremely well, with a very high success rate, the market for birds, as with everything else, has deteriorated markedly [..] The prices that the birds have been fetching, both at home and overseas, are a fraction of what they used to be. Added to this, the freight costs from Broome to where the markets are (mostly on the East Coast) are high. We will, therefore, be more than likely moving our breeding program to East Coast centres. While Lord McAlpine is very sad about this, it is just a reality of life.[3]
When asked by the Broome Advertiser what possible future developments could be planned for the zoo land, Chapman replied that no decisions had yet been made.[3]
Closure of zoo
The 1989 Australian pilots' dispute, which lasted six months (and severely disrupted domestic travel and tourism within Australia) was largely blamed as being a contributing factor in the zoos demise.[10][2]
UK-based newspaper The Telegraph noted that McAlpine's Australian tourism venture as a whole, in which he had invested £250 million, collapsed as a result, costing him much of his personal fortune.[5] He was also forced to sell his Cable Beach Club Resort in the mid-1990s.[10]
Many of the animals were sold on to private buyers. Australian businessman Warren Anderson bought 170 exotic animals for $1.5 million (according to an article published in the Sunday Territorian in September 1991).[9][50]
In December 1992, McAlpine's attorney Russell Chapman explained how "a several months' long operation" had been carried out earlier that year when all of the larger animals from the zoo had been transported to Warren Anderson's large Tipperary Station in the Northern Territory.[3] This action had come about "as the result of escalating costs of keeping the animals, especially in the face of dwindling tourists numbers to the town (of Broome)."[3]
Anderson was assembling a personal collection of exotic Asian and African animals,[9] and his purchase put him in possession of "the largest privately owned mammal collection outside of Australia's major cities".[50] Some of the animals later escaped.[50]
Legacy
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Perspective
An estimated AUD $500 million was spent by McAlpine on his Broome enterprises, including the purchasing of thousands of trees and plants in an attempt to "turn the harsh town into the tropical paradise he'd envisaged".[10]
McAlpine's last visit to Broome occurred in 2012 on which occasion a bronze sculpture by artist Linda Klarfeld was unveiled in his honour at Cable Beach headland.[10] The sculpture depicts McAlpine in a 'bush hat' with a cockatoo on his shoulder.[10]
Baron McAlpine died in January 2014, having lost much of his inherited fortune.[10] Following his death, ABC News noted that through his actions, he had been credited with "reinvigorating the once-sleepy [..] pearling town of Broome".[8]
Lullfitz Drive, the original name of the street on which the zoo was located, was renamed Sanctuary Road in the year 2000 in recognition of McAlpine's plan that the zoo would serve as a sanctuary for endangered species.[51] Lullfitz Drive (named after botanist and horticulturist Fred Lullfitz who lived nearby) still remains in Broome, but is not as long as before.[52]
Subsequent distribution of land
The North West Telegraph: Kimberley Edition of 25 March 1992 reported that the Shire of Broome had recently approved an amendment providing for the rezoning of land near the Pearl Coast Zoological Gardens.[46] Lord McAlpine had applied to have the wildlife park site rezoned to 'Special Site - Residential, Holiday Accommodation, Staff Housing, Tourist Development and Ancillary Uses'. The Broome Advertiser of 3 December 1992 later noted that the land had been successfully rezoned as such, but had been "the subject of controversy".[3]
Of the three lots in question being rezoned, the first two had been purchased in early 1989 for a total of $110,000. The third lot, according to the North West Telegraph, had been purchased after the area had been amended and after a revaluation of the area, costing Lord McAlpine $620,000 in late 1991.[46]
In the same article, a spokesperson for the Department of Land Administration said departmental officers had been "concerned at the speed with which land was being taken up by Lord McAlpine", and had "counselled caution and a need to look at the overall planning" for what they described as prime beach-front land.[46] The department also expressed concerns that "although the first lot was leased subject to public competition, the same was not true of subsequent lots which were offered to him as extensions of the existing Wildlife Park in mid-1987".[46]
Remains of the zoo
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Parts of the zoo were demolished in 1991,[6] and the majority of the property was "sold and subsequently subdivided for residential development".[6] The grounds of the former zoo are therefore no longer visible, however "some of the buildings [..] originally used for the zoo have been retained and [..] repurposed for other commercial functions including the Willie Creek Pearls showroom", according to the State Register of Heritage Places.[6]
Willie Creek Pearls showroom
In 1994, the Banfield family purchased the former Pearl Coast Zoo buildings on Challenor Drive (opposite the Cable Beach Club Resort), and converted them into an administrative headquarters for their Willie Creek Pearl Farm business interests.[53] The following year, 1995, the Banfield family opened their Cable Beach showroom at the Old Zoo site they had acquired the year before.[54]
The Old Zoo Cafe
On 15 October 1997, the Broome Advertiser reported that the past three months had seen the entrance and administration buildings of the old Broome zoo having been "transformed and renovated" by Robert Banfield and Don Bacon, and that they would "soon be home to a new cafe".[55][53] The Advertiser explained how the Banfield's planned to feature zoo memorabilia on the walls of the cafe, such as photographs, posters, artifacts and signs, with a request also being sent out for "anyone who may have any memorabilia from the old zoo, who would like to donate it to add to the character of the place" to do so.[55]
Robert Banfield explained how the old zoo buildings had become dilapidated and falling down, and so the decision had been made to turn it into a cafe. "The only original parts of the building are the slab and the roof and we have restored some of the windows", he said, adding "The actual food preparation area of the old zoo will be the food prep area of the cafe... We have tried to keep a bit of the history of the area by creating the Old Zoo Cafe".[55] The cafe was still in existence as of November 2024.
Conservation
The site has been noted by the State Register of Heritage Places for holding historic value for "its association with the rapid development of the tourist industry in Broome during the 1980s",[6] and social value for "the members of the Broome and wider community who visited, worked there, or were aware of its presence in the outskirts of the town".[6]
On 27 June 2019, the site of the former zoo was given the status 'Adopted' by the Municipal Inventory of the Shire of Broome, with a 'Grading C' category, and the following appraisal: "A place (including a site with no built remains) of some cultural heritage significance to (the) Shire of Broome. No constraints. Recommend: Encourage retention of the place, or where there are ruins, archaeological findings or no built remains: Interpret the place."[6]
On 21 January 2020, the site was allocated as 'Place number: 26354' by the State Register of Heritage Places.[6]
References
Sources
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