About us

History and management

Gondwana Park Zoo was originally opened in the beautiful New England region of northern NSW in 1972 as fauna rescue and deer park, Green Hill Fauna Park. We had a modest collection of 46 mammals, three reptiles and a large aviary collection. In 1998, Glenn Innes Severn Council purchased Green Hill Fauna Park with the aim of creating a regional tourist attraction. In 2001 it was renamed Gondwana Park Zoo and new exhibits were planned. This plan was formalised in 2005 as a 20-year master plan. In 2016, Gondwana Park Zoo had completed most of the master plan and is now the most visited paid attraction in the region. Gondwana Park Zoo still operates under the Glenn Innes Severn Council and is proudly operated by a team of skilled locals, animal and wildlife specialists and volunteers.

Opening hours

9.30am – 4.30pm (May – August)
9.30am – 5pm (September – April)
9.30am – 3pm (New Years Eve)

Not open on Christmas Day, Good Friday or Easter Sunday.

Getting here

By bus

Greyhound bus service: Sydney to Brisbane via New England - 1 per day / every day
New England Coach service: Tamworth to Brisbane via Warwick – Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Symes Coaches: Inverell to Glenn Innes – 1 per day / school days

Note: Gondwana Park Zoo free shuttle bus runs to/from Glenn Innes town centre every hour from 9am – 5pm.

By train

Armidale to Tenterfield – 1 per day / every day
Moree to Grafton – 1 per day / every day

Parking

All day parking at Gondwana Park Zoo: $12

Vision and mission statement

‘Fauna is our future’

At Gondwana Park Zoo, we embrace the values of conservation to continue the legacy of native, common and endangered animal species and their right to exist on this earth in their native habitats. We believe that educating human beings around the protection of this precious fauna is paramount to our future as a thriving planet.

Philosophy and values

As part of our ‘fauna is our future’ mission, the team at Gondwana Park Zoo holds education as the key to a thriving future for all animals great and small. We want this education to be fun and accessible for all, so Gondwana Park Zoo has established a school program whereby we work closely with NSW primary and secondary schools to bring students to the zoo for workshops, holiday camps and excursions. We boast a training facility that seats up to 200 students for assembly-style workshops and seminars.

Environmental Policy

Gondwana Park Zoo takes its responsibility to the environment very seriously. We are committed to creating a clean, environmentally sound environment for our animals and a green future for the planet. We pride ourselves on dedicated water conservation measures, waste management, energy efficiency, animal food production and habitat restoration.

Water conservation

Gondwana Park Zoo works closely with Glenn Innes Severn Council to implement practices for water recycling and conservation. Our biggest water-saving project to date has been the implementation of a wastewater treatment and recycling plant. Set up in 2006, this plant now includes two storm water tanks and a microfiltration unit. We currently process about 80 million litres water annually. The treated and recycled water is then used to clean animal enclosures; to irrigate gardens and landscaped areas; to fill moats and for toilet flushing.

Waste management

Gondwana Park Zoo produces and collects approximately 25 tonnes of general waste each month. Through recycling measures, we divert about 75% of this waste from landfill. We actively reduce waste by:

  • providing sectioned bins for plastics, cardboards, food and general waste disposal – this is then sorted by our dedicated waste management team
  • recycling paper and cardboard
  • composting food scraps to be used in our gardens and landscaped areas
  • using shredded office paper and cardboard boxes for bedding and litter areas in our animal enclosures
  • using recycled plastic and glass containers for animal food and drink distribution
  • reusing chipped wood waste for landscaping
  • purchasing green certified or recycled products where possible e.g. printer paper, toilet rolls

Click here to read NSW Government Sustainability Policy.

Energy efficiency

Gondwana Park Zoo complies with the requirements of the Government Resource Efficiency Policy (GREP) and has implemented a number of energy efficient actions such as plant and equipment upgrades, increased pump efficiency, timers on all electrical equipment and lighting and most recently, the introduction of battery operated smart cars for Gondwana Park Zoo’s vehicle fleet.

Our new lemur enclosure (built 2014) includes solar hydronic underfloor heating using evacuated tube connectors. Due to the success of this installation, Gondwana Park Zoo plans to roll out solar hydronic heating to a number of its enclosures over the next five years.

Animal food production

Plants collected by zoo horticulturalists to feed to zoo animals are known as ‘browse’. Browse includes leaves, twigs and branches collected from a range of places such as local schools, parks and suburban backyards. At Gondwana Park Zoo we also grow our own browse specific to the food requirements of different animal species. We also use browse as a means to provide a natural habitat for our animals, which then use it for grazing, nesting, scratching, play and other stimulation. Leftover branches are used for habitats and wood chips.

Habitat restoration

Gondwana Park Zoo provides a protected environment for all its native plants and animals. We harbour plant restoration projects and ensure that our animals are provided with a habitat that simulates their natural environment in terms of the food, shelter and flora available. Where we are unable to provide an exact plant a suitable replacement is found and cultivated. We ensure our plants are safe from potential destruction by animals by providing deterrents where required.

Health and Safety Policy

Gondwana Park Zoo recognises the importance of workplace health and safety and values its employees (including permanent staff, placement staff and volunteers) as our most important asset. Gondwana Park Zoo is dually committed to the safety and wellbeing of the community and environment in which we operate our business.

We are committed to ensuring we comply with the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011, the WHS Regulations 2011 and applicable Codes of Practice and Australian Standards as far as possible.

The objective of our workplace health and safety policy is to, as much as is practicable:

  • provide a safe, hazard-free workplace
  • provide safe systems of work
  • consider WHS in all project planning and day-to-day work activities
  • identify, analyse and manage any risks that may arise in the workplace and which may pose injury, illness or damage to persons, property or the environment
  • regularly review and refine WHS procedures in line with legislative changes
  • enhance employees’ understanding of WHS knowledge through education and training
  • provide structure and documentation around WHS policies and procedures

The success of Gondwana Park Zoo’s WHS management relies on:

  • the commitment of all employees and customers to policy objectives
  • the commitment of all employees to take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others
  • proper planning of day-to-day work activities around WHS guidelines
  • effective risk management
  • effective hazard reduction
  • communication and consultation between employees and customers

Gondwana Park Zoo is committed to fulfilling the objectives of this policy and expects the same of all employees and customers.

Marie Sandberg, CEO Gondwana Park Zoo JUNE 2016

Conservation and breeding

With its vision, ‘fauna is our future’, Gondwana Park Zoo is wholly committed to wildlife conservation and the continuation of endangered species. We tackle conservation in three main ways:

  • through Gondwana Park Zoo Conservation Society
  • through conservation partnerships
  • through in-zoo breeding programs

Gondwana Park Zoo Conservation Society

Gondwana Park Zoo Conservation Society was established in 1992 and runs initiatives such as providing aid to environmentally devastated areas where wildlife is under threat. We work with local companies such as RSPCA and WIRES and global operations like Greenpeace to provide aid in crisis situations. In 2010 we sent two specialist marine staff abroad for two months to assist with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. Our team assisted Greenpeace and other conservation efforts working in the area to save fish, penguins, dolphins, seals, whales birds and other native marine animals adversely affected by the oil spill. In 2015/2016 bushfire season, we worked closely with VIC, SA, WA and TAS rural fire services and WIRES to care for displaced / injured animals.

Gondwana Park Zoo Conservation Society relies on fundraising events, the sale of zoo merchandise, corporate partners and patron generosity to support our initiatives.

Conservation partnerships

Gondwana Park Zoo conservation partnerships are key to its conservation efforts. As mentioned, we work with large global groups like Greenpeace and local groups such as RSPCA and WIRES. We also work closely with specialist conservation groups such as the Australian Koala Foundation who have a number of different projects in each Australian state. Most recently, we worked with the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Florida to bring two of its ring-tailed lemurs to live in the lemur enclosure in Gondwana Park Zoo and partake in our lemur breeding program (see below).

In-zoo breeding programs

Gondwana Park Zoo has a number of breeding programs in place to continue the plight of endangered species. Our most successful breeding program to date has involved the breeding of mountain pygmy possums. Pygmy possums are a critically endangered native Australian species. They are our only hibernating marsupial and live in the mountains, particularly Kosciuszko National Park. When we established a pygmy possum breeding program in 1997 we had three possums: two female and one male. Our pygmy possum population is now over 15 and additionally we have gifted five juvenile possums to other wildlife sanctuaries.

In 2015 we worked with the Lemur Conservation Foundation to bring two of its ring-tailed lemurs to live in our lemur enclosure and partake in our lemur breeding program which will run for the next five years.