Fleays Fauna Reserve after 1982
To ensure that the Fleays' sanctuary could survive intact, David and Sigrid Fleay decided to sell the land to the Queensland Government for a nominal amount. In doing so the Fleays hoped that the land would be protected as a natural Australian habitat, developed as a centre for even wider study of Australian native animals based on the principles established by David Fleay, and provide a setting and interest for Mr and Mrs Fleay in which they could see their lifetime's work come to fruition.
In 1982 a large portion of the land owned by David and Sigrid Fleay (37 acres) was sold to the Queensland Government. This became a conservation park. The following year the main area of the Fauna Reserve where the animals were enclosed (20 acres) was also sold to the Government. The remainder of the site (7.5 acres) was transferred in 1985. This is the current public car park.
Under the terms of the handover David and Sigrid Fleay continued to live at the sanctuary. David Fleay continued his research into owls, hawks and eagles, marsupials, snake venom and the Prince Edward lyrebird. He continued to advise the then Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service officers.
David Fleay continued to work at Fleays Wildlife Park and to keep animals, such as kangaroos, emus, cassowaries and his Galapagos tortoise, largely in their original enclosures. In 1983, the park closed for five years for redevelopment and re-opened in 1988.
David Fleay died on 7 August, 1993. His death was lamented by many. The regard in which he was held by his professional colleagues and the community is partly illustrated by the awards and honours bestowed upon him during his lifetime. However, personal tributes go further to revealing David Fleay's personality and tangible contribution to society.
Many, such as Steve van Dyk of the Queensland Museum, spoke of the influence Fleay had on him through his lyrical and whimsical style of writing, which Steve himself has tried to adopt. John Butler, a former student of Fleay's at Ballarat Grammar School, found Fleay adept at passing on the wonder and excitement, which he felt for his subject. As journalist Don Marshall wrote of David Fleay in 1981:
'Few people could wear more than but a few hats from the list of zoologist, botanist, teacher, naturalist, bushman, herpetologist, handyman, conservationist, falconer, author, columnist, photographer, lobbyist, public relations officer and plain hard worker—David Fleay wears them all with distinction'.
In October 1995, 7.45 ha of the site was gazetted as 'Fleays Wildlife Park Conservation Park' under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and is operated by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service for the people of Queensland. In 1997 the park was re-named 'David Fleay Wildlife Park' to re-enforce the link between the park and the man—David Fleay.
Although David Fleay is no longer with us, his legacy lives on at the park through dedicated Rangers and volunteers who continue with ground breaking research, breeding and education programs that David Fleay inspired.
Last updated 15 June 2011