Running of Fleay's Fauna Reserve
Construction of a new exhibit, 1950's. Photograph from the David Fleay Natural History Collection. Photo: David Fleay Trustees.
Sigrid Fleay was an avid gardener and established a beautiful garden of tiger lilies, roses and more around the Fleays' house. The family also planted palm trees (as the emus ate the nuts) and bananas and pawpaws for the family's and animals' consumption. Bamboo was planted as a bird shelter and a casuarina grove was planted for the emus. The grove was later replaced by rainforest species, as the area was very damp.
The sanctuary survived principally through the hard work of David Fleay and his family, and at times with assistance from the local community. The family grew beans to help supplement the sanctuary's income and a welcome litter of eight pugs was once sold for 13 guineas each.
The family tended the animals, and Sigrid Fleay provided teas on the verandah of the house to visitors and also sold sweets.
The animals' and visitors' needs came first. For example, the Fleay family did not have a toilet or hand basin inside the house during the first ten years, but shared the outhouse with the public.
David Fleay's advance on one of his books paid for a suite of toilets at the sanctuary—for the visitors! Most days a coach load of tourists would arrive and would be shown around and given refreshments. The sanctuary was open seven days a week, even Christmas Day, and only closed on Good Friday.
Sick and injured animals continued to be brought to Fleays at all hours of the day and night, and at its peak the sanctuary cared for 450 animals. David Fleay later claimed that the sanctuary was built from blood, sweat and tears, without governmental financial assistance. The main sources of revenue were the visitors' entry fees and income from Fleay's writing.
Volunteer labour and donations were vital to the sanctuary's survival. The original platypusary was dug out by young volunteers from the Queensland Museum.
Local children were usually on hand to clean and fill water dishes and clean cages.
The animals were fed partly from donations from local bakers and butchers and ruined food (if an industrial fridge on the coast broke down). Local residents donated dead animals to feed the owls. If the beast was no longer fresh it was given to the goannas.
Mice and rats were collected frequently from the McKerras Research Institute behind the hospital. Worms had to be collected fresh each day for the platypuses. Friday nights were eel hunting nights and pigeons and flying foxes were also killed to provide food for the owls, snakes and crocodiles.
As well as donations of food being brought to the sanctuary, hundreds of injured or sick animals were brought to Fleays over the years and the place became an animal refuge. Animals sent from as far away as New Guinea and Central Queensland were accommodated at the sanctuary. Those that lived were kept for research or breeding. Native animals, when recovered, were released into the wild. Deceased animals were fed to the survivors.
David Fleay could usually be seen around the sanctuary in his trademark hat, tie and braces, tending and studying his animals, but always prepared to answer questions and educate visitors.
Around 3.30 pm every day, David Fleay or a staff or family member conducted a public feeding session of the platypus. The tank was filled with water and the sheets of corrugated iron covering the platypus hideout were removed for a public showing. 'Teddy' and 'Big Bill', the resident platypuses for many years, would then emerge from one of the wooden tunnels for a feed. For 17 years in Victoria and for at least 29 years at Burleigh, the platypuses were displayed in a show and question time.
Last updated 15 June 2011