Australia Zoo facts for kids

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Australia Zoo

Australia Zoo entrance, 2026
Date opened	3 June 1970; 56 years ago (1970-06-03)
Location	1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia
Land area	110 acres (45 ha)
Coordinates	26°50′12″S 152°57′34″E / 26.8366°S 152.9595°E / -26.8366; 152.9595
No. of animals	1,200+
Annual visitors	700,000
Memberships	ZAA

The Australia Zoo is a famous wildlife park located in Beerwah, a town on Australia's beautiful Sunshine Coast. It was once known as the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. This amazing zoo covers over 750 acres of land, with 110 acres open for visitors to explore. It is home to more than 1,200 animals!

The zoo first opened its doors on June 3, 1970. It was started by Bob and Lyn Irwin. Their son, Steve Irwin, became very famous as "The Crocodile Hunter." Steve and his wife, Terri Irwin, took over running the park in 1991. Their TV show, The Crocodile Hunter, made Australia Zoo a popular place for tourists. About 700,000 people visit every year.

Steve and Terri used money from the show and merchandise to help animals around the world. They supported wildlife conservation through their group, Wildlife Warriors. They also used the money to make the zoo bigger and build new homes for the animals.

After Steve sadly passed away in 2006 after an accident, Terri became the owner of Australia Zoo. The Irwin family still runs the zoo today. Their daughter, Bindi Irwin, is the chief executive officer. Their son, Robert, and son-in-law, Chandler Powell, are also part of the management team.

The Story of Australia Zoo

An aerial view of Australia Zoo in 2023.

Another aerial view of Australia Zoo along Steve Irwin Way in 2023.

How It All Began (1970-1992)

Australia Zoo started as the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. It was opened by Bob Irwin and Lyn Irwin on June 3, 1970. Bob was a famous expert on reptiles, known for caring for and breeding them. Lyn was one of the first people to help sick and injured wildlife in South East Queensland.

Bob and Lyn taught their children, Joy, Steve, and Mandy, to love and respect animals. Steve helped his parents from a young age. He cared for crocodiles and other reptiles. He also helped look after the growing number of animals at the zoo.

In 1982, the park changed its name to the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. It also doubled in size. In 1987, the Crocodile Environmental Park opened. This park helped protect saltwater crocodiles. By the 1990s, this crocodile park was very popular. People loved watching the crocodile feedings. This area mainly housed adult saltwater crocodiles rescued from the wild.

Growing Bigger and Better (1992-2006)

The 1990s brought many changes to the zoo. Bob and Lyn retired. Steve and his wife, Terri, took over. They renamed the park Australia Zoo. Steve and Terri used all the money from their TV show and merchandise for animal conservation. They also used it to build new exhibits.

Their main belief was that the animals came first. The zoo team was second, and visitors were third. The zoo grew a lot during this time. It hired about 50 staff members. Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards in 2003–2004. It was named a Major Tourist Attraction.

In 2004, the Australian Animal Hospital opened next to the zoo. It helped care for and heal injured animals. This hospital was built in an old shed. It was named in honor of Lyn Irwin. It had one operating room. A team of 20 full-time staff and 80 volunteers cared for up to 6,000 animals each year. Steve Irwin sadly passed away in 2006. That same year, Australia Zoo Retail won a Tourism Retailing Award.

Continuing the Legacy (2007-Present)

In 2007, the zoo worked with the Queensland Government. They exchanged land to allow the zoo to grow. This helped Australia Zoo develop a large safari attraction. It allowed the zoo to become a world-class wildlife park.

In 2008, a new $5 million animal hospital opened. It was said to be the largest wildlife hospital in the world. This new hospital is 1,300 square meters (about 14,000 square feet). It has two operating rooms. It also has viewing areas for student veterinarians. There are intensive care units for different animals. It even has an X-ray room.

There were rumors in 2008 about selling Australia Zoo. However, Terri Irwin said she had no plans to sell it. She wanted to expand the park instead. Terri became an Australian citizen in 2009.

Australia Zoo won Gold in the Queensland Tourism Awards in 2010. It won for Major Tourist Attraction. In 2019, it won the RACQ People's Choice Award. During the 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season, the Wildlife Hospital helped many animals. It treated its 90,000th injured animal during that time.

Who Runs the Zoo?

Australia Zoo is owned by Australia Zoo Pty Ltd. The land where the zoo is located is owned by Silverback Properties Pty Ltd.

Amazing Animals You Can See

Australia Zoo is home to many different kinds of birds, mammals, and reptiles.

Birds

Mammals

Reptiles

Explore the Exciting Exhibits

A thrilling crocodile show in the Crocoseum at Australia Zoo.

The Crocoseum Show Arena

Guy Sebastian before a concert in 2009.

The 'Containers For Change Crocoseum' is a huge stadium at the zoo. It can seat 5,000 people! It's mainly used for amazing animal shows. When it was built, it was the first place in the world to have snake, bird, and crocodile shows all together. Australia Zoo calls this the 'Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Show'. You can also see concerts here.

Step into Africa!

Opened in September 2011, the Africa exhibit lets you feel like you're on a safari. You can see giraffes, zebras, and white rhinos living together. This is just like they would in the wild! There are also cheetahs in their own special area. Next to the big savanna, you can watch playful meerkats. This area has special trees and rock formations that look like Africa.

Tiger Temple: Home of the Big Cats

This exhibit opened in April 2005. It is home to amazing Sumatran tigers. The building looks like the ancient Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. You can view the tigers through glass walls. There's even an underwater viewing area to see them swim!

Elephantasia: A Giant Home

Elephantasia is a huge 12-acre exhibit for elephants. It opened in 2006 and is the biggest elephant home in Australia. It has a big pool with a fountain. There are also tropical gardens with shady spots for the zoo's elephants. In October 2019, Australia Zoo welcomed four female Sumatran elephants. These elephants are now on display in Elephantasia.

A beautiful aviary at the Australia Zoo.

Grace's Bird Garden (Rainforest Aviary)

The Rainforest Aviary is a large outdoor area you can walk through. It houses about 150 birds, mostly native to Australia. Next to it is the Birds of Prey aviary, where you can see raptors and other hunting birds. After Bindi Irwin's daughter was born, the Rainforest Aviary was renamed Grace's Bird Garden.

Bindi's Island Adventure

Opened in December 2014, Bindi's Island is a fun three-story "treehouse." It's built around a fake fig tree. From here, you get amazing views of Australia Zoo. You can even see the nearby lemur island!

Robert's Reptile House: Slithery and Scaly Friends

This is the zoo's indoor reptile area. It shows off twenty different kinds of reptiles. You can also see three types of frogs. They live in sixteen different terrariums.

More Fun Exhibits

Other exciting areas include the Crocodile Environmental Park, Roo Heaven, and Wetlands.

What Else Can You Do?

Places to Eat

Visitors can enjoy a meal at the open-air "Crikey! Cafe." It's on the upper story and can seat up to 1,500 people. There's also the Grasslands Cafe and several food stands around the zoo.

Getting Around the Zoo

To explore the zoo, you can ride Steve's Safari Shuttle. This is a special bus that travels on a paved road circuit. You can also hire a caddie with a guide for a private tour of the zoo.

Fun Play Areas

The zoo has several shaded playgrounds. There's also a jumping pillow and a water splash park for kids to enjoy.

Exciting Activities and Experiences

There are four special areas where visitors can walk through. Here, you can feed kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas. Sometimes, you might even get to pet a koala when staff are present.

The zoo has a team that walks around with different animals throughout the day. You might see alligators, birds, snakes, and lizards. You can even have your photo taken with these animals. Professional copies are available from the zoo's photo lab.

In April 2019, Australia Zoo announced an $8 million project called 'Camp Crocodile'. This wildlife camping experience was planned to attract many visitors to the Sunshine Coast each year.

Helping Animals in Need

Harriet, one of the oldest tortoises ever known, lived at Australia Zoo.

Wildlife Warriors: Saving Animals

Wildlife Warriors runs a special rescue operation. They care for any native wildlife injured outside the zoo.

This important work is supported by the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. It is located next to the zoo. This hospital is 1,300 square meters (about 14,000 square feet). It can care for up to 10,000 animals each year. It has two operating rooms and two treatment rooms. There are also intensive care units for mammals, birds, and reptiles. An X-ray room helps doctors see inside animals. The hospital is named in honor of Steve Irwin's mother, Lyn Irwin, who sadly passed away in 2000 after a car accident.

Protecting Wild Places

Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve

This huge 135,000-hectare (about 333,600-acre) property was bought with help from the Australian government. It is located on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. It has wetlands fed by springs. These springs provide water to important habitats and the Wenlock River.

Iron Bark Station: A Koala Haven

Australia Zoo bought the 3,500-acre Iron Bark Station in Blackbutt, Queensland, in 1994. This area is part of the Great Dividing Range. An extra 325 acres were bought in 1994 to help a small koala population. There were fewer than 12 koalas left there. The zoo immediately started planting trees, including 44,000 eucalypt trees for koalas. More land was added over the years to help protect wildlife. In 2007, Bob Irwin became the full-time manager of the station.

Mourachan: A Safe Home for Endangered Species

This conservation area was created to protect endangered animals. These include the woma python and yakka skink. It covers 117,174 acres. Australia Zoo and the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors have created many different habitats here.

It is a place where endangered species can grow their populations again. In 2015, Terri Irwin bought an additional 33,000 acres. This expanded this important conservation habitat even further.