A Tale of Two Zoos explores the story of Sydney's first public zoo, at Moore Park (1884–1916), and the creation of Taronga Zoological Park, which opened on the northern shores of Sydney Harbour in 1916. Drawn mainly from a collection of glass-plate negatives held by NSW State Archives and recently digitised, the stunning and compelling photographs displayed show the contrast between the conditions of the old zoo and the modern enclosures of Taronga and allow us to meet the animals that enchanted generations of Sydneysiders.
On display on select dates (see below) until 3 March 2022, A Tale of Two Zoos is a collaboration between Sydney Living Museums and NSW State Archives.
For more zoo stories, visit How to Move a Zoo, an interactive family exhibition at the Museum of Sydney until 24 April 2022. Visit the Sydney Living Museums website for details.
How to see the exhibitionA Tale of Two Zoos can be seen in the Fountain Court exhibition space at NSW Parliament from 9am to 5pm on the following days:
- Mon 14 February
- Fri 18 February
- Mon 21 February
- Fri 25 February
- Mon 28 February
- Tue 1 March
- Thur 3 March
Entry to Parliament (6 Macquarie Street, Sydney) is via the gatehouse to the left of the building, and the Fountain Court is just beyond the main reception desks. As part of COVID safety measures, while checking in visitors will be required to have their temperature checked and must not attend Parliament House is they have any symptoms of illness.
As public access to Parliament is subject to change due to COVID-safe arrangements, please check back to confirm opening details before you visit.
Interested in exhibiting at NSW Parliament?
