Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

General

Classification

State Heritage

Register status

Entered

Date entered

18 September 2009

Types

Education, research, scientific facility: Wildlife park

Education, research, scientific facility: Zoological garden

Health and care services: Animal/wildlife refuge

Recreation and Entertainment: Tourist attraction

Themes

2.8 Exploiting, utilising and transforming the land: Protecting and conserving the environment

3.12 Developing secondary and tertiary industries: Catering for tourists

Construction periods

1947, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (1947 onwards)

1950, Lorikeet-feeding Arena (site of, 1950s)

1964–1965, Rock Shop (former, later known as Spirit of the Outback Store) (1964), and annex (1965)

1964, Miniature railway and Station Shelter (1964, extended 1968)

1968, Western Reserve

1970–1987, Rainforest Aviary (pre-1970, refurbished 1987 as Rainforest Pool Aviary)

1972, Kiosk building (1972, extended 1989)

1973, Coolamon

1974, Tunnel beneath the Gold Coast Highway

1977, Bird Habitat Reserves along Flat Rock Creek

unknown, Mature Trees

Historical period

1940s–1960s Post-WWII

1970s–1990s Late 20th century

Location

Address

28 Tomewin Street, Currumbin

LGA

Gold Coast City Council

Coordinates

-28.13757309, 153.48532372

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Significance

Criterion AThe place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland’s history.

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, established by Alex Griffiths in 1947 as the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary, is important in demonstrating the evolution of nature-based tourism in Queensland. It is an early surviving attraction at the Gold Coast, Queensland's premiere tourism destination, and one of the earliest nature-based tourist facilities established in Queensland, evolving from a site of local interest and the public spectacle of lorikeet-feeding to an internationally-recognised nature-based tourism attraction.

Criterion GThe place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

As an iconic Queensland tourist destination, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has had a strong association as an attractive nature-based tourism experience for the large community of Queenslanders who have visited the site since 1947, when the afternoon lorikeet-feeding spectacle was established by Alex Griffiths. The strength and endurance of this association are powerfully demonstrated by its featuring in tourism advertising since 1953 or earlier; by the widespread community support for the Sanctuary demonstrated in 1956 when hundreds of people signed a petition objecting to proposed sandmining adjacent to it; by inclusion in the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland's "150 must do's" in Queensland in 2009; and being voted by the community as one of the top 15 iconic Queensland locations during the 2009 State sesquicentenary celebrations.

Criterion HThe place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland’s history.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has a special association with the life work of Alex Griffiths who established the Sanctuary in 1947 and remained involved in its ongoing management into the early 1980s, after gifting the Sanctuary to the National Trust of Queensland (the Trust) in 1976. Important surviving elements of Griffiths' pre-1976 tourism venture include: the Kiosk; the Spirit of the Outback Store (former Rock Shop) and its annex; an aviary; an early bird hospital; the site of the lorikeet-feeding arena; the concept of the miniature railway circuit and much of the original railway on both the Tomewin Street site and the Western Reserve; the tunnel beneath the Gold Coast Highway; the informally laid out Western Reserve; the bird habitat along Flat Rock Creek; and the bird-release property known as Coolamon.

History

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary was established by beekeeper and floriculturist Alex Griffiths in 1947 as a small-scale tourist venture featuring lorikeet feeding displays in which tourists could participate. By at least 1953 it was known as the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary and by the mid-1950s had become an iconic tourist attraction on the Gold Coast. The place had evolved by the early 1970s to offer visitors a variety of experiences, including: the chance to see numerous bird and animal species and learn about their part in the regional natural environment; take a miniature train ride around the large site; purchase souvenirs; and enjoy a meal. In 1976 Griffiths gifted the Sanctuary to the National Trust of Queensland (the Trust), and the terms of this exchange and its ongoing operation are set out in the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary Act 1976. The place was re-named the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in 1995. It continues to be operated by the Trust as a nature-based tourism enterprise and is recognised as one of the oldest of its kind to remain in operation in the state.

The Sanctuary lands gifted by Alex Griffith to the Trust encompassed four main areas: the original Sanctuary site on the southern side of Tomewin Street and three contiguous properties in Teemangum Street, including a house occupied by Alex Griffiths from 1971 until 1998; a car park and a picnic ground on the northern side of Tomewin Street; 18.728ha of heavily treed land on the western side of the Gold Coast Highway, known as the Western Reserve; and a 17.8ha property that Griffiths had named Coolamon, located on the Currumbin Creek-Tomewin Road in the Currumbin Valley just over nine kilometres to the west of the main venue. The Trust also took over the leasehold of swampy land on either side of Flat Rock Creek formerly leased by Griffiths for sanctuary purposes; and of a tunnel that Griffith had constructed under the Gold Coast Highway, linking the Tomewin Street site and the Western Reserve.

The Currumbin area was taken up as timber leases in the 1860s and 1870s, with some gold fossicking in the creek in the late 1870s. The coastal strip was subdivided into housing allotments in 1886, but was slow to develop. Access to the area at that time was via a coach service that used the beach as a roadway. Bananas were a successful crop from the late nineteenth century and became a key industry in the Currumbin Valley in the twentieth century. In 1903 a rail line between Nerang and Tweed Heads was constructed, and a siding built at Currumbin in 1908 to cater for timber getters and dairy farmers. The Currumbin School opened the following year. During the 1920s and 1930s a rapid rise in private motor vehicle ownership, the construction of a new coastal road (the Pacific Highway) between Brisbane and Southport, and the opening of the Jubilee Bridge over the Nerang River, led to the subdivision and sale of many estates between Southport and the New South Wales border including Currumbin, especially after the final section of the Pacific Highway, between Currumbin and Coolangatta, opened in December 1933.

It is ironic that the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary, a nature-based venture, emerged from the post-World War II development boom that saw the Gold Coast establish its present iconic identity as Queensland's premier tourist destination. In the 1950s a greater capacity to pursue leisure, increasing ownership and usage of private motor vehicles, and a growing preference among holidaymakers for American-style resorts and tourist entertainments, resulted in changed accommodation styles on the Gold Coast and increased patronage of 'tourist attractions' other than the natural attractions of surf beaches and estuary bathing and fishing. With the lifting of war-time building restrictions in 1952, an intense period of building development and property speculation at the South Coast followed, attracting entrepreneurs focussed largely on the tourism potential of the place. The term 'Gold Coast' was coined in response to this promise of prosperity and wealth, and was embraced by locals. The South Coast Town Council officially changed its name to Gold Coast Town Council in 1958, and in 1959 the municipality was declared a city.

The Currumbin Bird Sanctuary evolved from the flower-farming and bee-keeping activities of Alexander Morris Griffiths. Born in New Zealand in 1911, his family moved in 1927 to Norfolk Island, where they grew bananas for the Sydney market. His parents retired to Currumbin in 1941, acquiring two adjoining parcels of land comprising two and a half acres (1.01ha) in Tomewin Street in February 1944. Alex joined them and at their Currumbin property established bee hives, planted gladioli, and ran a small road-side stall selling honey and flowers. However, local lorikeets proved problematic, destroying the marketability of the flowers and eating the honey from the hives. The diversionary solution Griffiths devised to protect his flower crop was to feed the birds honey and bread from a plate. The birds increased in numbers to a point where visitors would come to witness the afternoon feedings. Around 1947 Griffiths erected a small kiosk on Tomewin Street to sell his honey and Devonshire teas. The lorikeet-feeding spectacle continued to gain renown and was included in South Coast tourism promotional material. Griffiths did not charge admission fees to his Sanctuary but left a donation box near the exit. He also became the unofficial wildlife carer of the district, caring for fauna in his home and utilising small structures in the Sanctuary for sick and recuperating birds and animals.

Soon after Griffiths established his nascent bird sanctuary, another nature-based tourism venture commenced in nearby Tallebudgera Valley in 1951 with the establishment of David Fleay's Wildlife Park (QHR 601389). Fleay had a similar philosophy to Griffiths arguing that fauna should be kept in conditions as close as possible to the natural environment, and was critical of modern zoos; however Griffiths began as an entrepreneurial amateur while Fleay was a naturalist with scientific training, and before moving to Queensland, when still in Victoria, had been responsible for the first successful captive breeding programs of a number of Australian indigenous animals.

During the early 1950s Griffiths expanded his bird sanctuary with the acquisition of more land on the southern side of Tomewin Street, and utilised the adjacent public reserves along Flat Rock Creek. When an application was made for a dredging lease in the Scenic Reserve (R.579) along the creek in January 1956, Griffiths wrote a letter to the editor of the Courier-Mail protesting against the proposed sand mining because he had spent years encouraging wild birds to Flat Rock Creek. He received widespread public support and petitions against the sand mining were lodged. The Land Commissioner inspected the creek and noted that it contained a permanent waterhole frequented by wild ducks, pigmy geese and black swans. He also reported that the South Coast Town Council valued the bird sanctuary as an important tourist attraction and endorsed Griffiths' actions in preserving wildlife. A number of conservation organisations, including the Queensland Naturalists Club and the Save the Trees Campaign, also objected to the sand mining, arguing that, in the wake of other recent sand mining operations on the coast that had caused the loss of many native trees, Currumbin Sanctuary provided alternative food and shelter to displaced birds. The dredging application was withdrawn. This early example of a conservation battle waged on the South Coast occurred twelve years prior to Fleay's battle to save Tallebudgera Creek from canal development.

The Sanctuary had gained such a level of renown that in October 1956 the (American) National Geographic sent top-ranking nature photographer and journalist Dr Paul Zahl to document the lorikeet-feeding phenomena. He described a scene of expectant lorikeets and tourists waiting for Alex Griffiths to fill pie tins with a mixture of bread, water and honey, and the delight of tourists when allowed to feed the birds. By this time Griffiths had other indigenous wildlife on the property and was well known as a wildlife carer of sick and injured animals and birds. No bird was kept in captivity if it was able to fly. Zahl reported that the Sanctuary already had a national profile, attracting 2000 visitors on holiday weekends, but the publication of his article gave it an international profile that enhanced its tourism potential and that of the South Coast.

The 1960s was a significant period of expansion for the Sanctuary. In 1963 Griffiths was given a licence to enclose the road between the Sanctuary and the creek, and a lease on the Scenic Reserve on the banks of Flat Rock Creek contiguous with the road. Around this time he installed a neon sign within the road licence area facing onto Flat Rock Creek, which was visible to travellers along the main road. In June 1964, a miniature train was introduced. Built in Brisbane by James Jackson, the train hauled six passenger cars and operated on an eleven inch gauge rail loop for 300 metres around the Tomewin Street site. Other elements of this expansion scheme included the construction of an octagonal-shaped Rock Shop (now known as the Spirit of the Outback shop), for which planning approval was given by the Gold Coast City Council in April 1964; and a butterfly display which is no longer extant. Both projects cost £1500. The Rock Shop showcased Griffiths' passion for rock collecting and included the production of jewellery on site. He claimed it was the first of its type in Australia. The octagonal form of the Rock Shop was replicated in most of the buildings constructed at the Sanctuary during the 1960s and into the 1970s, although the Rock Shop Annex constructed in 1965 did not adhere to this precept. Griffiths formed a number of companies during this time and began acquiring additional lands around his Sanctuary under company title, including parcels in Tomewin Street opposite the Sanctuary for car parking.

In the past, Queensland tourist attractions featuring animals and birds were mostly limited to zoos, such as those established at the Queensport Aquarium (1889-1895); Koombul Park near Cairns (early 1900s), Brisbane Botanic Gardens (early 1900s-1952); Rockhampton Botanic Gardens (established 1905 and extant in 2009, QHR 601819); and Hartley's Creek Crocodile Farm north of Cairns (1934 and still operational in 2009). One of the earliest nature-based tourism ventures was The Jungle near Malanda on the Atherton Tableland in far north Queensland, which showcased indigenous flora and fauna and Aboriginal culture from 1920 until the 1970s. In south-east Queensland, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was established in 1927, in response to the last open season on koalas, which had yielded 500,000 skins.

On the South Coast, Alex Griffiths' serendipitous establishment of the Currumbin Sanctuary in 1947 was the first tourism venture to showcase fauna in an essentially natural setting. Animal attractions at the Gold Coast have tended to concentrate on their entertainment or curiosity value - such as the small zoo and aquarium established at the rebuilt Surfers Paradise Hotel in 1936. The 1950s saw the establishment of Natureland Zoo at Coolangatta and Jack Evans' erroneously named Pet Porpoise Pool at Snapper Rocks, featuring performing dolphins kept in captivity. Evans relocated to Tweed Heads in 1961. Marineland was established on The Spit at Southport in 1966 and Keith Williams' Ski World relocated from Carrara to The Spit in 1970. In 1972 Williams re-named the attraction Sea World, introduced dolphins and Californian sea lions, and built a marine stadium, chairlift and other attractions. He purchased Marineland in 1976 and transferred marine life displays to Sea World. He also purchased Jack Evan's Porpoise Pool business at this time. Marineland then became Bird Life Park. The only venture similar to the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary on the Gold Coast was David Fleay's Fauna Reserve at West Burleigh, which had a greater focus on scientific research.

In April 1968, Griffiths announced that in the next two years he planned to develop the Sanctuary into a substantial wildlife attraction utilising 18.728 hectares of land on the western side of the highway, to which he acquired title in October 1968. The site was part of a former dairy and banana farm, and retained a number of artificial ponds or dams at the southern end, patches of subtropical rainforest in the north-western corner, and some transitional forest. Griffiths' plans for the property included a two mile extension of the miniature railway, and a large aviary encompassing mature trees for birds unable to survive in the wild. The chain of lagoons and ponds along a secondary watercourse to Flat Rock Creek would provide a habitat for water fowl. He also planned a new three-storeyed Kiosk on the Tomewin Street site and employed architect Stephen Trotter of the firm Fulton Collin Boys Gilmour Trotter & Partners to prepare a design. He was also negotiating with the Main Roads Department to build a tunnel under the planned new four lane highway to link the two properties. In the late 1960s the Gold Coast City Council demonstrated its support for Griffiths' work by constructing an illuminated fountain in Flat Rock Creek adjacent to the Sanctuary, visible at night to passers by on the highway. It is understood that this structure is no longer extant.

The new Kiosk opened in March 1972, at a cost of about $120,000. It was a three-storey building made around a concrete frame with some stone wall facings, brick infill and large sliding doors, in an octagonal plan that reflected the approach taken to earlier structures on the site. The architect recalls that this plan geometry was intended to reference the individual chambers of a beehive (although these are hexagonal). With a central lift and stairs, the building had a basement housing service facilities; a main kiosk level that opened to both the street and to the lorikeet-feeding arena; and a mezzanine level used as a VIP lounge. The concrete tiled hipped roof had exposed timber framing on the interior and a large skylight at its apex.

In 1972 Hugh Sawrey (1919-1999), a Queensland-born artist who in the 1970s and 1980s developed a national reputation for his paintings depicting Australian outback life, was commissioned to paint a large mural in the main level of the Kiosk. By 1972 Sawrey kept a successful horse stud at Coomera on the Gold Coast, which he moved that year to Boonah and to Victoria in 1978. His was the inspiration behind of the establishment of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre at Longreach, which opened in 1988, and he was a strong supporter of Alex Griffiths' work at Currumbin.

Griffiths' parents' house and a neighbouring property, the former Currumbin Tea Gardens, were demolished for the construction of the new Kiosk. Griffiths then moved to another property that he owned in adjacent Teemangum Street - a small, early 1950s fibro cottage with an attached shop.

During the early 1970s negotiations continued on the construction of a tunnel under the Gold Coast Highway linking the existing Sanctuary to the new Western Reserve. This was built in conjunction with the construction of a four lane highway and new Currumbin Creek Bridge, which opened in November 1974. Leases on the reserves on either side of Flat Rock Creek were secured and eventually a new Reserve for Parks and Recreation (R.579) was gazetted in December 1977. The road reserve between the Sanctuary and the Flat Rock Creek leased land was closed in 1993, formally enlarging the Sanctuary.

Between 1969 and 1973, Griffiths also acquired 17.8 hectares in the Currumbin Valley that he named Coolamon, an aboriginal word for carry basket, and also the name of the tree which is the floral emblem of the neighbouring Tweed Shire. Coolamon was used as a release area for rehabilitated fauna. It was also considered a possible venue for further educational purposes as it retained remnants of indigenous vegetation.

By the early 1970s facilities on the formally laid out site on Tomewin Street included: the original kiosk and fernery, the lorikeet-feeding arena, the Rock Shop and its annex, the new Kiosk, the miniature railway and its butterfly-roofed station shelter, a number of aviaries (including a Rainforest Aviary), a bakery, a mini-cars course, an aquarium, a collector's corner, and a children's playground called Fairyland. This area was complemented by the more informally laid out Western Reserve which housed an array of indigenous fauna, some free ranging. One loop of the miniature railway existed around the southern part of the Western Reserve, travelling along Flat Rock Creek and crossing a chain of lagoons in order to showcase the water birds that frequented the site. There was a small siding (no longer extant) near the current Koala Junction Station. Visitation in 1973 was estimated at 600,000 per annum.

Around this time Griffiths sought to find an organisation to take on the management of the Sanctuary, stating: "I wanted to make sure that on my death the Sanctuary would continue its work as a haven for wildlife... As you can see, I had to ensure that these creatures always had a safe place to come, even after I am gone." He began negotiations with the National Trust of Queensland with a view to gifting the Sanctuary to them. This necessitated the drafting of legislation to allow the Trust to take over the property, which was assented to on 3 November 1976. The Currumbin Bird Sanctuary Act 1976 made provision for the Trust to wind up the companies set up by Griffiths to manage various aspects of the Sanctuary. These were dissolved early in 1977 so that the Sanctuary could operate as a commercial undertaking in its own right. The gifted properties were formally transferred to the Trust between 9 and 15 March 1978. As part of the new management structure, a Board of Advice was established to which Alex Griffiths was appointed Chairman for life. He stepped aside in favour of retired Governor of Queensland Sir Colin Hannah, who was then succeeded by Sir Sholto Douglas. In 1980 the Trust produced a comprehensive development plan with ambitious ideas for the redevelopment of the park, aimed at removing all unserviceable or outdated structures, particularly old aviaries, and adapting existing serviceable buildings. In late 1980 the Trust discontinued the Board of Advice, effectively negating Alex Griffith's role as an advisor to the Sanctuary.

Both the Trust's need to operate the Sanctuary as a commercial venture and Alex Griffith's desire to keep it as a fauna and flora reserve were embodied within the 1976 Act, but Griffiths became increasingly estranged from the Trust and its management of the Sanctuary. There were philosophical differences between his layman's perception of conservation, and the scientific approach which opposed artificial feeding of wildlife and the maintenance of exotic species. Griffiths had always kept exotic species at the Sanctuary and continued to house peacocks at Coolamon, where he moved to live in a caravan from around Christmas 1982. During the 1980s he continued to invest in this property, installing three landscaped dams, a concrete weir and spillways, and a hardwood vehicular bridge.

The Trust pursued an active program of site development through the 1980s with the construction of a children's playground (1985-1986), refurbishment of the Rainforest Aviary as the Rainforest Pool Aviary (1987), and construction of a Sub-Tropical Aviary (1988). In the 1990s a number of new facilities were constructed, including the Sir Walter Campbell Environmental Education centre, a new koala exhibit, the Koala Junction Kiosk, a freshwater crocodile display, a Tasmanian Devil enclosure, four new cockatoo aviaries, and Flora Gully (which included rare and endangered species of plants). None of these elements is considered to be of cultural heritage significance for the purposes of this entry in the Queensland heritage register. At this period the Trust also made major renovations to the main administration building, extended the Kiosk to incorporate a shop and the nearby Honey House, and renovated two aviaries.

In 1995 the Trust adopted a long term goal for the place: Currumbin Sanctuary was to be recognised nationally and internationally as a pre-eminent institution in the preservation and presentation of Australian indigenous fauna and flora, and in sustaining and promoting heritage-related values and ideas. The name was changed to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to reflect this objective. 1996 visitation statistics showed 82,000 local, 96,000 interstate and 340,000 international visitors.

Alex Griffiths died on 29 July 1998. He had received numerous awards during his life: he became a Member in the Order of Australia in 1976; was awarded the Order of the White Cross for protection of wildlife in 1977; along with fellow Gold Coast environmentalist David Fleay was given 'Freedom of the City' of the Gold Coast by Mayor Lex Bell in 1989; and received an Honorary Doctorate from Griffith University in 1995. In 1999 Gold Coast City Council named a nearby open space in Teemangum Street, Alex Griffiths Park.

The significance of the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary within its local context was recognised in the 1997 Gold Coast Urban Heritage and Character Study which stated: "The Currumbin Area is one of a particular character... Generally the area contains more natural vegetation that other areas of the coast due in part to the difficulty of building on the steep hillsides and in part to the presence of the Currumbin Bird Sanctuary - a long standing icon and landmark of the Gold Coast." Its significance in Queensland has been recognised in 2009 through its inclusion in the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland's "150 must do's" as well as being voted one of the top 15 iconic Queensland locations as part of the State's sesquicentenary celebrations. The Sanctuary continues to draw tourists from around Australia and internationally, visitation statistics for 2021-2022 indicate 253,083 domestic and 8,088 international visitors during a period when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted international and state borders [1]. International visitors accounted for 57% of visitors to the sanctuary in the year before the pandemic [2].

In 2013, ownership of Coolamon was transferred to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (in 2024 the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation). Prior to the transfer of ownership, Coolamon had provided picnic facilities for visitors but in later years was only used as a release area for birds and other native animals treated at the Sanctuary's hospital (the latter is not located within the heritage boundary).

Of the facilities existing at the time of Alex Griffiths' gift to the Trust in 1976, the Entry Kiosk, former Rock Shop and its annexe, miniature railway (particularly its original circuit on the Tomewin Street site and its southern most circuit on the Western Reserve), the refurbished Alex Griffiths Aviary, Bird-feeding arena, and former bird hospital remain. All of the properties retain significant remnant native vegetation, which Griffiths retained as part of the concept of a flora reserve, and as a sheltering and breeding place for fauna.

Description

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife park and tourist attraction located in Currumbin, a beachside suburb of the Gold Coast. The wildlife sanctuary is located along Flat Rock Creek and straddles the Gold Coast Highway which divides the place into East and West halves, connected by a tunnel underneath the highway. The area of the wildlife sanctuary gifted to the National Trust of Australia, Queensland by Alex Griffiths in 1976 is substantial, extending from the southern and eastern slopes of Currumbin Hill at its west to two sites on Tomewin Street at its eastern extent, approximately 300m from Currumbin Beach.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is set amongst bushland along a bend in Flat Rock Creek. Both the bushland and the creek are an important part of the wildlife sanctuary’s animal habitat and setting.

The eastern half of the wildlife sanctuary consists of two sections, a car park on the north side of Tomewin Street and The Sanctuary section on the south. The Sanctuary section is the principal visitor entry to the place and contains many of the built features related to Alex Griffiths management of the Sanctuary.

The western half of the wildlife sanctuary consists of The Reserve, a large area of sloped bushland that is now the setting for many of the wildlife sanctuary’s more recent displays and attractions. A miniature railway line loops around both the Sanctuary and the Reserve sections of the place.

The place also includes a portion of bushland in the Currumbin Valley, known as Coolamon.

Features of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary of state level cultural heritage significance are:

• Bushland setting and Flat Rock Creek
• The Sanctuary:
  • Bird Feeding Arena (in use since 1947)
  • Entry Kiosk (1972)
  • Alex Griffiths Aviary
  • Rock Shop and Annexe (1964, annexe added in 1965)
  • Former Bird Hospital
  • "Village Green," open, flat lawn area at northeast corner
• The Reserve:
  • large portion of fenced bushland reserve
  • chain of ponds at southern end of the reserve
  • large fig tree at western end of ponds
  • small clearing, north of tunnel
  • beach area at northern end of Flat Rock Creek
• Miniature Railway
• Pedestrian and railway connection between The Sanctuary and The Reserve
• Coolamon

Bushland Setting and Flat Rock Creek

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is set amongst protected and revegetated bushland, providing animal habitat and a natural landscape setting for the place. Small areas of vegetation have been cleared and regrown over time as the sanctuary has changed, however the majority of the place has significant tree cover and dense vegetation.

Flat Rock Creek is an important part of the habitat and setting of the wildlife sanctuary. The place includes a bend in the creek which enters the sanctuary from the southwest, forming a long lagoon which continues east under the Gold Coast Highway. On the Eastern side of the highway, the creek bends to the south forming a second, larger lagoon. At the southern end, the creek bends to the east, flowing through Alex Griffiths Park to the coast.

Features of bushland setting and Flat Rock Creek of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• mature trees throughout The Sanctuary, The Reserve, car park, and Alex Griffiths Park
• bushland setting
• Flat Rock Creek and lagoons

Features of bushland setting and Flat Rock Creek not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• timber bollards to perimeter of Alex Griffiths Park
• metal pipe gates to Alex Griffiths Park
• toilet building, barbeques, and picnic tables in Alex Griffiths Park
• concrete tunnel structure below Gold Coast Highway
• all wildlife sanctuary and park signage
• bench seating
• all footpaths, driveways, and paving
• timber footbridge in car park
• all fencing
• street, path and attraction lighting
• bins
• vehicle bollards
• garden edges
• sculptures and associated interpretive signage:
  • ‘Animals With Attitude’ Koala sculptures
  • ‘Borobi’
  • ‘Migration’
  • ‘Bower’
  • ‘The Fragile’
  • ‘Selkie’
  • ‘The Gruffalo’
  • ‘Totem’

The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary section of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the southern side of Tomewin Street. This area is where the sanctuary was established and contains many of the built features related to Alex Griffiths’ establishment and management of the place.

On the northern boundary of the area is a large octagonal entry kiosk (1972), providing the principal visitor entrance to the place from Tomewin Street. East of the kiosk along the boundary are a series of later buildings providing an exit, shops, seating and toilets. The northeastern corner of the site contains an open lawn area and a house with attached shop.

Immediately beyond the entrance kiosk is the first wildlife attraction, the bird feeding arena, the same area used for feeding wild birds since 1947. To the Southeast of the arena and entry kiosk are an early aviary, a former Rock Shop, and its annexe.

A ticketing gate near the centre of the sanctuary site separates the free attractions from the remainder of the wildlife sanctuary. The southern half of the site contains mostly later attractions and facilities including wallaby enclosures, koala enclosures, Sir Walter Campbell Centre (1990), the Repturnal Den (Former Playground, 1989), Forest Fringe Aviary, train maintenance shed, and toilets. A former bird hospital is located at the southeast corner of the site.

Features of The Sanctuary of state level cultural heritage significance are:

• Bird Feeding Arena (in use since 1947)
• Entry Kiosk (1972)
• Alex Griffiths Aviary
• Rock Shop and Annexe (1964, annexe added in 1965)
• Former Bird Hospital
• "Village Green," open, flat lawn area at northeast corner

Features of The Sanctuary not of state level cultural heritage significance are:

• toilet building at northern boundary
• Ticketing and Entry Gate
• House and shop at Teemangum Street boundary
• Sir Walter Campbell Centre (1990)
• Repturnal Den (Former Playground, 1986)
• Recent Animal enclosures
  • Koala enclosures, photo pavilion and ‘koala pantry’ building
  • Wallaby enclosures
  • Forest Fringe Aviary
• toilet buildings at southwest corner

Bird Feeding Arena (in use since 1947)

The bird feeding arena is located at the northern part of the sanctuary section, near the Tomewin Street boundary. Located adjacent to the entrance kiosk, the bird feeding area is the first wildlife attraction visitors arrive at on entering the park.

While most of the fabric of the arena has been replaced over time, the characteristics of this attraction have remained consistent. The arena is rectangular with rounded corners in plan, approximately 25m long and 14m wide. A low fence encloses the arena and metal perches and stands to hold feeding plates are located near the fence line. The arena is a generally flat open lawn area and over time has had several structures added for birds to perch on, currently two metal wheels (early wheels mounted to new stands), and some small trees. The arena is entirely surrounded by an open, flat area for visitors to participate in the bird feeding shows. Garden beds, pavement and signage has been added within the arena. To the north of the arena is recent terraced seating, a shelter structure and sculptures have been added to the area around the arena.

Features of the bird feeding arena of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• location near entrance and Tomewin Street boundary
• form of arena, rounded rectangle in plan
• flat lawn arena
• low fence around perimeter of arena (current fence is not original)
• perches and stands for feed plates near arena perimeter (current stands and perches are not original)
• perch and feed plate wheels at western end of arena (early wheels mounted to later metal posts)
• open, flat spectator area around arena

Features of the bird feeding arena not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• metal perimeter fence
• garden bed at centre of arena
• concrete garden edge
• paving, including concrete slabs and clay pavers
• metal posts to perch and feed plate wheels
• terraced seating and shelter structure

Entry Kiosk (1972)

The Entry Kiosk is located at the Tomewin Street boundary and is the principal visitor entrance to the Sanctuary. The large building is octagonal in plan and three stories including its basement and first floor level within the roof space. Each floor contains rooms arranged around a central octagonal core containing an elevator and stairwell.

Visitors enter the kiosk at its northern side, via a ramp from the street through wide glazed doors. Inside the kiosk, visitors arrive at an open plan cafeteria space which wraps around the western side of the octagonal core of the building, opening again on the south to an outdoor deck overlooking the sanctuary. The western half of the ground floor contains function rooms and a bar which open on to another deck on the northeastern side. A large mural painted by Hugh Sawrey for the Sanctuary in 1975 hangs on one wall of the function space. A smaller painting by the same artist hangs on an opposite wall in the function space. At the ground floor, the core of the building contains a kitchen serving the cafeteria and function spaces.

The basement contains storerooms, workshops and offices around its northern side. The southern side is a loading dock access from a sloping driveway on Teemangum Street to the east and another driveway on the western side, allowing vehicle access to the Sanctuary.

The first-floor level can be accessed from the core lift and staircase and a second door and staircase at the front entry of the building. The first floor has been enclosed and partitioned to form offices and meeting rooms with a smaller mezzanine above. The original raked ceiling and exposed roof beams are visible and dormer windows and a roof lantern, both later additions, provide natural light to the offices.

While the general form and layout of the kiosk remains the same as when constructed, there have been many changes to the building. These changes include the addition of dormer windows and a roof lantern; a shop and exit extension, visitor services extension, decks and a toilet block extension; mezzanine; new partition walls on all levels; addition of ceiling to ground floor level; recent fitouts including floor finishes, flat sheet walls, faux stone and tree finishes.

Features of the Entry Kiosk of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• location at Tomewin Street boundary
• octagonal plan form
• pavilion roof form
• ground floor level layout, visitor spaces arranged around a central service core
• basement level layout, central circulation core with loading dock at southern side, and storerooms and offices at northern side.
• first floor level within roof space
• metal framed construction
• concrete floor slabs
• original concrete masonry block walls
• cast in-situ concrete walls with timber-board formwork impressions to central core
• external face brick walls
• clear finish timber board soffits
• timber board fascia concealing gutters
• ramp to entrance (concrete surface is not original)
• full height glazed doors and windows to external walls
• fibreboard sheet ceilings (paint finish is not original)
• exposed metal roof beams
• original elevator
• original concrete staircase in central core
• ‘How This Land Was Wrought’ mural by Hugh Sawrey in function space
• ‘Panning For Gold’ painting by Hugh Sawrey in function space
• driveway on eastern side of kiosk to Teemangum Street
• driveway on western side of kiosk to the Sanctuary

Features of the Entry Kiosk not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• visitor’s shop and exit extension to western side, fronting Tomewin Street
• toilet extension to southern side
• terrace and visitor services extension to southern side (former workshop)
• deck to western side
• deck to northern side
• gardens at entrance including trees
• interpretation sign adjacent to pergola
• flagpoles
• brass plaque fixed to large stone facing Tomewin Street
• large stones either side of entrance ramp
• pergola at Tomewin street entrance
• suspended sign over Tomewin street entrance
• dormer windows
• roof lantern at apex of roof
• corrugated metal sheet roof lining
• metal downpipes
• Non-original internal fit out including:
  • all floor finishes
  • faux stone and tree finishes to entry and cafeteria
  • later external walls on western side, replacing glazed doors and windows.
  • non-original flat sheet lining over original internal walls
  • ceilings over ground floor cafeteria and function rooms
  • commercial kitchen fit out
  • bar and cafeteria servery fit outs
  • roller doors to ground floor
  • modern aluminium framed glazed doors, including bifold, sliding and single doors
  • later office fit out to first floor including partition walls, mezzanine, staircase, and clerestory windows
  • later timber framed partition walls to basement and ground floor
  • moving partition walls to function space of ground floor
  • modern services and equipment including ducted air-conditioning, data cabling, and electrical cabling

Alex Griffiths Aviary

The Alex Griffiths Aviary is a small domed aviary located immediately southeast of the entry kiosk. The aviary can be viewed externally from the entry kiosk’s southern terrace. The structure consists of a metal pipe frame supporting metal wire mesh. The aviary is entered from its southern side, through a double gate system, the outermost gate opening to a small chamber and the second gate opening to the aviary.

Internally, the aviary contains a water feature, gardens and perching structures. The water feature consists of a rock waterfall at the northern side which falls into a small stream flowing around a footpath to a small concrete pond at the southern side of the aviary. Garden beds with small ferns and trees surround the water feature. Perching structures made of tree limbs stand in the garden beds.

Features of the Alex Griffiths Aviary of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• dome shaped aviary
• metal pipe and mesh construction
• double gate entry with metal pipe and mesh gates
• garden to interior
• perching structures

Features of the Alex Griffiths Aviary not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• water feature
• concrete footpath and paving to interior.

former Rock Shop and Annexe (1964, annexe added 1965)

The former Rock Shop and Annexe are located south of the Entry Kiosk and Alex Griffith Aviary.

The former Rock Shop is a single-storey building, octagonal in plan. The building is of slab on ground construction and its external walls are masonry with a rock facing. The roof is pointed and supported by external columns at the corners. There are two entrances to the former rock shop, one on the northern side through a wide doorway with a roller door, and the second on the southern side which has a later automatic sliding door. Internally the rock shop is a single open space with a column at its centre. The ceiling is raked and lined by flat sheets with clear finished timber cover strips and cornice. The remainder of the interior fit out of the former rock shop is not original.

The annexe is a smaller, rectangular building, immediately south of the former Rock Shop. It is of similar slab on ground construction and masonry walls with rock facings. The annexe’s roof is skillion. The annexe’s original glazed doors and windows have been removed and the openings infilled with timber board lined walls with high, narrow windows. The interior of the building is not original.

Features of the former Rock Shop and Annexe of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• the former Rock Shop including its:
  • location south of entry kiosk
  • octagonal plan form 
  • pavilion roof form
  • flat sheet lined soffits and fascia
  • concealed gutters
  • metal columns at corners of roof
  • masonry external walls with stone facing
  • original doorways on north and south sides
  • original high narrow windows
  • open plan interior
  • single column at centre
  • raked ceiling lined with flat sheets and clear finish timber cover strips and cornice.
• the annexe including its:
  • location immediately south of the former rock shop
  • rectangular plan form
  • skillion roof
  • flat sheet lined soffits and fascia
  • masonry external walls with stone facing

Features of the former Rock Shop and Annexe not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• corrugated sheet lining to roofs
• painted finish to rock facing on external walls
• signage above doorways
• signage covering original windows
• automatic sliding door to southern doorway of former rock shop
• fluorescent light fixture above doorway of former rock shop
• suspended ceiling fans in former rock shop
• interior shop fit-out of former rock shop including floor finishes, display cabinets, wall linings, shelving, and service counter
• timber board lined external walls to annexe
• interior fit out of annexe
• split system air conditioners
• modern services including surface mounted electrical and data cabling, electrical services box on northern wall of former rock shop
• timber paling fences and gate between former rock shop and its annexe.

Former Bird Hospital

The former Bird Hospital is a small building located at the southeast corner of The Sanctuary. The hospital is octagonal in plan form with a gable roof clad in flat fibre cement sheets. The building is timber framed and the walls are clad in fibre cement flat sheets, the external windows have been boarded over. In 2023, the building is no longer in use, and the interior was not inspected.

Features of the former Bird Hospital of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• octagonal plan form
• gable roof form clad in fibre-cement flat sheet
• timber-frame construction
• fibre-cement flat sheet lined external walls.

The Reserve

The Reserve section of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the western side of the Gold Coast Highway. A large portion of land, the Reserve is heavily treed and extends between the southern and eastern slopes of Currumbin Hill and the western banks of a stretch of Flat Rock Creek. Although fenced around its perimeter, the reserve was intended to show animals in their natural habitat, attractions are laid out in a less formal arrangement than those of The Sanctuary section.

The Reserve is entered by visitors on foot or miniature train via the tunnel under the highway. To the north of the tunnel is a gently sloping clearing, which houses larger native species such as Kangaroo and Emus. The terrain slopes more steeply to the north and west forming a gully where a large aviary and enclosures for exotic species of animal are located.

To the south of the tunnel entrance is Flat Rock Creek which features a small beach area used for feeding water birds and eels. Flat terrain along the western bank of the creek holds many of the most recent attractions such as an Aboriginal cultural show, wild Island playground and extinction trail. Near the centre of the Reserve are food kiosks, toilets and an outdoor dining area. The western slopes of the Reserve provide the setting for a treetop high-ropes course, smaller enclosures for native animals, and bird aviaries.

At the southern end of the reserve is another small gully with a chain of ponds, a focal point of the reserve. Flat areas to the south of the ponds hold several recent attractions including a free flight bird show, sheep shearing pavilion, and ‘Conservation HQ’. These flat areas also hold most of the back of house and service buildings including quarantine and recovery enclosures for animals, workshop buildings, and a work yard.

Under Alex Griffiths management, the Reserve section was primarily used as an open range enclosure for animals. Since that time, many attractions and features have been added to the Reserve, however the setting and some of the features of its earlier use remain.

Features of the Reserve of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• large portion of fenced bushland reserve
• chain of ponds at southern end of the reserve
• large fig tree at western end of ponds
• small clearing, north of tunnel
• beach area at northern end of Flat Rock Creek

Features of the Reserve not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• all animal enclosures
• food kiosk buildings and toilets
• Wild Island attraction
• Aboriginal Culture Show
• Extinction Trail attraction
• Conservation HQ
• Wild skies free flight bird show pavilion
• Shearing Show Pavilion
• Student Learning Centre
• Tree Top Challenge and harnessing kiosk
• Lost valley aviary and attraction
• work yard and workshop buildings
• animal hospital quarantine and recovery enclosures
• plant nursery
• shade sails and shelters

Miniature Railway

A miniature railway line runs through both The Sanctuary and The Reserve sections of the wildlife sanctuary, forming a large loop line. The alignment of the miniature railway begins in The Sanctuary area, single tracks loop around the southern half of the site, meeting north of Flat Rock Creek where the two tracks merge and continue to the tunnel below the Gold Coast Highway. On the western side of the tunnel, the tracks curve to the south toward the food and drink kiosks at the centre of the reserve, where the tracks split again forming another single-track loop. This loop runs along the western bank of flat rock creek where a siding leads to workshops. The main line loops around the ponds at the southern end of The Reserve, crossing small streams and ponds via metal truss bridges. The loop returns along the foot of Currumbin hill to meet near the food and drink kiosks.

While the alignment of the railway is generally the same as when gifted by Alex Griffiths, some changes have been made to accommodate more pedestrian traffic and changing exhibits. The loop around the Sanctuary area has been made smaller by moving the northern extent approximately 35m southeast, the location of the station on the sanctuary site has also been moved and new stations have been added to the reserve section.

Features of the Miniature Railway of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• general alignment of loop around main sanctuary site connected to large loop around lower portion of western reserve via line through tunnel under the Gold Coast Highway
• metal truss bridges
• original steam locomotives
• sections of original rock retaining walls to the sanctuary loop.

Features of the Miniature Railway not of state level cultural heritage significance include:

• modern railway tracks, ties, and ballast
• stations including their locations, fences, signage and markings
• signage and signals.

Coolamon

As observed in 2009, Coolamon comprises four allotments, totalling almost 18ha of land, located in the Currumbin Valley about half way between the headwaters of Currumbin Creek and the ocean into which it drains, where Currumbin Creek Road turns toward the Queensland and New South Wales border about one and a half kilometres from the site to the south. Nicoll Scrub National Park adjoins the southernmost allotment to the south-east. There are two gated access points, one to the north, which follows an easement to the main body of the site, and another, the main entrance adjacent to a picnic ground in the south-west. The latter entrance is signed and comprises a steel-framed gate with chain-wire infill set within two tall steel posts and panels of ribbed metal sheeting, which provides access to a section of bitumen roadway. Elsewhere the site is fenced by chain-wire. Adjacent to this gate to the north-west is a toilet block overgrown by vegetation. Opposite this structure and across the roadway a grassed picnic area stretches toward the south. Beyond this are the remains of a timber bridge. A caravan sits at the southern end of the grassed area.

References

[1] ‘National Trust of Australia (Queensland) Annual Report 2021/2022’, p.10 <https://nationaltrustqld.org.au/application/files/1216/3833/1198/NTAQ_Annual_Report_2020-21.pdf> Accessed 11 October, 2023.

[2] National Trust of Australia (Queensland) Annual General Report 2018/2019, p.13 <https://nationaltrustqld.org.au/application/files/6415/7543/3247/JN00311_-_NTAQ_Annual_Report_2018-19_FINAL_WEB.pdf> Accessed 11 October 2023.

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