Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary began serendipitously in the mid-1940s when Alex Griffiths began feeding lorikeets to prevent them from destroying his flower farm and eating the honey from his bee-hives. Griffiths' bird-feeding soon became a public spectacle. As bird numbers increased, so did the tourists. In 1947 Griffiths erected a kiosk in Tomewin Street and his small enterprise quickly became one of the major local tourism attractions. Griffiths conserved vegetation on the property and provided shelter to native animals. A public campaign to stop sandmining in Flat Rock Creek in the 1950s shored up public support for Griffiths' conservation efforts. He soon became the region's unofficial wildlife carer. In the early 1970s the Sanctuary expanded west across the Gold Coast Highway, increasing the number of species kept on the property. The miniature train ride which was started in 1964 traversed the entire site by the early 1970s. The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has evolved to meet current tourism demands and now hosts a free-flight bird show, koala feeding, sheep shearing, Aboriginal dance and a high-ropes course. It also boasts a new wildlife hospital. What began as a bird feeding spectacle is now an internationally-recognised nature-based tourism attraction on Queensland's Gold Coast.