Platypus revival part of Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary, the reborn oasis for native species in the Adelaide Hills
Platypus breeding has been part of the reborn success of Warrawong Wildife Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills. Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, potoroos, brushtail possums and rare birds are also part of the oasis started in 1969 by John Wamsley to protect native species.
The reborn Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary on Stock Road, Mylor, in the Adelaide Hills, became the only place on the South Australian mainland with platypuses.
Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, potoroos, brushtail possums and rare birds thrived again in the oasis sanctuary bought in 2016 by David Cobbold and Narelle MacPherson from Western Australia, where they had owned Peel Zoo.
Founded in 1969 by Dr John Wamsley, and opened to the public in 1985, the original 34-hectrare sanctuary was secured by what was widely regarded as the world’s first feral-proof fence. The sanctuary aimed to provide visitors with a glimpse of what the rest of Australia would look like without introduced species. Wamsley became notorious for wearing a pelt of feral cats to raise awareness about the animals’ impact on native wildlife.
Warrawong expanded into Earth Sanctuaries and was listed on the Australian stock exchange but fell into financial difficulty. Wamsley (named the Prime Minister’s Environmentalist of the Year in 2003) and wife Proo Geddes left the property in 2005 and Warrawong was taken over by Zoos SA in 2010 but closed it only three years later, saying they couldn’t make the venture sustainable.
Cobbold and MacPherson bought Warrawong Sanctuary from the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority. They were undaunted by its abandoned condition. The couple had converted Peel Zoo, south of Perth, from a derelict bird park into a home for about 100 species of mostly Australian animals, and attracting 45,000 visitors a year. Warrawong’s fencing had kept most feral animals out in the sanctuary, meaning koalas, potoroo, bandicoots and red-necked wallabies survived plus there were platypuses in the dam and abundant birdlife on the 11-hectare site. With foxes eliminated, the sanctuary increased its residents including adding extra potoroos, bettongs, brush-tailed rock-wallabies, red, western and eastern grey kangaroos, and dingoes.
Cobbold and MacPherson managed to crowdfund another $45,000 in 2018 to help buy the adjacent 5.6-hectare Lake Cumbungi for $48,000. Designed by Wamsley as the ecosystem's main source of water, Lake Cumbungi had been lost to the sanctuary after property developers started subdividing the site in 2003. Lake Cumbungi added to the successful revival and breeding of Warrawong platypuses.
Wildlife shows, animal encounters, guided tours and overnight stays were also offered at Warrawong. John Wamsley, who lived nearby, maintained a keen interest in the sanctuary.
