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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

Journal / History

Wildlife, history & place

A reptile park
that saves lives.

The story of the Australian Reptile Park, from Eric Worrell’s aquarium at Umina Beach to the venom programme behind Australia’s antivenoms.

The giant frill-necked lizard above the Australian Reptile Park entrance, seen from the car park
The giant frill-necked lizard above the park’s entrance at Somersby.

Eric Worrell’s collection

In 1949 the naturalist Eric Worrell began building the Ocean Beach Aquarium at Umina Beach, which opened in 1950. There he began milking snakes for their venom, to help the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories make antivenom. In 1958 he moved his collection to Wyoming, a suburb of Gosford, and Eric Worrell’s Australian Reptile Park opened to the public on 3 October 1959.

Hugo the Galapagos tortoise raising his head towards the camera
Gum trees reflected in the still water of the lagoon at the Australian Reptile Park

Ploddy and the move to Somersby

Ploddy, the giant dinosaur put up at Wyoming in 1963, is thought by many to be the first of Australia’s “big things”. John and Robyn Weigel became the park’s principal owners in 1992 and moved it to Somersby, where it reopened on 7 September 1996; crowds lined the streets of Gosford as Ploddy travelled to her new home.

Fire and recovery

Just after midnight on 17 July 2000, a fire caused by faulty wiring destroyed most of the main building and many of the reptiles and frogs kept inside. With help from the community and other zoos, the park reopened on 9 September 2000, just over seven weeks later.

A Tasmanian devil trotting across the mulch of its enclosure

Continue exploring

Hugo the Galapagos tortoise raising his head towards the cameraA park that saves livesFrom Umina Beach to Somersby.The entrance building of the Australian Reptile Park, topped by a giant frill-necked lizard, under a blue skyWhat to see at the parkReptiles, venom and wildlife.Plan your visit

The Apollonaut collection

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