Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
The place behind the animals.
A former farm, a wetland and a family’s work with rare animals offer several ways into the story of Moonlit Sanctuary.
On this page
A farm returned to bushland
The sanctuary covers 25 acres of former farmland and pony club in Pearcedale. From December 1998 a wetland with a lake was dug and more than 10,000 native trees and plants were set out.
It opened to visitors in September 2001 with lantern-lit night tours, and began opening by day in 2007.
Breeding for the future
In 2001 Moonlit Sanctuary became the first in Victoria to breed eastern quolls since 1963. It has also bred southern bettongs and gliders.
The first orange-bellied parrot bred in its care was released into the wild in 2014, and a new breeding facility for the parrots was completed in 2016.
Wildlife in view
Today the sanctuary shows more than 70 Australian species, from koalas and Tasmanian devils to quokkas, dingoes and owls.
This history belongs to the place and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
