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Symbio Animal Gardens
Max and Pat Mapleson started Symbio in 1962 as a small specimen laboratory. In 1970 they bought a five-acre property in Helensburgh, and Symbio Animal Gardens opened on 18 December 1971, with entry at 40 cents for children and 60 cents for adults.


Symbio Koala Gardens
In 1975 Bob and Fran Grover, both pharmacists, became the second owners and renamed it Symbio Koala Gardens. Over 25 years they added farmyard cow milking, horse and cart rides and a summer pool, to give city children a chance to experience “real life”, as Bob Grover put it.
Symbio Wildlife Park
John and Margaret Radnidge became the third owners on 13 November 2000 and renamed the park Symbio Wildlife Park. It is now run by the second generation of the family, and in 2025 the not-for-profit Symbio Conservation Foundation was launched.

