Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of Symbio Wildlife Park.
On this page
Laboratory, gardens and wildlife park
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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1962
A laboratory
Max and Pat Mapleson start Symbio as a small specimen laboratory.
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1970
Helensburgh
The Maplesons buy a five-acre property in Helensburgh.
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18 December 1971
Symbio Animal Gardens
The gardens open, with entry at 40 cents for children and 60 cents for adults.
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1975
Symbio Koala Gardens
Bob and Fran Grover become the second owners and rename the park.
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13 November 2000
Symbio Wildlife Park
John and Margaret Radnidge become the third owners and give the park its present name.
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2021
Breeding for conservation
Captive-breeding facilities open for snapping turtles and stuttering frogs.
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2025
A foundation
The not-for-profit Symbio Conservation Foundation is launched.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
