On April 20th, 1906, a group of citizens successfully petitioned the Wellington City Council to establish a zoo at Newtown Park. The petitioners believed a zoo would offer Wellington 'a source of pleasure and perpetual interest'. As New Zealand's first zoo it would also provide the 'colony' with a complete collection, starting with ‘King Dick’ the young lion later presented by a visiting circus.

They were right. A hundred years later Wellingtonians are still flocking to the Zoo to enjoy both the outing and the exciting opportunities for discovery. Less predictable would have been the dramatic shift in zoo philosophy. No longer are animals collected for their entertainment value, now their interests come first and conservation is paramount. The current collection – upwards of 450 animals – covers more than 100 species nearly all of which are in trouble in the wild.

In the year leading up to the centenary – and the third year since the Wellington Zoo Trust was formed – we have strengthened our commitment to conservation, to education and research, and to development of innovative, expert animal care. So it is with some pride that we have been making exciting plans for the Centennial celebrations. These will be announced in the run-up to the official birthday at the end of October.

As departing CEO Alison Lash recently stated, ‘We look forward to sharing our pride in the achievements of the last 100 years with our community, as well as our dreams for the future.’