David Fleay
Encyclopedia
David Howells Fleay was an Australia
n naturalist
who pioneered the captive breed
ing of endangered species
, and was the first person to breed the platypus
(Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in captivity.
; his father, William Henry Fleay, was a manufacturing chemist
in Ballarat. After education at a state primary school and later a private high school, Ballarat Grammar School
, Fleay was first employed in his fathers chemist shop and then was briefly a teacher at Ballarat Grammar.
He left for Melbourne
in 1927 to study for a Bachelor of Science degree and Diploma of Education at Melbourne University. There, he met another student, Mary Sigrid Collie, and they married in 1931, the same year that Fleay graduated having majored in Zoology
, Botany
and Education
. He was employed as a teacher in Ballarat until 1934.
He realised the importance of endangered species early in his career when, in 1933, he was the last person to photograph a captive thylacine
or Tasmanian tiger at the Hobart
Zoo. In the process he was bitten on the buttocks
, the scar from the injury carried proudly throughout his life.
In 1934, Fleay was asked to design and establish the Australian animal section at Melbourne Zoo
, and worked there for 4 years. During this time he had several scientific achievements, including the first breeding in captivity of the Emu
, several bird species including the Tawny Frogmouth
, and marsupial
s including the Koala
. He also commenced research into the breeding habits of the platypus. His next public education efforts were nature talks on a Melbourne radio station, in 1937. Later that year, disagreements with the zoo's management came to a head and Fleay was dismissed, principally because of his belief that native birds and animals should be fed what they would eat in the wild.
In 1962 Fleay co-founded the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
with Judith Wright
, Brian Clouston
and Kathleen McArthur
.
some 90 km from Melbourne was in need of a director and he was appointed. The animals there included quoll
s, Tasmanian devil
s, dingo
es and various birds of prey, to which he added tiger snakes that were milked for antivenene, and platypus. Many animals were housed in large paddock-like areas with swing-weighted gates so that visitors could freely interact with the animals. He also conducted daily 'feeding' displays of the platypus
ses.
His greatest achievement at Healesville was in 1943, when he bred the first platypus in captivity. His platypussary (platypus enclosure) incorporated features of their native streams. On about 5 November 1943, "Corrie" was born. No-one other than Fleay successfully bred and reared a platypus until 1998 when Healseville Sanctuary again had success. Since then, breeding has occurred only twice more: at Healesville and Taronga Zoo
(twins).
Between 1945-1947, Fleay led an expedition to Tasmania in an attempt to capture a breeding pair of thylacines, however he returned empty handed.
In 1947, he took three platypuses to New York
for the Bronx Zoo
where they occupied a platypussary built to his specifications. He studied animal husbandry at various zoos and wildlife sanctuaries across the U.S.A., returning to Healesville in October to discover that the Board had dismissed him for supposed unauthorised donations of animals to various foreign zoos. While untrue, this caused considerable hurt: He was demoted and remained at Healesville as a consultant.
He was also keeping a private collection of animals, but in 1951 the Government of Victoria legislated to prevent private individuals from charging fees for the public to see animal collections. This caused him to decide to move the collection.
in Queensland
was selected, the reasons including that it offered an untouched natural habitat for koalas apart from already having cleared areas (then farmland) for development of animal enclosures. The Fleays gradually acquired land and by 1958 had enclosures for people to see platypuses, snakes, dingoes, plain turkeys, ospreys, crocodiles and alligators; in contrast, bandicoots, flying foxes, sea eagles, wallabies and koalas, were free to visit from adjoining the forest. However, his focus was on the scientific study of the animals.
The area also included midden
s used by earlier generations of the Gold Coast's Kombumerri Aboriginal people. Fleay retained these heritage areas, and maintained good relationships with the Kombumerri.
The animals were fed partly from donations from local bakers and butchers, with local residents donating dead animals to feed the owls (or the goannas if no longer fresh); mice and rats were collected frequently from the McKerras Research Institute behind the hospital; worms were collected fresh daily for the platypuses; eels, pigeons and flying foxes were also killed to provide food for the owls, snakes and crocodiles.
Injured or sick animals from as far away as New Guinea and Central Queensland were accommodated at the sanctuary. Those that lived were kept for research or breeding; native animals, when recovered, were released into the wild; deceased animals were fed to the survivors.
In 1982, 37 acres (150,000 m²) of the land owned by David and Sigrid Fleay was sold to the Queensland Government and became a Conservation Park. The following year, the 20 acre (81,000 m²) main Fauna Reserve with its animal enclosures was also sold to the Government. The remainder of the site 7.5 acres (30,000 m²) was transferred in 1985. Under the terms of this arrangement, David and Sigrid Fleay continued to live and work at the park: In 1983 it closed for 5 years for redevelopment and re-opened in 1988. The government retains the property as the David Fleay Wildlife Park
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
who pioneered the captive breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
ing of endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, and was the first person to breed the platypus
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
(Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in captivity.
Early years
Fleay had an aesthetic upbringing: His mother, Maude Glover Fleay, had studied painting under Fred McCubbinFrederick McCubbin
Frederick McCubbin was an Australian painter who was prominent in the Heidelberg School, one of the more important periods in Australia's visual arts history....
; his father, William Henry Fleay, was a manufacturing chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
in Ballarat. After education at a state primary school and later a private high school, Ballarat Grammar School
Ballarat Grammar School
Ballarat and Queens Anglican Grammar School is an independent, Anglican Church school located at Wendouree , Victoria, 123 km west of Melbourne.-History:...
, Fleay was first employed in his fathers chemist shop and then was briefly a teacher at Ballarat Grammar.
He left for Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1927 to study for a Bachelor of Science degree and Diploma of Education at Melbourne University. There, he met another student, Mary Sigrid Collie, and they married in 1931, the same year that Fleay graduated having majored in Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. He was employed as a teacher in Ballarat until 1934.
Work in Natural Science
Fleay's interest in the natural world coincided with the awakening of scientific interest in endangered species, and the realisation by the public that Australian animals were worthy of attention other than as a source of food.He realised the importance of endangered species early in his career when, in 1933, he was the last person to photograph a captive thylacine
Thylacine
The thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf...
or Tasmanian tiger at the Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
Zoo. In the process he was bitten on the buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
, the scar from the injury carried proudly throughout his life.
In 1934, Fleay was asked to design and establish the Australian animal section at Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo
The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, commonly known as the Melbourne Zoo, contains more than 320 animal species from Australia and around the world. The zoo is north of the centre of Melbourne. It is accessible via Royal Park station on the Upfield railway line, and is also accessible via tram...
, and worked there for 4 years. During this time he had several scientific achievements, including the first breeding in captivity of the Emu
Emu
The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia...
, several bird species including the Tawny Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouth
The Tawny Frogmouth is an Australian species of frogmouth, a type of bird found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania and southern New Guinea. The Tawny Frogmouth is often mistaken to be an owl...
, and marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
s including the Koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
. He also commenced research into the breeding habits of the platypus. His next public education efforts were nature talks on a Melbourne radio station, in 1937. Later that year, disagreements with the zoo's management came to a head and Fleay was dismissed, principally because of his belief that native birds and animals should be fed what they would eat in the wild.
In 1962 Fleay co-founded the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland
The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland is a Queensland based conservation organisation. The Society was founded in 1962 by Judith Wright, Brian Clouston, David Fleay and Kathleen McArthur...
with Judith Wright
Judith Wright
Judith Arundell Wright was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights.-Biography:...
, Brian Clouston
Brian Clouston
Brian Clouston is a British landscape architect, and founder of Brian Clouston and Partners once the largest landscape architecture practice in Europe. Clouston was trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh and at the University of Newcastle...
and Kathleen McArthur
Kathleen McArthur
Kathleen McArthur , was an Australian naturalist, writer, botanical illustrator and conservationist. She was born in Brisbane, Queensland to Catherine and Daniel Evans. Her mother was a daughter of the Durack pastoral family, her father a co-founder of an engineering firm. She married Malcolm...
.
Healesville Sanctuary
Coincidentally, the Healesville SanctuaryHealesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary, or the Sir Colin MacKenzie Fauna Park, is a zoo specializing in native Australian animals. It is located at Healesville in rural Victoria, Australia, and has a history of breeding native animals. It is one of only two places to have successfully bred a platypus, the other...
some 90 km from Melbourne was in need of a director and he was appointed. The animals there included quoll
Quoll
The quoll, or native cat, is a carnivorous marsupial native to mainland Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. It is primarily nocturnal and spends most of the day in its den. There are six species of quoll; four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea...
s, Tasmanian devil
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae, now found in the wild only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, it became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936...
s, dingo
Dingo
The Australian Dingo or Warrigal is a free-roaming wild dog unique to the continent of Australia, mainly found in the outback. Its original ancestors are thought to have arrived with humans from southeast Asia thousands of years ago, when dogs were still relatively undomesticated and closer to...
es and various birds of prey, to which he added tiger snakes that were milked for antivenene, and platypus. Many animals were housed in large paddock-like areas with swing-weighted gates so that visitors could freely interact with the animals. He also conducted daily 'feeding' displays of the platypus
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
ses.
His greatest achievement at Healesville was in 1943, when he bred the first platypus in captivity. His platypussary (platypus enclosure) incorporated features of their native streams. On about 5 November 1943, "Corrie" was born. No-one other than Fleay successfully bred and reared a platypus until 1998 when Healseville Sanctuary again had success. Since then, breeding has occurred only twice more: at Healesville and Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Officially opened on 7 October 1916, it is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman...
(twins).
Between 1945-1947, Fleay led an expedition to Tasmania in an attempt to capture a breeding pair of thylacines, however he returned empty handed.
In 1947, he took three platypuses to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for the Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is located in the Bronx borough of New York City, within Bronx Park. It is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, comprising of park lands and naturalistic habitats, through which the Bronx River flows....
where they occupied a platypussary built to his specifications. He studied animal husbandry at various zoos and wildlife sanctuaries across the U.S.A., returning to Healesville in October to discover that the Board had dismissed him for supposed unauthorised donations of animals to various foreign zoos. While untrue, this caused considerable hurt: He was demoted and remained at Healesville as a consultant.
He was also keeping a private collection of animals, but in 1951 the Government of Victoria legislated to prevent private individuals from charging fees for the public to see animal collections. This caused him to decide to move the collection.
Burleigh, Queensland
After extensive research, the Tallebudgera Estuary in the hinterland behind Burleigh on the Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
was selected, the reasons including that it offered an untouched natural habitat for koalas apart from already having cleared areas (then farmland) for development of animal enclosures. The Fleays gradually acquired land and by 1958 had enclosures for people to see platypuses, snakes, dingoes, plain turkeys, ospreys, crocodiles and alligators; in contrast, bandicoots, flying foxes, sea eagles, wallabies and koalas, were free to visit from adjoining the forest. However, his focus was on the scientific study of the animals.
The area also included midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s used by earlier generations of the Gold Coast's Kombumerri Aboriginal people. Fleay retained these heritage areas, and maintained good relationships with the Kombumerri.
The animals were fed partly from donations from local bakers and butchers, with local residents donating dead animals to feed the owls (or the goannas if no longer fresh); mice and rats were collected frequently from the McKerras Research Institute behind the hospital; worms were collected fresh daily for the platypuses; eels, pigeons and flying foxes were also killed to provide food for the owls, snakes and crocodiles.
Injured or sick animals from as far away as New Guinea and Central Queensland were accommodated at the sanctuary. Those that lived were kept for research or breeding; native animals, when recovered, were released into the wild; deceased animals were fed to the survivors.
In 1982, 37 acres (150,000 m²) of the land owned by David and Sigrid Fleay was sold to the Queensland Government and became a Conservation Park. The following year, the 20 acre (81,000 m²) main Fauna Reserve with its animal enclosures was also sold to the Government. The remainder of the site 7.5 acres (30,000 m²) was transferred in 1985. Under the terms of this arrangement, David and Sigrid Fleay continued to live and work at the park: In 1983 it closed for 5 years for redevelopment and re-opened in 1988. The government retains the property as the David Fleay Wildlife Park
David Fleay Wildlife Park
The David Fleay Wildlife Park is located in Burleigh Heads, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Established by Australian naturalist David Fleay in 1952, the Park today is home to many native animals, which are displayed in surroundings similar to their natural habitats...
.
Achievements
- First captive breeding of the platypus (1943), MulgaraMulgaraMulgaras are the two species in the genus Dasycercus. They are marsupial carnivores, closely related to the Tasmanian Devil and the quolls, that live in deserts and spinifex bush of central Australia. They are 12.5–22 cm long with a 7–13 cm tail. They are nocturnal but occasionally...
(1955), PlanigalePlanigaleThe genus Planigale are small carnivorous marsupials found in Australia and New Guinea. It is the only genus in the Planigalini tribe of the subfamily Sminthopsinae...
(midget marsupialMarsupialMarsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
) (1958), TaipanTaipanThe taipans are a genus of large, fast, highly venomous Australasian snakes of the elapid family.-Overview:The taipan was named by Donald Thomson after the word used by the Wik-Mungkan Aboriginal people of central Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.There are three known species: the coastal...
(snake) (1960), Powerful OwlPowerful OwlThe Powerful Owl , also known as the Powerful Boobok, is a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, the largest owl on that continent...
Ninox strenua (1968), Greater Sooty OwlGreater Sooty Owl"Black owl" redirects here. For the comic-book superhero, see Black Owl.The Sooty Owl , also known as the Greater Sooty Owl, is a medium to large owl found in south-eastern Australia, Montane rainforests of New Guinea and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. They have a finely...
Tyto tenebricosa (1969), Grey GoshawkGrey GoshawkThe Grey Goshawk, Accipiter novaehollandiae, the white morph of which is known as the White Goshawk, is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
(1971), Australian Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae (1971), Australasian Grass Owl Tyto longimembris (1972), Crested Hawk (1975), Wedge-tailed EagleWedge-tailed EagleThe Wedge-tailed Eagle , sometimes known as the Eaglehawk in its native range, is the largest bird of prey in Australia, but it is also found in southern New Guinea. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an unmistakable wedge-shaped tail...
Aquila audax (1977), and Fluffy GliderYellow-bellied GliderThe Yellow-bellied Glider is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in a narrow range of native eucalypt forests down eastern Australia, reaching from northern Queensland to Victoria.-Habitat:...
Petaurus australis (1988). - Extensive snake venom production, including Death adderDeath adderDeath adder may refer to:In herpetology:* All members of the genus Acanthophis, a group of highly venomous elapids found in Australia and New Guinea* Agkistrodon contortrix, a.k.a...
s, Brown snakeBrown snakeBrown snake is the common name given to a number of very different species of snakes:*The genus Pseudonaja, Australian brown snakes*The genus Storeria, North American brown snakes...
s, Mulga snakes and tiger snakes for Dr C.H. Kellaway of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
Honours
- Australian Natural History MedallionAustralian Natural History MedallionThe Australian Natural History Medallion is awarded each year by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria to the person judged to have made the most meritorious contribution to the understanding of Australian Natural History...
for 1940, inaugural awardee - elected as a Corresponding Member of the Zoological Society of LondonZoological Society of LondonThe Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
in 1945 - elected as a Corresponding Member (Life) of the New York Zoological Society in 1947
- Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1960
- Associate of the Queensland MuseumQueensland MuseumThe Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland. The museum currently operates four separate campuses; at South Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Townsville.The museum is funded by the State Government of Queensland.-History:...
in 1978 - Fellow of the Explorers Club in New York in 1979
- Member of the Order of AustraliaOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AM) in 1980 - Advance Australia Award in 1980
- honorary DoctorateDoctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
of Science by the University of Queensland in 1984 - appointed a RotaryRotary InternationalRotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
Paul HarrisPaul P. HarrisPaul Percy Harris was a Chicago, Illinois, attorney best known for founding Rotary International in 1905, a service organization that currently has well over one million members worldwide.-Biography:...
Fellow in 1984
Animals bearing his name
- Fleay's Barred FrogFleay's Barred FrogThe Fleay's Barred Frog is a large species of frog restricted to small pockets of rainforest in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, Australia.-Distribution:...
(Mixophyes fleayi) - the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed EagleTasmanian Wedge-tailed EagleThe Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle is an endangered bird of Tasmania. It is a subspecies of the more common Wedge-tailed Eagle.-Description:...
(Aquala audax fleayii), a separate sub-species identified by Fleay
Publications
- We Breed the Platypus (1944)
- Talking of Animals (1956, reprinted 1960)
- Living with Animals (1960)
- Nightwatchmen of Bush and Plain (1968)
- Paradoxical Platypus (1980)
- Looking at Animals (1981)
- photographs featured in E. Byrne's The Unique Animals of Australia (1961)
- Extensive writing as a newspaper columnist on natural history topics
- Scientific papers including in The Victorian Naturalist, The Australian Zoologist, Walkabout and Wild Life