Melbourne Zoo Carousel
{{Short description|Restored Victorian era carousel in Melbourne Zoo, Victoria, Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox attraction
| name = Melbourne Zoo Carousel
| logo =
| logo_width =
| logo_caption =
| image = Melbourne Zoo Carousel KH1.jpg
| imagedimensions =
| caption = Melbourne Zoo Carousel in 2012
| location = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| section =
| status = Operating
| cost =
| opened = {{YEAR|1952}}
| soft_opened =
| year =
| closed =
| previousattraction =
| replacement =
| coordinates =
| type = Carousel
| ride =
| manufacturer = Robert Tidman & Sons
| designer =
| model =
| website = {{URL|www.zoo.org.au/Melbourne}}
| custom_label_1 = Originally manufactured
| custom_value_1 = 1878
}}
The Melbourne Zoo Carousel is a restored Victorian era carousel (or merry-go-round) in Melbourne Zoo, Victoria, Australia. The carousel was manufactured in England in 1878 and then brought to Australia in 1886 by a family that ran a touring carnival, visiting country towns in Victoria. After touring with the carnival for over 60 years, in 1952 the carousel became part of a fun fair at the Melbourne Zoo, but was still owned by the same families. When the fun fair at the zoo was permanently closed in 1997, the carousel was purchased by the zoo. By that time, the carousel was in a deteriorated condition. It was restored off-site in 2004-2005 with funding from Heritage Victoria and re-opened in August 2005. The carousel is listed by Heritage Victoria as a heritage place.
History
The carousel was manufactured by Robert Tidman and Sons of Norwich, England in 1878.{{cite web |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/ |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel |publisher=National Carousel Association |access-date=24 August 2024 |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827074409/https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo and You: 150 years |url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/stories/melbourne-zoo-and-you-150-years |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827073808/https://victoriancollections.net.au/stories/melbourne-zoo-and-you-150-years |archive-date=27 August 2024 |access-date=27 August 2024 |website=Victorian Collections |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Robert Tidman and Sons - Graces Guide |url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Robert_Tidman_and_Sons |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=www.gracesguide.co.uk |archive-date=26 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240826004919/https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Robert_Tidman_and_Sons |url-status=live }} In that year, Robert and Frederick Tidman were granted a patent for the design of a carousel driven using bevel and spur gears, and powered by a small steam engine.{{Cite web |last=Gieseler |first=Albert |title=Robert Tidman & Sons, Bishop Bridge Iron Works |url=http://www.albert-gieseler.de/dampf_de/firmen4/firmadet47985.shtml |access-date=26 August 2024 |archive-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112130303/http://www.albert-gieseler.de/dampf_de/firmen4/firmadet47985.shtml |url-status=live }}
The carousel was brought to Australia by John and Margaret Briggs in 1886. The Briggs and Freeman families operated the carousel in a touring carnival, visiting country towns in Victoria for over 60 years.{{Cite web |title=Carousel - Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, Elliott Avenue, Parkville, Melbourne City |url=https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/4738 |access-date=26 August 2024 |website=Victorian Heritage Database |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827074411/https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/4738 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Plant |first=Simon |date=6 August 2005 |title=Doing the rounds |work=Herald Sun |page=W07 |id={{ProQuest|360673254}}}} In 1952, the carousel was established in a permanent home as part of a fun fair at Melbourne Zoo in Parkville. The carousel was installed in a former giraffe enclosure and was operated by Briggs and Freeman Entertainments.{{Cite news |last=Jellie |first=Dugald |date=25 April 1997 |title=Zoo's carnival is over; Fun fairs: End of an era |work=The Age |page=C4 |pages= |id={{ProQuest|2521807830}}}}
In February 1996, the carousel was listed by Heritage Victoria as a heritage place with VHR number 4738.
By the late 1990s the carousel was in a deteriorated condition, but remained as part of the fun fair until 1997, when the fair was closed. Melbourne Zoo purchased the carousel because of its historic connection with the zoo, but the rest of the fun fair was sold off.
Restoration
By 2004, a project to restore the carousel was underway, with funding from Heritage Victoria.{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Kelly |date=21 April 2004 |title=A ride back to . . . the 19th century coming around again |work=Herald Sun |page=40 |id={{ProQuest|360518709}}}} The main mechanical restoration work was carried out in Castlemaine,{{Cite news |last=Edmonds |first=Mike |last2=Dennehy |first2=Luke |last3=Danaher |first3=Carla |date=16 August 2004 |title=Round goes merry steed |work=Herald Sun |page=22 |id={{ProQuest|360567770}}}} but an artist Patricia Mullins undertook the repainting of the carousel horses in a studio in Fitzroy.{{Cite news |last=Pallisco |first=Marc |date=30 September 2007 |title=Booking a heritage change |work=Sunday Age |page=2 |id={{ProQuest|367276691}}}}{{Cite news |last=Plant |first=Simon |date=6 August 2005 |title=Happily along for ride |work=Herald Sun |page=17 |id={{ProQuest|360681968}}}} The restoration included new paintings and surrounds for the rounding boards.{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel - Rounding board detail |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/17.html |access-date=2024-08-26 |website= |publisher=National Carousel Association |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827074449/https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/17.html |url-status=live }} Following completion of the restoration, the carousel was re-opened on 7 August 2005, after being off-site for six years. Dorrie Freeman from the original owner's family was present at the re-opening.{{Cite news |last=Metlikovec |first=Jane |date=8 August 2005 |title=Grand horses run full circle |work=Herald Sun |page=15 |id={{ProQuest|360687369}}}}
Description
File:Carousel at Royal Melbourne Zoological Park.jpg
The carousel rotates clock-wise, typical of English-made carousels. It has a three abreast configuration of 30 carved horses, along with two replica fibreglass elephants. The original horses were made by G & J Lines, London, and 20 of these remain. The 10 outside row horses were replaced in the 1970s with German-made horses, also from the late 19th century.{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel - German outside row jumper and Lines inside row jumpers - rear view |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/32.html |access-date=2024-08-26 |website= |publisher=National Carousel Association}}{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel - German outside row jumper and Lines inside row jumpers - side view |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/4.html |access-date=2024-08-26 |website= |publisher=National Carousel Association}} The centre panels of the carousel feature etched glass mirrors, with carved floral decorations above.{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel - Original upper and crown centre panels |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/12.html |access-date=2024-08-26 |website= |publisher=National Carousel Association}}
The carousel was originally powered by a Tidman centre-mounted steam engine. The Tidman engine was refurbished during the restoration and remains in place, but is not operational.{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel - Original Tidman steam engine |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/23.html |access-date=2024-08-26 |website= |publisher=National Carousel Association}}
A custom-made modern enclosure with transparent plastic curtains protects the carousel from the weather.{{Cite web |title=Melbourne Zoo Carousel - housing |url=https://carousels.org/psp/MelbourneZoo/33.html |access-date=2024-08-26 |website= |publisher=National Carousel Association}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Melbourne Zoo Carousel}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu3zg7aQZOI Melbourne Zoo Carousel] at YouTube
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Category:Carousels in Australia