About Halls Gap Zoo | Learn More About Victoria's Premier Wildlife Sanctuary

Zoo owners Mark and Lisa Treweek, with their two sons Cooper right and William left.

Location &
History

Situated three hours from Melbourne and a mere 7 km from Halls Gap town the zoo is well sign posted and easily accessible off the Halls Gap/Ararat road.The zoo is set on 52 acres of land, and features over 120 species and 500 animals from all over the world, from tiny marmosets to gigantic giraffe and everything in between. Nestled under the shadows of the Grampians Mountains as the backdrop the zoo is well vegetated with large enclosures. Halls Gap Zoo was started by Colin and Liz Konig as Wallaroo Wildlife Park and was opened to the public on Boxing Day 1982. In 1988 it was taken on and branded the Halls Gap Zoo by Daryl and Barb Panther. In 2006 the Wildlife Park & Zoo was saved by the fire fighters when a large fire that started by lightning within the Grampians National Park spread into private land. During the several days of the fire many injured animals such as Koalas, Goanna’s and birds were brought to the park for treatment and rehabilitation and when ready reintroduced back into the wild. In 2007 they sold the Zoo to Greg and Yvonne Culell who were responsible for a wide range of upgrades and new exhbits and a new front entry facility for visitors.

Recognition of the Zoo’s importance to the region was acknowledged in 2011 being the recipients of “Outstanding Contribution to Tourism” and “Outstanding Product or Service” in the Powercor Business Achievements Awards. This was followed up with success in the state wide competition “Victorian 2014 RACV Awards”, being a runner up Tourist Attraction. The Zoo has now joined a number of the regional breeding programmes including Cheetah, Rhino and is one of the most prolific breeders of Spot-tailed Quoll. In July 2023 the Zoo was taken over by Mark and Lisa Treweek, with their two sons Cooper and William, who in their first few months have already invested significantly in animal welfare upgrades and a new exhibit for the saltwater crocodile. An immediate winner for visitor welfare has been a food and beverage outlet onsite that includes a good coffee.

Purpose

Halls Gap Zoo aims to contribute to conservation through immersive experiences, education, and endangered species breeding programs, whilst promoting and implementing contemporary animal welfare practices in accordance with guidelines issued by the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia, and daily utilising the five-domain model in animal husbandry practises.

OUR
TEAM

Mark and Lisa Treweek are the directors and owners of the zoo who together with their two sons, Cooper and William, have made the Zoo their life. “We bought a zoo” and we are very proud of what we have managed to achieve since buying the zoo in July 2023. Our two boys speak so casually about their parents owning a zoo, and they love every minute they get to spend here with us. We have a great team of staff who are passionate about sharing their animal care with our visitors and are constantly improving on the best standards of care we can achieve for our wildlife.

The Zoo employs about twenty staff over a range of areas including our visitors, animals and the grounds which includes maintenance and horticulture. Being a small team, many of the team are cross trained and able to undertake the work across different areas including the husbandry of the animals.

Mila

Keeping Team Supervisor

I have been working in zoos just over 10 years and started with my passion which is reptiles. I now have the amazing opportunity to lead our animal care team in providing the best care possible and looking to constantly improve on this. Sharing our wildlife and educating our visitors is at the center of what we focus on for our team and species.

Sherrin

Keeping team supervisor

Since I was little, I wanted to work with primates and big cats, and I started working with primates in 2007. I love sharing our cheeky troops with our visitors and creating enrichment and training primates in co-operative care to improve their welfare is a big passion of mine.

Haylee

Primate and Bird Keeper

I've always had a love of nature and animals. It's been amazing to be able to turn that love into a career. Primates and the animals I have hand raised will always hold a special place in my heart but I love working with all different species and being able to provide the best possible care.

Rhys

Hoofstock and Bird Keeper

I have loved animals for as long as I can remember and I have a deep interest in wildlife conservation. Whether that be protecting animals in their natural habitats, assisting with breeding programs or simply sharing my passion with others to promote positive change, animals are always at the core of what I do.

Tarah

Bird and Native Keeper

I've always dreamed of becoming a zookeeper and I feel so lucky to be part of the team at Halls Gap Zoo. Out of all the animals the Meerkats are definitely my favourite, I love how full of energy and curious they are. I especially enjoy creating enrichment, it's so rewarding to see them explore and problem solve.

Work with us

While the Zoo employs staff across all the areas of operation mentioned above, the animal keeping team make up the largest portion of staff. Keeping jobs are highly sought after and the Zoo has created a Trainee Keeper position which allows for young people entering the industry to work across a variety of areas of the operations including admissions before being trained on animal keeping. This results in staff who have a wider awareness and view of the operations including customer service and visitor needs, while they gain valuable experience for their career as a zoo keeper. The number of trainees is carefully balanced with experienced staff.

Trainee Keeper/ All Rounder

Full-Time Experienced Keeper

Keeping Team Supervisor

While we are not currently hiring, we encourage potential applicants to send in their resumes for future considerations.

Volunteer

Volunteers are an important part of the team, and we welcome their involvement and enthusiasm. Volunteering at Halls Gap Zoo is a great way to gain experience and further your knowledge within the zoo keeping industry.

You will get the chance to work alongside our dynamic, hard-working team, from whom you can expand your knowledge base and develop your own professional and personal skills.