Did you know that Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane’s Fig Tree Pocket is the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary? Founded in 1927 as a refuge for sick, injured, and orphaned koalas, the sanctuary began with a pair of breeding koalas, Jack and Jill. At the time, the now-threatened species was being culled en masse for the booming fur trade.
During the Second World War, the sanctuary gained international fame when Americans stationed in Brisbane visited to get up close and personal with the photogenic native fauna, even attracting a visit from General Douglas MacArthur’s wife, Jean.
In June 2018, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary opened a state-of-the-art science and research facility, the Brisbane Koala Science Institute. Home to two full-time research staff, a laboratory and a special ‘Koala Biobank’, the institute is working hard to help support dwindling koala populations across the country.
The sanctuary remains a place for the research and conservation of koalas and other Australian wildlife.
