November 2009 edition Cover Story

Owners John and Robyn Weigel see a renewed future for this iconic Central Coast business.

Established by the late Eric Worrell, the Park has had three locations; firstly as the Ocean Beach Aquarium at Umina, then at Wyoming for thirty-seven years as the Australian Reptile Park and now at Somersby where it was relocated to in 1996.

In the early 50s Mr Worrell began an association with the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories providing snake venom for the production of antivenins. It is a relationship that has continued to this day and underpins the Park’s viability. Once established on the Pacific Highway at Wyoming, Mr Worrell used his promotional skills to establish the Park as a tourist destination. This was further reinforced when he built Australia’s first ‘big’ icon – Ploddy the Dinosaur – at the Park’s entrance in 1963.

Mr Worrell was always looking to improve the Park and established the first noctarium in the Southern Hemisphere to house nocturnal mammals. It was the first zoo in Australia to import foreign snakes like the king cobras which were always a big drawcard. However, the exhibit for which the Park also became well known was ‘Eric’ the salt water crocodile imported from the Northern Territory.

In the years leading up to 1991 the Park experienced serious financial difficulties and was put up for sale by Eric Worrell. John Weigel, who had been working at the Park for the previous ten years and had become passionate about its future, approached the Proprietor of the Central Coast Sun Weekly, and owner of the Forrest of Tranquillity, Ed Manners, to advise him how the Park could be saved. Mr Manners and his friend, well-known entertainer Bobby Limb set up a new company and took over the Park.

In 1990 the Park opened ‘Reptiles Alive’ – a large budget reptile exhibit on the lower level of Sydney Tower. It attracted half a million paying visitors during its five year life. In 1992 John and Robyn Weigel became the principal owners of the business and made a decision to relocate the Park to Somersby, adjacent to Old Sydney Town. The new Park opened in 1996 in time for the start of the summer tourist season and was an immediate success.

Disasters don’t stop the show

Having settled into their new location, the Weigels started planning for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Being so close to Sydney, big crowds were anticipated and they would secure the future financial success of the Park. However, on the night of July 16th 2000, an electrical fault caused a catastrophic fire in the main building, totally destroying it and wiping out Australia’s largest collection of reptiles, amphibians and spiders. Fortunately the external facilities and animals, including Eric the Crocodile, escaped the fire.

“The fire was nearly the end for us,” said Mr Weigel. “We thought we were well insured but found that our insurance company had a different idea.” At this point, Glen Balneaves of Raybal Constructions, who had originally built the new Park, stepped in to get it going again. The Weigels sold their home and put every dollar they had back into the rebuilding. A concerted effort by Mr Balneaves, Park staff and many volunteers quickly saw the wreckage cleared and by the start of September the Park could reopen in an abbreviated format in time to capitalise on the Olympics.

Boxing Day 2000 saw a new exciting and unique ‘Lost World of the Reptiles’ exhibit open, attracting record crowds. By 2002, ‘Spider World’, the final part of the rebuilding process opened in time for Easter. The Park was back on its feet and ready to get involved with new projects including the saving of the Tasmanian Devil and endangered Yellow Foot Walla

Disaster struck again with the June 2007 storms that saw the Park’s gardens and exhibits severely damaged causing it to close for a week. However, worse was to come as the same storm caused the collapse of the Pacific Highway requiring visitors to make a detour to access the Park. This event has had a devastating effect on the Park’s attendances which reached a record 195,000 in 2006. To make up for this loss the Park’s 60th birthday will be celebrated over the next six months to take in all of the tourist season.

Park not just an award winning attraction

Since relocating to Somersby, the Australian Reptile Park has been recognised as one of Australia’s leading tourist attractions. In 1998 the Park won the Australian Tourism Council’s awards for the Best Tourist Attraction in the region, in NSW and finally competing against all states taking out the national award as Australia’s best. This was followed up by a similar win in 1999 and in that year the Park was honoured to win the special ‘Award of the Decade’ commemorating the best regional attraction in NSW from 1989 to 1998.

Park saves over 15,000 lives

While the Australian Reptile Park is seen as a tourist attraction and a zoo it is also well known and highly respected for its work in providing snake and spider venom for the production of anti-venoms that have saved over 15,000 lives over the years and a similar number in New Guinea.

Eric Worrell started the Park’s long association with the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) in 1951 and a close relationship has endured over the years. The Park worked closely and assisted in the research carried out by the CSL in the 70s which resulted in the development of an anti-venom for funnel-web spider bites. For over fifty years the Australian Reptile Park has been and still is the sole producer of snake and funnel-web spider venom for Australia’s anti-venom program.

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