Remember Queenie the Melbourne elephant? A majestic creature she was. For forty years she gave rides to countless children at Melbourne Zoo. Her story is one of joy and sorrow. Of immense popularity and unexpected tragedy.
Queenie arrived in Melbourne in 1902. She was already a young adult having been born in India. Frederick Sheppard Grimwade funded her acquisition. Queenie started her career giving rides in 1905. By 1937 she’d carried an estimated 1.5 million people. That’s more than the entire population of many cities. Imagine the weight of that legacy. She walked over 19000 miles during her working years. In 1936 she even earned the zoo a significant sum. This was at a time when the average worker earned very little.
Queenie was incredibly popular. Children flocked to her enclosure even when she wasn’t working. She was playful sometimes even mischievous. Stories abound of her using her trunk to playfully “tumble trespassers over in the dust”. One account tells of her mimicking children who teased her. She pretended to offer them treats then pulled them back just as she was about to take them. They loved it until she sprayed them with water.
Unfortunately Queenie’s story has a sad ending. In 1944 her keeper Wilfred Lawson died after she crushed him. This was after a wartime labor shortage led him to return to the zoo. He was said to be rough with her. Queenie was withdrawn from service. She was declared dangerous. A fodder shortage and the high cost of feeding her ultimately led to her euthanasia in 1945. Even in death her story persists. A reminder of a creature whose life was both beloved and ultimately tragic. Her legacy lives on in stories and memories. The Sunset Elephant artwork stands as a powerful tribute. It reminds us to reflect on the lives of these creatures. We need to understand their complexities and their unique needs.