On Monday (October 24) the fences will start coming down from around the Deer Park below Booloominbah. This marks a significant point in the area’s transition from a park for deer (and kangaroos, plus an uninvited colony of rabbits) to a park for people.

The remnants of the fallow deer herd that had graced the park since the 1880s were removed in 2019. The remaining few deer were approaching twice the age the species usually live in the wild, and losing the ability to graze.

Grey kangaroos have also been a long-term fixture of the park, but in recent years UNE was advised that it lacks the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) licence to exhibit kangaroos.

Rather than go through the licencing process, and deal with the ongoing challenges of dealing with a breeding population of wild animals in captivity, the decision was made to remove the kangaroos.

Relocation was considered, but darting and transport involved risks to the animals. After consultation with NPWS, an incremental “trickle release” of the kangaroos into the surrounding environment was attempted in December 2021. A substantial number did not leave the enclosure.

In consultation, it has been decided that the most humane option is to progressively remove the enclosure fencing and let the remaining kangaroos move freely between the park and the wider environment.

Heritage NSW has agreed to the fence removal, which begins on 24th October with the eastern Booloominbah Drive section.

Remaining internal fencing and the final section along Trevenna Road will be dismantled in December.

For the first time in more than 130 years, the area will then become freely available for people to enjoy.

Deer parks were considered a desirable feature of “great houses” in the 19th Century. The fashion faded, as fashions do, and for the most part these areas tended to be put to another use.

Booloominbah’s deer park is a rare survivor, and therefore of historical interest – as is much of the building’s natural setting, which serves as a living legacy of 19th Century garden design priorities.

UNE’s Cultural Advisor, Steve Ahoy, is assisting in reviewing the Deer Park site for any indigenous artefacts and ensuring artefacts are appropriately documented and protected.

When the fences have been removed, the deer park grounds will be maintained as an extension of the Booloominbah’s environmental setting, but with signage that acknowledges the deer park’s role over many decades.

A website will be set up, accessible through QR codes on signage, which provides an in-depth explanation of the deer park’s history, location, and the ultimate decision to remove it.

The UNE community is already blessed with a beautiful natural setting. Opening up the deer park extends the area we have to roam, think and picnic. Let’s enjoy it.