Flashback: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary founder Dr Alex Griffiths’ incredible legacy

The Gold Coast man who built Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary into one of Australia’s biggest tourist attractions left behind an incredible legacy which he could not have foreseen. READ HIS INCREDIBLE LIFE STORY

DR ALEX Griffiths is a Gold Coaster who has left behind a legacy most people could never dream of.

The founder of Currumbin Sanctuary and a world-renowned environmentalist died in 1998 at the age of 86.

He died peacefully in his sleep at the John Flynn Hospital after a long battled with Pneumonia a little more than a year of the 50th anniversary of the sanctuary’s creation.

Alex Griffiths at Currumbin Sanctuary entertaining the crowds. Picture: Supplied

Dr Griffiths was known to many as the ‘Birdman of Currumbin’ for his 25 years of thrilling and entertaining families by inviting them into his sanctuary to watch wild birds be fed.

He claimed it was a ‘place where wild birds came to see the people’.

Dr Alex Griffiths arrived in 1942 and within four years had planted more than 12,000 gladioli bulbs on his 26ha Currumbin property, something which attracted the interest of the local birdlife, in particular the rainbow lorikeets.

Hundreds of the wild native birds would flow to his yard daily and peck at the plants, forcing Griffiths to come up with an innovative solution.

Currumbin Sanctuary’s famous bird show Picture: Supplied

Rather than hurt the birds, he instead began feeding them himself, using bread soaked in honey and water to distract them.

The gladiolas were soon forgotten but the bread proved extremely popular, and brought an even larger flock of birds to the area.

The Currumbin Bird Sanctuary was founded in 1947 and gained international attention as one of the region’s great drawcards.

The park’s collection of animals began to grow and other attractions were added, including Dr Griffiths’ model railway in 1964.

Alex Griffiths later in life.

By 1976 he handed the site to the National Trust of Queensland, which turned it into a not-for-profit business in which all the money raised goes back into the park.

“They’re incredible,” he said of his beloved rainbow lorikeets in 1993.

“They have a particular attachment to humans. There is no other bird quite like them. They are unique.”

His mid-1998 death sparked a flood of tributes from city leaders, including then-Mayor Gary Baildon and former mayor Lex Bell.

Alex Griffiths with his beloved birds Picture: Supplied

Cr Baildon expressed his ‘heartfelt condolences’ on behalf of the city.

“Since he founded Currumbin Sanctuary (Dr) Griffiths had been committed to the protection, preservation and conservation of our native flora and fauna,” he said.

Cr Bell praised Dr Griffiths’ incredible influence on the Gold Coast.

“He developed a unique attraction which will be an ongoing memorial to the man and his achievements. We have lost one our universally respected identities,” he said.

Conservationist Alex Griffiths at the gates of Coolamon, part of the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Even the National Trust, which had been a frequent sparring partner of Dr Griffiths since he handed over the sanctuary paid tribute to his work, with president Terry Conway saying he would be “sadly missed”.

“Although there were some robust differences of opinions at times, the National Trust always valued its relationship with him,” he said.

The sanctuary and some of its original features, including Dr Griffiths’ model railway, the rainforest pool aviary and the former rock shop, were all listed on the state heritage register in 2009 during Queensland’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

Alex Griffiths Picture: Supplied

Dr Griffiths’ original steam train was restored in late 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The park gained a new lease of life after spending $2 million ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games to create its Lost Valley attraction, revitalising the landmark for a new generation.