Zoofan15’s Guide to Notable Australasian Exhibits

[Zoofan15]

Auckland Zoo - Elephant House

Auckland Zoo’s Elephant House opened in November 1923. It housed the species it was designed for until its closure in 1992, when the elephants moved to a new exhibit. In the 33 years since, it’s been renovated to fulfill a range of purposes including a venue for overnight stays; a function space; and currently, a bistro-style restaurant.

This description of the building was given just prior to its opening:

The rather elaborate temple which is to house the elephant is almost ready, and Jamuna will take up her new quarters next week. This building has been designed to hold two elephants. Along one side is a promenade from which the public will be able to view Jamuna when she is not doing her daily task. When in her quarters she will be seen through a stout grille of heavy jarrah beams.

Source: New Zealand Herald (November 3, 1923).

As noted, the Elephant House had two stalls. A Tiger by the Tail made reference to the elephants Jamuna and Rajah having copper name plates above their stalls; and when I attended an overnight stay with my school in the 2000’s, I recall Kashin and Burma’s name plates hanging above the two stalls, which were divided by a concrete wall. Myself and the other boys in my year slept in Burma’s stall, which was on the left hand side.

The Elephant House had an adjoining yard, which offered the elephants a small amount of outdoor space. This has since been renovated into a courtyard for the restaurant and is available for hire as a venue. The elephants otherwise received their exercise from daily walks around the zoo; and swimming in the elephant pool, which was located a short distance away on the site of what is now the Rainforest complex.

The zoo’s first elephant and resident of the Elephant House was Jamuna. She was imported from India in June 1923 and initially housed at the council depot in Freeman’s Bay until the building was finished five months later.

The Elephant House housed a total of eight elephants between 1923-1992 (seven Indian; one African):

0.1 Jamuna (1917-1965) 1923-1965
1.0 Rajah (1917-1936) 1930-1936
0.1 Kassala (1945-Unk) 1952-1957
0.1 Malini (1953-1971) 1961-1971
0.1 Ma Schwe (1964-1982) 1968-1982
0.1 Kashin (1968-2009) 1972-1992
0.1 Koru (1980-1983) 1983-1983
0.1 Burma (1982-) 1990-1992

In 1954, a keeper was killed by Jamuna inside the Elephant House in what was determined to have been a tragic accident rather than a deliberate attack:

Jamuna, an Auckland Zoo elephant, beloved by generations of children, killed her assistant keeper during her feed-time this afternoon. Her action appears to have been accidental,

Mr Lane had fed Jamuna and crossed through into the stall of Kassala, the baby elephant. After feeding Kassala, he, climbed through the rails again, evidently with the intention of going out through the back of Jamuna’s stall into the yard. He brushed past Jamuna, which swung her trunk idly and knocked Mr Lane against the concrete wall. As he hit the wall, her trunk swung again, crushing his skull and killing him instantly.

Source: The Press (August 18, 1954).

In 1962, a fire broke out in the Elephant House after a teenage boy lit the elephants’ straw bedding on fire. The trumpeting of the panicked elephants (Jamuna and Malini) alerted a keeper, who extinguished the blaze before it took hold of the building. The elephants were unharmed.

Elephant House - Front View:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025).

Elephant House - Right Side:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025).

Elephant House - Left Side:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025).

Elephant House - Gate to Old Yard:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025).

Elephant House - Interior:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025) with permission of restaurant staff.

Elephant House - Kashin’s Former Stall:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025) with permission of restaurant staff.

Elephant House - Burma’s Former Stall:


Photo taken by @Zoofan15 (14/11/2025) with permission of restaurant staff.

 

[ZCChip]

That is really cool. It looked a bit more "modern" than the Bronx Zoo old elephant house to be honest.

It seems they never kept more than two elephants at once. I am sure Rajah was shot when he was in musth which was common in that period.

 

[ZCChip]

It is always interesting to me to see in older elephant houses, when you see the stalls inside and the visitors area, they are only a few feet away from each other. Many old European elephant houses are like that. I am trying to remember if there are any in USA. The Zoo Atlanta old exhibit, you could not go to the houses. But the Zoo Atlanta's old big cat and apes'/monkeys' exhibits were pretty similar to this. I could literally touch the glass where the orangutan's hand was. He was always trying to interact with visitors as there was no access to outdoors.

 

[Zoofan15]

That is really cool. It looked a bit more "modern" than the Bronx Zoo old elephant house to be honest.

It seems they never kept more than two elephants at once. I am sure Rajah was shot when he was in musth which was common in that period.

Sooooooo it was Burma the first gal you spent the night with? LOL She appears to be very cuddly.

While Auckland Zoo’s Elephant House lacked the temple theme of Taronga and Wellington’s elephant houses, it was an ornate building for its time and offered its occupants a reasonable amount of space.

Auckland Zoo also had the best elephant pool of any zoo in the region when it was constructed in the 1920’s. The elephants were walked across each afternoon for a swim. It was redeveloped into what is now the spider monkey exhibit a few years after the elephants moved to the 1992 exhibit (which included a pool).

Site of Auckland Zoo’s old elephant pool:



You’re correct that Auckland Zoo’s Elephant House only ever held two elephants at any one time:

Jamuna and Rajah
Jamuna and Kassala
Jamuna and Malini
Malini and Ma Schwe
Ma Schwe and Kashin
Kashin and Koru
Kashin and Burma

Koru was the only African elephant and died within three months of her arrival.

Rajah was the only bull elephant and was shot after he became unmanageable. My theory is that he was undergoing musth cycles. He arrived as a 13 year old and was shot six years later as a 19 year old. Rajah is on display at Auckland War Memorial Museum:

Rajah: