James Francis Lacey (5 June 1934 – 31 January 2008) was an Australian whose work was considered instrumental in the development of the Western Plains Zoo in

Dubbo Dubbo (; ) is a city in the Orana (New South Wales), Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, as its general manager from 1988 to 1992. Lacey also served as the administrator of

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland Port ...

beginning in 1983.

Early life

Lacey was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia, in 1934. He resided in the city until he was 29 years old. He moved to

Young, New South Wales Young is a town in the South Western Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, and the largest town in the Hilltops Region. The "Lambing Flat" Post Office opened on 1 March 1861 and was renamed "Young" in 1863. Young is marketed as the Che ...

, with his wife, Judith, and their oldest daughter, Elizabeth, in 1963. The family moved again in 1971, this time to the city of

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 57,003 as of 2021, it is an important agricultural, m ...

. There, Lacey was employed as a Regional Development Officer for The

Riverina The Riverina () is an agricultural list of regions in Australia, region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, a climate with significant seaso ...

Career

Jim Lacey was appointed the

administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...

in 1983 by the Department of the NSW Government of the

Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales actin ...

Neville Wran Neville Kenneth Wran, (11 October 1926 – 20 April 2014) was an Australian politician who was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. He was the national president of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and chairman o ...

. Lacey was praised for his work as administrator of the island, which is a territory within

. Lacey's work on Lord Howe Island was noticed by John Kelly, the chief

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

Director of Parks and Wildlife. Kelly asked Lacey to join the Western Plains Zoo in 1988 as general manager, an offer which Lacey accepted. (The Western Plains Zoo is now called the Taronga Western Plains Zoo). During his time at the zoo, Lacey worked to grow and develop the zoo's facilities, while maintaining an open-range

concept A concept is an abstract idea that serves as a foundation for more concrete principles, thoughts, and beliefs. Concepts play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied within such disciplines as linguistics, ...

for the animals. Lacey oversaw the introduction of Asiatic lions to the Western Plains Zoo. Another of Lacey's initiatives involved the construction of elevated

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

-level platforms in the zoo's koala exhibit, so visitors could view the koalas at eye level instead of from the ground. Lacey also travelled to Zimbabwe to negotiate the acquisition of several endangered black rhinos. The black rhino breeding program at the Western Plains Zoo is now a well regarded initiative. Lacey hosted

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

on her visit to the Western Plains Zoo in 1992. He also aggressively promoted the zoo as a major area

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...

. Lacey voluntarily left the zoo in 1992. Lacey moved to

Darwin, Australia Darwin (Laragiya language, Larrakia: ') is the List of Australian capital cities, capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. The city has nearly 53% of the Northern Territory's population, with 139,902 at the 2021 Australian census, ...

, where he took a position at the Northern Territory Wildlife Park for two years and developed a similar open range concept for the animals of that zoo as well. Lacey and his wife later moved to

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour, locally nicknamed Coffs, is a coastal city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 a ...

. He served as the New Business Development Manager on the local council until his retirement in 2004. He moved to Woonona upon his retirement.

Death

Jim Lacey died on 31 January 2008, at a hospital near

Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...

at the age of 73. He was survived by his wife, Judith, and their five children: Elizabeth Hirst, Mary Louise Lacey, Catherine McClintock, Andrew Lacey and Anne Lacey. Lacey's funeral was held at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Bulli.

References

External links

Sydney Morning Herald: James Francis LaceyTaronga Western Plains Zoo Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacey, Jim 1934 births 2008 deaths Lord Howe Island People from Dubbo Australian directors Australian public servants Zoo directors