The first thing that strikes the visitor to the garden is the splendid condition of the animals, and the evidences of the care bestowed upon them, for the whole of the collection is under Mrs. Roberts's personal supervision, and, with the help of one man, she attends to everything herself; and the directors of some of the public gardens might well take a lesson from her humane management. As her space is naturally somewhat limited, she has not attempted to have all animals represented, but has given her attention chiefly to Tasmanian forms. And in this lies the great value of the collection, for there may be seen some of the interesting creatures peculiar to Tasmania, which are rapidly being exterminated. In one little house there is a family of Tasmanian tigers - the only one in captivity in the world - and it certainly speaks well for the owner that she has reared these creatures and kept them alive and well for several years, when the big zoological gardens have failed in the attempt. Next to the tigers is a family of Tasmanian Devils, quaint little black marsupials, whose ugly little faces certainly warrant their name. Another interesting Tasmanian animal to be seen is the opossum - both the brown and black varieties - a little creature which is rapidly disappearing as its fur is so much in demand. Then there are wallabies and kangaroos running wild in a green paddock, and it is a pretty sight to see them come and nibble biscuits from their mistress's hand. There are also kangaroo rats living happily in captivity, and a pair of flying squirrels completes the list of marsupials.

In a small garden it is naturally easier to have more birds than beasts, and the birds at Beaumaris are a sight worth seeing. There are kookaburras from Australia, keas from New Zealand, pheasants from China, finches from Africa, ducks from America, and parrots from all parts. A satin bower bird plays amongst the trees, and a swamp hawk and a goshawk behave quite nicely in their enclosures. The Cape Barren geese, handsome grey birds with green beaks, are there, and a pair of the beautiful Pacific gulls seem perfectly at home, beside the Tasmanian native hens and bald coots; while the plover and quail, pigeons and herons breed and live happily under the trees. MRS. MARY GRANT ROBERTS feeding some of her flock in a section of her gardens and private zoo in Hobart There are many other birds as well, which would make too long a list to mention, but they are all as happy and healthy as birds in captivity can be. One reason, no doubt, is that there are no cages proper, but small plots of ground are wired over, and thus the birds have the natural earth beneath them, and in some cases natural trees and shrubs to flit amongst. There is nothing in the sight of any of the captives that could hurt the feelings of the most tender-hearted. The habits and natural surroundings of every creature are studied; and, as far as possible, they are housed accordingly, and no one need hesitate to take a child to see the collection. Indeed it is probable that many Tasmanian children will never see some of their rarer animals and birds except in Mrs. Roberts's-garden, for many forms are rapidly disappearing, and as no public effort is being made to preserve even the most interesting.

Tasmania owes more to this public-spirited woman than it realises. Scientists from other lands recognise the value of her work, and in her visitors' book appear the names of most of the

notable people who have passed through Hobart; for her gardens are open to all who care to see them, and visitors are always welcomed and generally shown round by the owner herself. And it is certain that most people who have seen the garden come away with a feeling of keen pleasure, mixed perhaps with a little wonder that a woman can accomplish so much. An article from May 1967 on Roberts in The Australian Women's Weekly reported: "Diary entries show that between 1910 and 1919 Mrs Roberts shipped more than a dozen Tasmanian tigers and a similar number of devils to London, New York, and other places... One day she mentions that some showmen called and wanted to buy a Tasmanian tiger, but she was not disposed to let them have one at any price. In 1910 Mrs Roberts paid the country dealers £8 each for tigers, but as they became scarcer the price gradually rose, to reach £20 by 1919. Still she made a good profit, as cheques received from overseas were up to £40 each." After her death in 1921, her collection of animals was presented after her death to the Hobart City Council and relocated in Queen's Domain. It was there that the last captive thylacine died in 1936.