Jamuna with the 1927 Miss New Zealand contestants

The Auckland Zoo held its 75th anniversary celebrations on 17 December 1997. Zoo staff directly involved with the zoo during the 1920s - 1970s and members of the public who visited the zoo in the first year (1922), were contacted by current staff for the event.

Information or letters gathered from these interviews helped to create a historical guide celebrating the past 75 years of Auckland Zoo. These were made available only on the day of the Anniversary.

More than 20 million people have visited the zoo since its official opening in 1922. Pictured is one of the most popular attractions, the elephant, Jamuna. Jamuna was a star with crowds during the 1920s, '30s, '40s and '50s.