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Rex Gilroys Australian Butterfly Farm
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Australian Butterfly Farm - Wilberforce 1970s
Rex Gilroy Museum
Photo © Rex Gilroy 2006
Australian Butterfly Farm - Wilberforce
1970s Article
Rex Gilroy, his family, 3000 butterflies, moths and insects, a 3,600 million year old fossil and two Dinosaur eggs have moved to Wilberforce. Rex a Naturalist who for more than 20 years has been studying life on earth along with its many mysteries, has relocated his extensive museum from Katoomba to the old Butterfly Farm at Wilberforce.
Mr Gilroy and his family and truck loads of exhibits and specimens arrived at Wilberforce eight months ago. Now after months of tireless work the butterfly farm and museum are open for buisness. Several months of work still need to be carried out on the museum before it is complete, but Mr Gilroy's extenisive butterfly, moth and insect collection, which has more than 3000 exhibits, is complete.
Dozens of display cases line the walls of one section of the museum. They contain exotic butterflies and moths found throughout the world. Mr Gilroy, who has been an entomologist for 26 years, has gone to great lengths to make the display, both attractive and educational.
Every butterfly, moth and insect is identified, and informatin on species appear on large posters spread throughout the museum. In the collection are Australia's largest moths, found in the Cape York area, and also Australia's smallest butterflies, which aren't much bigger than a two cent piece.
It took Mr Gilroy more than three months to mount his exhibits and despite careful planning he still has hundreds whioch did not make the display. Mr Gilroy's collection is the largest private collection in Australia. "I have been fortunate as I have been donated collections," he said. "By Christmas I hope the museum will be complete and the Butterfly Farm, which wil be the only one of its type in Australia, will be operational."
Mr Gilroy intends breeding butterflies which will be used for research around the world. "Breeding is already underway," Mr Gilroy said. "A new dome will be built and this will have a walk through section which will be open to the public. I would like to see butterflies in the open around the farm which people can touch and admire," he said.
My Gilroy also intends breeding funnel web spiders which will be used for research. At the moment he is seeking live funnel web spiders for an anti-venom research program. His live funnel web spider appeal, which is in it's 20th year, collects spiders for scientists at Macquarie University. Mr Gilroy will be giving venom milking displays at the museum once he is fully established.
"The local species, Blue Mountains funnel web (Atrax versutus)is considered our deadliest funnel web as well as being the world's deadliest spider," he said. "As in all funnel web species, the male is deadlier than the female. The male Blue Mountains species is capable of killing a child in half an hour, and an adult can die in up to three hours-five times faster than the venom of the better known Sydney funnel web (Atrax robustus).
" Mr Gilroy will have live funnel webs on display at his museum. These will be kept in escape proof glass tanks. "I ask anyone finding alive funnel web in this area to capture it and bring it to the Butterfly Farm. I also have a number of "drop off" centres in the Blue Mountains." "Anyone capturing a funnel web should do so with care. Don't take risks. Use a large jar and once the funnel web is secure place some moist earth in the bottom of the jar.
Once captured it is important to keep them away from heat and direct sunlight," Mr Gilroy said. Also included in Mr Gilroys museum wil be extensive displays of fossils and archaeological exhibits. "This will include fossils which date back 3,600 million years. I also have a dinosaur's tooth and two fossilised dinosaur eggs which will be on display. These are about 80 million years old."
"I also have a footprint, 120 million years old, of a Bipedal reptile-a dinosaur which walked on two legs." Mr Gilroy sees his museum as an education scientific exhibition which would be of particular interest to school children.
The items on display in the museum represents a lifetimes work. Mr Gilroy began collecting when he was seven. As he got older his interest in research increased and Mr Gilroy has long been a full time researcher. He believesd his museum and butterfly farm will be unique when they are completed.