[6] The section, which he rented from the Adelaide City Council, lay near Pennington Garden, between the University Oval and King William Road[7][8] (now part of Park 12/Karrawirra).
The species was not uncommon in South Australia before the arrival of foxes and "sportsmen" with rifles, but 100 years later was believed locally extinct apart from three discrete locations not divulged to the public.
[16] The "Farm" was popular with children, as apart from koalas and snakes, it boasted "Sally" the Timor pony, "Porker" the buckjumping pig,[17] and a performing seal in its own pool with a 30 feet (9.1 m) diving tower.
[19][20] Among other attractions was a blubber melting pot, a relic of whaling days, which Minchin recovered from Kangaroo Island,[21] and a renovated coach, originally owned by Governor Hindmarsh, drawn by Timor ponies.
Scientists recommended a significant culling, but rather than risk a hostile public reaction, the South Australian Government embarked on a program of surgical sterilization of adult females by veterinarians.