The carousel was manufactured in England in 1878 and then brought to Australia in 1886 by a family that ran a touring carnival, visiting country towns in Victoria.

After touring with the carnival for over 60 years, in 1952 the carousel became part of a fun fair at the Melbourne Zoo, but was still owned by the same families.

[1][2][3] In that year, Robert and Frederick Tidman were granted a patent for the design of a carousel driven using bevel and spur gears, and powered by a small steam engine.

[2] The Briggs and Freeman families operated the carousel in a touring carnival, visiting country towns in Victoria for over 60 years.

[5][6] In 1952, the carousel was established in a permanent home as part of a fun fair at Melbourne Zoo in Parkville.

[8] The main mechanical restoration work was carried out in Castlemaine,[9] but an artist Patricia Mullins undertook the repainting of the carousel horses in a studio in Fitzroy.