The Jirrahlinga Koala & Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on 5 acres of land on the Northern edge of Barwon Heads.
Jirrahlinga, Aboriginal for "Seek a home for a kangaroo", was
established more than 30 years ago by Tehree Gordon to be a haven for injured wildlife.
Following the Ash Wednesday Bushfires in 1983, Jirrahlinga
received national & international media coverage acclaiming the rescue mission launched to seek out and treat shocked & burnt animals.
This is the secret of Jirrahlinga; a place where
dementia patients suddenly respond for the first time in months, where people with learning difficulties working on a regular basis find the confidence to talk
animatedly about their animal charges, or where disadvantaged youth gain an
opportunity to move on through life after discovering that the complexities of life can be managed by giving to creatures with more need than they have and which respond with their own form of gratitude
But Jirrahlinga is not just for distressed native animals. It is primarily about people. Particularly people who have a disability, a special need, the frail or the aged.
What better therapy could there be than to come into a supportive environment to work quietly with animals or just visit and touch a koala or joey that do not place demands on a person's
physical or mental capacities.
We at Jirrahlinga would like to say
"Thankyou" to the Drol kar Buddhist Centre, Geelong for allowing us
to use the photograph of the Buddhist Monk on the front page.
The photo was taken during their "Sacred Footsteps From the Roof" world tour
in 2005.
When the monks visited we closed the Sanctuary gates to the public, this
allowed the monks to see & interact with our unique wildlife in peace
whilst the
media where left behind the front gates.
The monks will be touring Australia again in 2007, for more information
please follow the link below.
