About Jirrahlinga
Jirrahlinga is a not-for-profit wildlife sanctuary. We have been rescuing and conserving native animals while supporting people in the community for over 50 years. We foster healing connections between wildlife and people, especially those with disabilities, special needs, and the elderly.
Compassionate Care
Every animal at Jirrahlinga receives the highest standard of compassionate, respectful care in our safe and nurturing environment.
Specialised Experiences
We create gentle, healing experiences, that benefit people with disabilities, special needs, and elderly community members.
Conservation Focus
As a not-for-profit, we actively work towards the long-term sustainability and protection of Australia’s native wildlife and their habitats.
Educational Excellence
Through daily wildlife encounters and engaging educational programs, we inspire visitors of all ages to connect deeply with Australian wildlife, building awareness and understanding.
History of Jirrahlinga
For more than fifty years, wildlife sanctuary Jirrahlinga has been a place of refuge – both for animals and people.
Founded in the 1970s by wildlife carer Tehree Gordon on five acres near Barwon Heads, Jirrahlinga (an Aboriginal word meaning seek a home for a kangaroo) began as a sanctuary for injured native animals. Its mission quickly expanded beyond rescue to embrace education and community care.
In 1983, following the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires, Jirrahlinga gained national recognition for its tireless work treating burnt and traumatised wildlife. Two decades later, when nearly 500 dingoes in Chewton faced euthanasia, Tehree and her husband Hamish stepped in. They navigated months of red tape, secured the property, and gave the dingoes a second chance at life – laying the foundation for Jirrahlinga’s commitment to dingo conservation.
By the late 2000s, managing two sites became unsustainable. The Gordons consolidated operations at Chewton, where thousands of hours of volunteer work transformed the old site into a thriving sanctuary.
Today, Jirrahlinga is home to 128 dingoes and around 200 other native animals. It is a not-for-profit, powered by volunteers, donations, and a small passionate team. More than that, it is a place where rescue leads to recovery, where animals find safety, and where people find connection.
After fifty years, the spirit is unchanged: care, respect, and the promise of sanctuary.
Why does Australia need native animal sanctuaries?
Habitat Loss Is Accelerating
Australia is losing bushland faster than almost any country on Earth. As forests disappear, so do the homes of koalas, dingoes, and countless other species. Jirrahlinga exists to slow that loss—one rescued animal, one informed visitor at a time.
Wildlife Road Injuries Are Rising
More cars and expanding suburbs mean more wildlife collisions. Our on-site clinic provides urgent care, rehabilitation, and, when possible, safe release back to the wild.
When Release Isn’t Possible
Some animals suffer permanent injuries that make survival in the wild impossible. We offer them a secure, enriching home for life.
Education That Inspires Action
Daily wildlife presentations let visitors meet native animals up close while learning how habitat destruction and climate pressures threaten their future—and how every Australian can help.
Where do the animals come from?
Rescues & Surrenders
Injured wildlife arrive via vets and carers. Birds and reptiles surrendered by owners, often captive-bred, find permanent safety here.
Licensed Dingo Care
In Victoria, keeping dingoes requires a special DEECA licence. Jirrahlinga is fully accredited and compliant, ensuring the highest welfare standards.
We never capture healthy wild animals to populate the sanctuary; every resident is here because they need us until they can thrive on their own, or for as long as they live.
