Home away from home
Not many people can say their journey to Darwin was on the back of dwindling cheetah populations in Australasian zoos. In fact, there’s probably only one, but that’s exactly how Rob Hall’s pathway to living and working in Australia began.
Rob was born in Zambia to English parents and moved to Rhodesia, which later became known as Zimbabwe, before settling in South Africa, where he oversaw the breeding and exportation of animals to zoos across the world.
'We bred cheetahs and wild dogs, lions, tigers, all those critters and then it would be getting them to accredited zoos who needed them,' he said.
'There was a strong need for the cheetah population to be bolstered in Australasian zoos.
'The easiest way to get them in was to send them to New Zealand first and then New Zealand could send animals to Australia because of quarantine requirements and all.'
Rob built up a strong relationship with both New Zealand and Australian zoos, so when his work wound up in South Africa, fate presented a job in New Zealand’s South Island in a similar industry.
As picturesque and green as the South Island is, it wasn’t the African plains.
After 2 years, Rob put in a cold call to Merlin Entertainment Group, which runs a series of Sea Life aquariums and other attractions.
As chance had it, there was an opening for a general manager at one of their parks on Hamilton Island.
With a 457 working visa in hand, Rob, his wife and 2 small children packed up and moved to Australia.
During the family’s 8 years on Hamilton, they attained permanent residency but Rob needed more of a challenge than the small Queensland zoo could offer.
Then the job as Director of the Territory Wildlife Park in Darwin came up. Over 3 years later and Rob feels like he has found his home away from home.
After having to take backward steps in his career since leaving South Africa, Rob is now back in a senior high-level management position at a wildlife park with strong possibilities for growth, 54 permanent staff and a dozen casuals.
The major drawcard is that he and the family have landed in a place where they value the multiculturalism, the banter and easy-going nature of Australians, and the many opportunities personally and professionally, including for their children.
Both Rob’s kids have left school and are happily working in the NT.
'That to us, is gold because the young kids over in SA, they'd get qualified but it was always a struggle to get themselves on their feet employment-wise,' he said.
'Over here, it's a country of opportunity.'
The lifestyle, weather and landscape are another big plus for Rob.
'I really like Darwin’s earthiness,' Rob said.
'Honestly, it’s such an earthy environment. It's tactile, it's sensory. It’s almost what the African bush offered just without the diversity of wildlife.
'We had a really good, let's say, departure from South Africa and it’s just got better and better.'
