By Oscar Parry
Beaconsfield residents are still searching for answers after a mysterious banner – which reads ‘Beaconsfield Zoo coming soon’ – remains attached to temporary fencing surrounding the burnt row of shops on the Old Princes Highway.
The banner, which appeared around the end of May, has led to much speculation on the meaning of the sign, especially on local Facebook groups.
“Can anyone explain the sign ‘Beaconsfield Zoo’,” one resident asked in the Beaconsfield Neighbourhood Forum.
“Joe Exotic is coming” another member of the group responded, referring to the eccentric zookeeper protagonist of the Netflix series ‘Tiger King’.
“It’s doing my head in, anyone know yet?” another responded.
The banner, featuring a hand painted giraffe, implies that the zoo will be built at the location of where the row of shops, opposite to The Central Hotel, once stood before fire destroyed them in July last year.
A Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson confirmed that the council “has not received a planning application for a development of this type”.
While the burnt buildings are currently being reworked, there have been no signs of a zoo development so far.
Until the creator of the banner reveals themselves, residents are left scratching their heads over where the banner has come from, and why.
