Diving into our aquatic past and future
We wanted you, our members, to be the first to know that after over 70 years, we’ll be saying farewell to our Aquarium building next year. Literally built by the hands of our founder's daughter June and her former bear keeper husband Fred Williams, this is an iconic building with a fascinating past and a legacy that will continue for many years to come.
We wanted you, our members, to be the first to know that after over 70 years, we’ll be saying farewell to our Aquarium building next year. Literally built by the hands of our founder's daughter June and her former bear keeper husband Fred Williams, this is an iconic building with a fascinating past and a legacy that will continue for many years to come.
The story of our Aquarium started in the 1950s, when an enthusiastic June and Fred Williams were hard at work pouring and shaping concrete by hand as the couple brought their ambitious plans to life. With their work illuminated by two aircraft runway landing lights George Mottershead purchased at an army surplus sale, slowly but surely the Aquarium we know and love today began to take shape.
June’s love for the Aquarium began during her school days, when the zoo’s first ever aquatic species were located in tanks in the labyrinth of wine cellars below The Oakfield. She begged Peter Falwasser, the zoo’s first full-time aquarist, to let her help and she began her evening duties as an informal apprentice around her homework.
This passion for the aquatic continued and fuelled the building you see at the zoo today. June and Fred spent the late 1940s and early 1950s visiting as many aquariums as possible, with grand plans to make their innovative scheme here in Chester a reality. When it opened in 1952, the Aquarium featured an innovative flat roof which was flooded with water and populated with fish that could be viewed from below through glass hatches – a spectacular sight before reports came in of fish falling out of the sky as birds began to carry the fish off for supper!
The story of our Aquarium started in the 1950s, when an enthusiastic June and Fred Williams were hard at work pouring and shaping concrete by hand as the couple brought their ambitious plans to life. With their work illuminated by two aircraft runway landing lights George Mottershead purchased at an army surplus sale, slowly but surely the Aquarium we know and love today began to take shape.
June’s love for the Aquarium began during her school days, when the zoo’s first ever aquatic species were located in tanks in the labyrinth of wine cellars below The Oakfield. She begged Peter Falwasser, the zoo’s first full-time aquarist, to let her help and she began her evening duties as an informal apprentice around her homework.
This passion for the aquatic continued and fuelled the building you see at the zoo today. June and Fred spent the late 1940s and early 1950s visiting as many aquariums as possible, with grand plans to make their innovative scheme here in Chester a reality. When it opened in 1952, the Aquarium featured an innovative flat roof which was flooded with water and populated with fish that could be viewed from below through glass hatches – a spectacular sight before reports came in of fish falling out of the sky as birds began to carry the fish off for supper!
A December 1938 issue of the ‘Our Zoo News’ magazine updates visitors on the addition of new tanks in the old Oakfield Aquarium.
This zoo map from September 1948 shows the location of the old Oakfield Aquarium, shortly before it closed.
The existing Aquarium in the final stages of construction.
An excerpt from ‘Chester Zoo news’ about a former resident of the Aquarium, the West African lungfish.
Information about the Aquarium from the 1978 Chester Zoo Guide. At the time, there were around 2,300 fish in the Aquarium.
The Aquarium in approximately 1982. The Aquarium used to have a separate admission fee - 10p for adults and 5p for children.
In 1991 many of the tanks in the Aquarium were being redeveloped to house a range of tropical marine and freshwater fish.
The 2001 Chester Zoo Guide outlines some of the notable species in the Aquarium, many of which can still be found there today.
Information about the Aquarium from the 2008 Chester Zoo guide, with a mention of our worldwide reputation for the conservation breeding of threatened fish species.
The Aquarium as it looks today.
A December 1938 issue of the ‘Our Zoo News’ magazine updates visitors on the addition of new tanks in the old Oakfield Aquarium.
The existing Aquarium in the final stages of construction.
Information about the Aquarium from the 1978 Chester Zoo Guide. At the time, there were around 2,300 fish in the Aquarium.
In 1991 many of the tanks in the Aquarium were being redeveloped to house a range of tropical marine and freshwater fish.
Information about the Aquarium from the 2008 Chester Zoo guide, with a mention of our worldwide reputation for the conservation breeding of threatened fish species.
This zoo map from September 1948 shows the location of the old Oakfield Aquarium, shortly before it closed.
An excerpt from ‘Chester Zoo news’ about a former resident of the Aquarium, the West African lungfish.
The Aquarium in approximately 1982. The Aquarium used to have a separate admission fee - 10p for adults and 5p for children.
The 2001 Chester Zoo Guide outlines some of the notable species in the Aquarium, many of which can still be found there today.
The Aquarium as it looks today.
A FOND farewell
Sadly, the way it was lovingly constructed back in the 50s means that the Aquarium is now coming to the end of its life. With such advancements in building methods, technology and requirements for modern zoos, our expert team of structural engineers agree that from 2026 our aquatic species in the Aquarium will be finding new habitats to flourish in, under the care of our dedicated aquatic team.
For the last 25 years we have been developing other aquatic habitats throughout the zoo, teeming with many different species. You can find these in places like Spirit of the Jaguar, Monsoon Forest, the Okapi House and the Elephant House.
Our conservation work behind the scenes and out in the field will also continue, with a dedication that has seen us save fish species from the brink of extinction, such as bringing the golden skiffia back to Mexican waters for the first time since 1990. Our team were also the first in Europe to successfully breed the critically endangered scarce yellow sally stonefly, which had been thought extinct for 28 years.
Teamwork
Our Aquarium team have been renowned for groundbreaking scientific and conservation work for decades, caring for hundreds of aquatic species at the zoo as well as their work on projects around the world. Our focus is unique in the sense that we predominantly specialise in freshwater environments which are more diverse and threatened than marine environments. Having a zoo like ours working on this is extremely important, with projects around the world from Mexico to Madagascar helping to safely reintroduce fish species to their native home.
It’s only through the skills developed working in the Aquarium over the years that our teams have been able to offer their expertise to these vital conservation projects in the wild. An amazing legacy which we’re all extremely proud of.
With so many special stories through the ages and a wide breadth of conservation work around the world, our Aquarium won’t be leaving us without the send off it deserves. Keep your eyes peeled for more special features over the coming year to celebrate all the conservation successes that this special place has helped to achieve.
We would like to wish a special thanks to Chester Zoo volunteer and zoo history enthusiast David Lomas, who has helped with our research into the archives for this article.
