The history of The Aquarium
The Aquarium here at ZSL London Zoo holds a very important position in history, as it was the first aquarium to be established and opened in the whole world! It was also the first establishment of its kind to be called an ‘aquarium’.
“On the 18th February 1852 the Council of the Zoological Society agreed that work should start immediately on the building of an Aquatic Vivarium”.
The original term for a fish tank or fish enclosure was an ‘Aquatic Vivarium’; it was here at ZSL London Zoo that the two words were combined to make the word ‘Aquarium’.
This didn’t please everybody as the word ‘aquarium’ in classical Latin actually means a watering place for cattle! But it soon caught on and is now a world recognized term for describing any display of marine life.
The Aquarium is one of the oldest exhibits in the Zoo, and it has some of the oldest displays on show, and it all began in 1852 when two men who had tried keeping tropical fish in tanks in their homes approached the Zoological Society of London for their help and expertise…
The Scientists at ZSL were happy to oblige, and ‘The Fish House’ was in place by the end of 1853. Inside were over 300 different breeds of marine life, not just fish, but also many other species of invertebrates. This was the first time aquatic animals had been kept and cared for, on such a large scale, in enclosed tanks.
The Aquarium as we know it now was not built until 1921, as the public demand to see the fish at London Zoo was ever increasing. The building is now housed under the Mappin Terraces and was opened by King George V and his wife Queen Mary in April 1924.
You can read about what happened when the glass front of a tank of fish cracked just before King George’s arrival, when you come and visit the Aquarium!