There is still a Boyd Avenue in Royal Oak today. 1920s On the afternoon of Saturday 16 December 1922, the zoo was opened by the Governor-General of the time, Lord Jellicoe, with the mayor of Auckland James Gunson in attendance to a sizeable crowd. At this time Western Springs was from the town hall in what was then a semi rural area. The story of Boyd's zoo was well publicised and the public warmed to the zoo immediately. The early zoo was a bleak and uninspiring place and had been founded with an initial fund of £10,000. However, in 1923, the staff quickly set about planting 5,000 trees and developing the grounds to a pleasant setting. The council had a meeting on 26 July 1923 with the purpose of arranging the location of a flying aviary, a monkey house and accommodation for the polar bears, bison and birds of prey. Money was also spent developing a bandstand; hippopotamus pools, elephant house and walk, refreshment kiosk and a tiger arena. L.T. Griffin was the zoo's first supervisor and in effect its first director. He went to Africa in 1923 to acquire species for the newly formed zoo. What followed was an aggressive policy of expansion over the next few years, including the zoo's first animal star, the female Indian elephant, Jamuna, whose influence is still seen today by Jamuna plaza in the rear of the modern zoo. The zoo originally had two keepers who worked seven-day weeks. The early mortality rate of animals in the zoo was terrible especially considering modern standards. However, this was normal for the time. In 1927 the zoo was still expanding rapidly. By December there were 250 mammals of 80 species, more than 1000 birds of 130 species and 24 reptiles of 6 species. Total expenditure on the zoo amounted to £53,818. Mortality rates were still high and staff were struggling with a plague of rats but there was positive news as well. Some of the zoo's most popular enclosures were completed and people were still keen to donate animals. Perhaps most encouraging was that 25 mammals and 62 birds were born at the zoo in 1928. By the end of the 1920s the zoo was well established had assembled a large collection in a relatively short period of time. On 17 July 1929 the formation of the Auckland Zoological Society was announced whose main purpose