Welcoming Back the Gharial on 23 May 2025

 News on the blog is retrospective at the moment. So much happened in 2025 at Museum and Art, much of it not recorded here, so with the long nights continuing for a bit longer yet, I thought I'd try and include some of what was missed.

The long anticipated return of the gharial was welcomed by all of us. Those of you who remember following the large footprints painted on the carpet at Apsley House, will be pleased that the much loved gharial is back on the first floor of the Civic Offices, in the Origins Gallery where the shop and reception are located. In its absence, it has been fully restored, with new teeth, eyes and a case to prevent further degradation. Articles appeared in the Swindon Advertiser and The Swindonian celebrating the return.

It was of course a brilliant photo opportunity with Cllr Jim Robbins Leader of the Council, Heidi Alexander, MP for South Swindon and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Neil Hopkins attending.

Not only attending, but unveiling

And above, the first glimpse of the restored gharial

Heidi Alexander chatting to Frances Yeo above

Left to right: MP Heidi Alexander, Andrew Cross Chair of FMAS, Frances Yeo Head of Museums, Cllr Jim Robbins Council Leader and Cllr Neil Hopkins Deputy Mayor

These two excellent photos were taken by committee member Claire Parsons who takes fantastic photos and judges how and where to take them so well

If you haven't visited the museum and art gallery in the Civic Offices, it's well worth doing so. They are open Tuesday - Saturday 10.30am-4.30pm 

 

 

The Croc is Back

 Our much loved croc or rather gharial has been repaired, restored and generally given a tidying up and is now back in Swindon. It is currently in storage but will be displayed soon we hope. In the before and after photos below you can see the restored teeth and the rather convincing eye and on the right, Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, the Cabinet Member for Culture, Art and Heritage admiring the gharial.

Here's the press release info from 5 November:

Swindon’s 100-year-old crocodile is back from its makeover and looking better than ever.

The much-loved, 15-foot gharial recently went off to be restored by specialist natural sciences conservator Simon Moore, following damage and natural wear and tear to the creature.

Originally a hunting trophy, the Gharial’s first known owner was Major Morton Hiles, who lived in India between 1916 and 1922.

Hiles later lived in Warminster and gave the gharial to Warminster School. In 1931, the school’s vicar offered the specimen to Swindon Museum, as they needed more classroom space.  

Work included:

• Replacing teeth with scrap ivory to restore the original look

• Replacing the old plastic eyes with new, more realistic glass eyes

• Restoring claws on the feet

• Adding back missing pieces of the tail

The restoration was funded from the regular collections care and conservation budget held by the museums team.

Gharials are currently a critically endangered species, with experts estimating that there are fewer than 1,500 left alive in the wild.