It’s the end of an era at Everglades Historic House and Gardens.
Percy, the last of the peacocks, which have been a feature at the gardens since they were established in the 1930s, has died.
Everglades manager Guy McIlrath said a fox had attacked the peacock who was in a neighbour’s garden.
“They heard his distress call and were able to chase the fox off before he injured him too badly, but sadly when they took him to the vet xrays showed that he was very old and riddled with arthritis,” Mr McIlrath said.
Percy was euthanased at Katoomba Veterinary Clinic, where they kindly covered the bill.
“He was a unique and much-loved part of Everglades,” Mr McIlrath said of the peacock who was more than 20 years old.
Percy liked to wander, and would often be seen roosting in neighbours’ trees, and visiting residents of Leura Fairways Retirement Village.
“During the Leura Garden Festival he’d be in full plumage and put on a display,” Mr McIlrath recalled.
“He’d have 100 people lining up for photos.”
Percy wasn’t the only peacock who liked to roam. Any time a peacock turned up in an unfamiliar location across the Blue Mountains, staff at Everglades would get a call, saying “we have your peacock!”
The story of Everglades’ historic peacocks are recorded in wrought iron screens by the cafe. One of owner Henri Van de Velde’s dogs, Buster, had chased a peacock, whose tail feathers had gone everywhere amid much squawking. The dog was sent to his kennel to meditate on his sins, and the caretaker, Reg Moran, retrieved the bird from the Gordon Falls valley, where the peacocks usually fled to when the family pets became too bothersome.
Mr McIlrath said they had never introduced any new peacocks at Everglades and there were no plans to replace Percy.