In the early 1800s, Napoléon Bonaparte’s wife set her heart on acquiring a vast collection of wombats, kangaroos, black swans and dwarf emus to roam the magnificent gardens at her home, Chateau de Malmaison. And while scientists had other plans for the prized Australian animals, the French emperor stepped in to ensure his beloved Josephine got her way. State Library Victoria reference librarian Andrew McConville joins the show to tell the story.

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