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A.A. Milne and Christopher Robin

This little bear captured the hearts of many visitors to the Zoo, among them A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin Milne. They became frequent visitors and it was Christopher who added “Pooh” to Winnie’s name. He got the name from his pet swan named Pooh. Christopher had a bear given to him on his first birthday on August 21, 1921 which he first called Edward Bear, but soon changed to “Winnie-the-Pooh” after the playful Winnie at the London Zoo.

A.A. Milne started to write stories about a loveable bear in his children’s books based on that bear in the Zoo. In his first edition in 1926, he mentioned that these stories were about this bear and his son and his son’s stuffed animals. We have been told that Christopher Robin had a birthday party at the Zoo that included some of his friends and “Winnie-the-Pooh” as well, since it was held in Winnie’s den.

Winnie lived a long, full life in the zoo, occasionally not wanting to take her pills for arthritis, but otherwise very content. She died on May 12, 1934 when she was 20 years old. She was so loved by all that the London Newspaper ran her obituary. Harry Colebourn was kept up to date on Winnie over the years and was informed about her death by the Zoo Officials.


In Memory of Winnie The Pooh

A bronze statue of Winnie now stands at the London Zoo in her memory. It was unveiled in 1981. Part of the inscription reads “She gave her name to “Winnie-the-Pooh” and A.A. Milne and Ernest Shepard gave “Winnie-the-Pooh” to the rest of the world”. Originally the inscription incorrectly identified her as the mascot of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry Regiment, but in 1999 a group from Manitoba went to the London Zoo to replace the plaque with one that correctly states the she was the mascot for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade.

The White River Grade Eight Class also went to the London Zoo in 1997 to present another plaque detailing White River’s part in Winnie’s history. A copy of this plaque is on display at the White River Visitor’s Centre. There is also a bronze statue of Captain Colebourn and Winnie in the children’s section at the London Zoo which is a copy of the one in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg. It was given to the Zoo by the Manitoba Government.

The White River District Historical Society has received touching and sometimes humorous letters from those who knew the Milne family or visited Winnie at the Zoo. A.A. Milne passed away January 31, 1956. Christopher Robin Milne, who passed away April 20, 1996, had previously been in touch with the Historical Society and autographed six books, three books that his father wrote as well as three books he had written. These are on display in the Museum.

Fred Colebourn, the only son of Harry, passed away in May 1998 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a young boy growing up, he was aware of his father’s connection to “Winnie-the-Pooh” and was pleased when it was verified in 1987. Fred was the guest of honour at our first festival in 1989 which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the purchase of the bear cub and the meeting of the Captain and Winnie at the train station in White River.

Walt Disney purchased the copyright to “Winnie-the-Pooh” in 1961. The stories have been translated into thirty three languages.

In 1996, the Disney Company commissioned Canada Post to introduce a set of 4 stamps which depict the story of “Winnie-the-Pooh” beginning with the little Canadian Black Bear and Captain Colebourn in White River, then her life at the London Zoo, the meeting of Winnie and Christopher Robin Milne and lastly showing the “Winnie-the-Pooh” character as developed by the Disney Company.

Disney has writers who continue to create stories about the adventures of this famous bear.