Theme parks need a capital injection of between $3million and $4million each year to survive. Wonderland Sydney / Via Twitter: @Wonderland_Syd Your parents wouldn't leave the park without one. Author: By DAVID CRAWSHAW For almost two decades, Wonderland operated more than 20 rides in Sydneys Eastern Creek. [1] Officially opened in December 1985 by the Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran,[2] the park was the largest in the southern hemisphere. "We had a lot more rides coming in than going out and some of the smaller ones were moved to other sections when we got new additions like Space Probe," he said. Sydneys Wonderland revamp gets $1 billion funding. But finally, in 2004, persistent losses incurred and difficult market conditions saw the theme park shut its doors for the last time. Balnaves started working on feasibility studies for Wonderland in the early 1970s and opened the park in December 1984. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. More than often new trains and improvements to keep the ride up-to-date are recommended," a spokeswoman said. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. The most depressing thing was realising we were standing on the exact same spot where the actual Beastie used to be, he said, referring to the parks smaller wooden rollercoaster. Vekoma said it was not uncommon for its rides to remain in service for decades at a time. Wonderland will shut its doors on April 26. Childhood shattered. 'Scooby's Silly Stix' opened in 1985. While Intamin's Giant Drop failed to live on after Wonderland, its Bounty ride which operating in Wonderland as the Bounty's Revenge was also shipped to Sunway Lagoon. It takes another player out of the market." You cannot paste images directly. Water park Magic Mountain in Glenelg opened opened in 1982 and closed its doors in 2004. At the time it was the largest open air amusement park in the southern hemisphere. Why did wonderland shut down? Display as a link instead, Jim Eddy, who runs Jamberoo Recreation Park, does not buy Wonderland's argument and says business could not be better. Property News:Sunny playground where the growth is only just beginning - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. DECEMBER 15, 2004The Snower River Rampage Station, Conveyor and Plant room where destroyed. Id only been to Wonderland once before as a kid and I can barely remember it, he told news.com.au. Many rides closed, the rest lacking quality, incomplete landscaping in places, and Lightspeed breaks down and has people evaced from the brake run. 2002-03: 81,500 Another attraction named 'The Outback Woolshed' was added in 1995, along with an -la-carte-style restaurant. close its doors. Wonderland was designed in the late 1970s. CEO Stephen Galbraith stated the September 11 attacks, the 2002 Bali bombings, the collapse of HIH Insurance, the SARS virus, the bird flu virus, consistent losses on the Asian financial crisis, the collapse of Ansett Australia, the Iraq War and the 2003 bushfires all contributed to the park's closure. The park had a satisfactory couple of months, but for all their rides and investment they couldn't make very much of a profit. Australia's forgotten theme parks hold unforgettable memories for visitors. While few can forget the thrill of their first roller-coaster ride or twirlingon a merry-go-round, the theme parks wherethese memories were forged are being increasingly forgotten. A Vekoma spokeswoman told nine.com.au that due to the Boomerangs' "thrill factor and a small footprint" it was snapped up by Alabama Splash Adventure in the US where it operated as the Zoomerang for seven years. SUNWAY CLOSURE OF WONDERLAND SYDNEY; The Final Day; The Last Day; A visit to Wonderland 12/10/2004 after closure; Demolition Time Line; Wonderland Galleries; Wonderland History; Wonderland Wedding; During main operation of the ride, the ride spins so fast that the rider cars rise in the air, so the rider is horizontally parallel to the ground. Before Werribee Zoo, visitors to Ashtons Bacchus Marsh drove through a safari park where lions would latch their paws onto their cars. Badgerys Creek is ideal but the sites are still under investigation, he said. Mr Bakas is closely monitoring a new $5.5 billion theme park in China called Shanghai Disney Resort which opened last month. The ride closed in 2002. Sonfena demolitions was given the go ahead to finish and complete a non recoverable demolition on the intire park as quickly as possibal, the only areas they where instructed not to touch was the fenced off area around the Zodiac, Space Probe. Many of the attractions were demolished after the parks closure. When we took over eight years ago, the parks future was uncertain, Wonderlands then chief executive Stephen Galbraith said two months prior to the theme parks last day of trade. "I climbed up to the top of the lift hill [an upward sloping section of track] of The Beastie to take some photos and get a better idea of the devastation of the park," Watts said. [5][6], The gates shut for the last time on 26 April 2004,[7] the day after the Anzac Day public holiday, and a complete demolition of the park was undertaken in September 2005. log in. After a tourism boom, the park changed owners, and a Magic Castle was built in 1976 which saw attendance dramatically increase. Wonderland's 400 employees would get their full entitlements and help to find new jobs.Stephen Galbraith. Granted, it's the first time it's been published (what are the sources of the articles, by the way? Wobbies World in Melbournes east opened in 1970 and closed in 1999. The sublime Irish gin which stole Rustys heart, Parallel roads which are streets apart in temperature. The developers sought to provide an alternative to the troubled Luna Park Sydney, which had opened and closed multiple times in its recent history. mini golf, ice cream kiosk and a miniature railway. OTHER NEWS: IS THIS LAST DRINKS FOR THE 1:30AM LOCKOUT? Photo Wonderland Eurasia. Australia's oldest running coal-fired power station is about to close. Wonderlands 400 employees would get their full entitlements and help to find new jobs.. June 2004A Heritage Order for the Bush Beast was submitted to Blacktown Council. There was a miniature golf course called Top Cat's Putt Putt Park; prior to the installation of Fred Flintstone's Splashdown there was a putting course known as Old McScrappy's Golfing Farm. The hit did come from SARS and whatnot, but only because of the lack of investment to make the difference with domestic guests as was appropriately done on the Gold Coast. In 2017, amateur filmmaker Phil Van Gerwen decided to take a trip down memory lane, and venture to the site where rides have been dumped following the parks demise. 1996. When we took over eight years ago, the park's future was uncertain, Since then, we have lifted the overall performance of the park, completely rebuilt its image and brand awareness but this had not been enough. 'Ned Kelly's Getaway' opened 1985. 15/06/91 - Holiday fun with famous Wrestlers; 1992. Selling fun just not the Wonderland it used to be The creator of the park was reportedly a former dentist who had used the by-products from his old practice to make little dinosaurs and creatures out of molars and canines. "I think most people in Western Sydney formed an attachment with the place," Watts told BuzzFeed. 2003-04: 91,000 Dazzeland, Adelaide Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Now, new images show how the theme park was left to rot. June 17th 2004Wonderland became a danger-land training environment for soldiers of 5 Bdes Reserve Response Force (RRF) during the conduct of Exercise Ferris Wheel.The space probe, demon and the snowy river rampage where reported to be seen operating from outside the park. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Visitors were told that the rides were being relocated to the remaining section, so that they would be closer (as the rides were spaced apart). But I am glad that some of the rides have managed to survive," Ammar Khan, who operated rides at the park for nine years told nine.com.au. Wonderland Project Surrounded by Controversy In addition to the major losses, Wonderland creators have been under scrutiny in recent times. [8] Two of the park's camels were adopted by a family in Goulburn. People are not travelling overseas and Macquarie Leisure has been able to tap into this to bolster its domestic visits. Also interesting to read about Jamberoo and Magic Mountain - a great example of the difference between capital and no capital expenditure. According to Khan, the construction of the Park would take three years. Some of the rides were moved, but others were scrapped. A spokeswoman from Wonderland declined to comment on the allegations that the park had been neglected. Park Musical Supervisor for the 19851986 opening season was Derek Williams. Get The New Daily free every morning and evening. The park shut its doors in 2005 citing financial woes. The park featured alarge lake with an island, steam train, go-karts and merry-go-round. Jamberoo bucks trend Control Switches - other than operator's console, New entrance to carpark - Concept Art - 2003, Proposed Colour Design - Retail Outlet - 2003, The Batty Chicken Proposed Colour Design - 2003, Australia's Wonderland 1985 Limited Edition Souvenir Book, Australia's Wonderland Facts Sheet - 1997, ATTENTION ALL STAFF - Feb 4. Cox says Wonderland also suffered because of its Eastern Creek location. Sydney is on track to reopen a wonderful memory in our West. In 2004, the theme park closed its doors. Wonderland Sydney, which was in Eastern Creek, opened in December 1985 with the aim of providing an alternative to Luna Park. It was built in 1980 and closed after a decade of operating. Theme park analyst David Barbuto, of JPI Consulting, says Wonderland had lost its identity and did not offer a sufficient menu of attractions to lock people into a four- to six-hour stay. Watts also chanced upon piles of documentation that explained how some rides operated. During Mr Van Gerwens recent voyage to the wasteland, he documented the condition of six paddle boats from Magilla Gorillas Floatillas, plastic water slide tubing, piles of wooden planks possibly from the Wizards Fury train ride, parts of the Fred Flintstones Splashdown sign and the carcass of an old water raft. Other proposals just never progressed beyond the drawing board, including the $485million Studio City proposal for Melbourne's Docklands and the canning of Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede planned for Surfers Paradise. "It was devastating to see Wonderland close down because of how much fun it brought people over the years. Speaking to Nine News at the time, Mr Naylor said visiting the site brought back memories he had as a child. There was an error submitting the form. Keep track of all the parks and rides you've experienced, Rate and review your favourite attractions, Join the discussion in our forums to find out what new rides/attractions are on their way. Upload or insert images from URL. [1] Officially opened in December 1985 by the Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran,[2] the park was the largest in the southern hemisphere. The park, aimed primarily at younger children, featured a static Bell helicopter plus a chopper-themed Whirliebird monorail, golf course, trampolines and several food and drink kiosks. Ashley Jeffery Started November 23, 2022, By With the CN characters, they've just had the Powerpuff Girls, but . On several occasions in the period between the park's closure and its demolition, he jumped its fence and roamed the abandoned acreage. Wonderland's demise follows the closure of Old Sydney Town on the Central Coast and the Kinkuna Country Fun and Fauna Park at Lakes Entrance, Victoria. While some of Wonderland's rides disappeared long before the park's closure, former employee Mr Khan said many were relocated to make way for bigger and better attractions. But it was so popular I really wanted to explore it. Unlike the Demon, Space Probe's future wasn't as fruitful. However, it is still believed to be sitting in pieces in a paddock at the Malaysian theme park. Your link has been automatically embedded. The first one has some insight from Neil Balnaves from Dreamworld (Macquarie Leisure). Canada's Wonderland will retire its standup roller-coaster SkyRider on Sept. 1 to make way for a new attraction. [27] If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. September 2004Bush Beast and Beastie carriages where moved from the maintenance area, out to the back paddock behind Minchinbury reservoirBush Beasts Yellow PTC Train, minus two cars, under the cover of the stables in the back paddock behind Minchinbury reservoir. Wonderland's chief executive Stephen Galbraith said the park would close its gates because of a number of challenges faced by the tourism and leisure industry in recent years. Since then, we have lifted the overall performance of the park, completely rebuilt its image and brand awareness but this had not been enough. The park, aimed primarily at younger children, featured a static Bell helicopter plus a chopper-themedWhirliebird monorail, golf course, trampolines and several food and drink kiosks. Despite the ride being 23 years old, it was sold again in 2011 to Wonderla in India where it took on its fourth name, Recoil and is still operational to this day. Luna Park, Glenelg, operated from 1930 until 1935. Dazzeland was a two-storey, indoor amusement park occupying the top floor of the Myer Centre in Rundle Mall, Adelaide. 'Little Monsters Flying School' opened in 1985 as Dastardly's Flying Circus. Some amusementparks have managed topersist for decades, but most have sadly shut their doors. This in turn damaed the negotiations for Visionland to buy the Bush Beast and Beastie coaster cars. When the Wonderland closed down in 2004, the Space Probe remained on site for more than year and acted as a nostalgic beacon for anybody that drove past. The content of this website is provided for information purposes only. It remained open for almost nineteen years and was. The site itself has since been turned into Interchange Park, an industrial estate, where remnants of the park remain in the surrounding bushland. GoGoBoy, A look back at Australias forgotten theme parks. The business had just invested $250,000 on a crocodile exhibit, he said. Of all the rides on the 540 acre site, he has always been most fond of Wonderland's two wooden roller coasters, The Beastie and The Bush Beast. Visitors were told that the rides were being relocated to the remaining sections, so that they would be closer (as the rides were spaced apart). Wonderland opened with three separate themed areas within the park: 'Goldrush', 'Medieval Faire' (later renamed Old Botany Bay), and 'Hanna-Barbera Land' (later renamed 'Little Wonders Land' in 20012002) which featured rides and attractions based on characters from Hanna-Barbera animation shows such as Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones. Followed categories will be added to My News. Charlene. [1] It opened on Saturday, 1 December 1906 and closed in 1911. Marvel characters - Never produced Wonderpass and staff ID cards. A small lake equipped with paddle boats. For many years, Wonderland's flagship ride was 'The Bush Beast' which was the largest wooden roller coaster in Australia. Summer holiday (Dec - Jan) figures: You can post now and register later. August 2005Site access is granted after 5 months of delays. Plans for the park include a water park, a wildlife park and the return of the Wonderland. Urban Estate Developments Pty Ltd owner Ammar Khan said a Badgerys Creek site would be the best location for Worlds of Wonderland. Atlantis Marine Park is an abandoned theme park in Two Rocks, Perth. It really was gone, he said. Perhaps put more eloquently than Daniel, but yeah, there was really nothing there that is terribly new. The 100ha site in western Sydney was worth about $100million, and its owners could make more money from subdividing the site than they could from a theme park, he said.
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