DECEMBER 18 2004The Wonderland Sign above the front gate was taken down and sold for $1,000 to a Junkyard in Londonderry. Get The New Daily free every morning and evening. Demolition Time Line | Wonderland History Park Musical Supervisor for the 19851986 opening season was Derek Williams. Special-needs schools connected to Morgan's Wonderland to close The park opened in 1991 and closed in 1998. [5] Sydney Morning Herald stated that Sunway Group "blames Wonderland's demise on everything except poor management". The Demon lives on after Sydney Wonderland's untimely demise Wonderland Sydney was a theme park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Some amusementparks have managed topersist for decades, but most have sadly shut their doors. "At lower elevations, where it did not snow Lewis Carroll's classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, starts with a plunge down a hole in pursuit of a white rabbit before things turn "curiouser and curiouser." The sublime Irish gin which stole Rustys heart, Parallel roads which are streets apart in temperature. Some of the rides were moved, whereas others were scrapped. The park appears to have been abandoned since 2015. "It was basically a 'wear-out' process," he says. Overseas attendees provide a better yield once they pass through the gates, with Japanese visitors the best spenders. The developers sought to provide an alternative to the troubled Luna Park Sydney, which had opened and closed multiple times in its recent history. Later that year it was shipped to Sydney and installed in 1992 where it was re-christened The Demon. New logo look for Wonderland Sydney - 2002, A visit to Wonderland 12/10/2004 after closure, 2003 Retail Plaza Marvel Make-over Completed. 'Magilla Gorilla's Flotillas' opened 1985. After the Demon was down and out of the park the original Canadian company, who were contracted to pull it down, decided not to pay guy his exorbitant fee using the distance between the two countries as a safe haven. Wonderland Sydney's relegation this week to the theme park scrap heap highlights just how tough the business of selling fun has become. Watts also chanced upon piles of documentation that explained how some rides operated. Plans for the park include a water park, a wildlife park and the return of the Wonderland. The ride closed in 2002. Since then, we have lifted the overall performance of the park, completely rebuilt its image and brand awareness but this had not been enough. 'Skyhawk' opened 1991. Upload or insert images from URL. Author: Kathy Mac Dermott Join the conversation with your fellow The New Daily readers and see their replies. When it shut its doors to the public in April 2004, he wasn't quite ready to let go of his childhood. ``We compete pretty hard with them so we expect to pick up (group bookings) Christmas parties, school excursions. It is now the site of the Forest Hill police station. Started February 23, By Wonderland's demise follows that of the disastrous Fox Studios Backlot theme park, which Lend Lease and News Corp were forced to shut down after less than two years of operation, and the closure of Old Sydney Town. The high velocity ride which sling-shotted passengers at more than 70km/h forwards and then backwards operated in Wonderland's Transylvania Land until its closure in 2004. Why did wonderland shut down? The Bush Beast's wooden tracks were torn apart and carriages left to rust, and the. Strongline Engineering removed the attraction in September 2005 and. Now, new images show how the theme park was left to rot. Wonderland, Sydney. It is kind of like having a foot but you dont know the exact shoe size., SYDNEY WALK-THRU JUNKYARD THAT HAS EVERYTHING. [26] While Khan does not have a site for the Park he plans that it would occupy a site around 300 acres in and around Eastern Creek or towards Hoxton Park. Ltd. the operator of wonderland is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Estonia Enterprises Ltd which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastern Glory Enterprises Ltd. Eastern Glory Enterprises Ltd is a 60% owned subsidiary of Sunway Lagoon Sdn Bhd which is a 51% owned subsidiary of Suncity.Both Estonia Enterprises Ltd and Eastern Glory Enterprises Ltd are companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. In its recently released interim results, Macquarie Leisure reported a 29 per cent improvement in Dreamworld's profit at a time when its international patronage was at an historic low. Successive inconveniences and high costs caused Wonderland Eurasia to . Started Thursday at 09:35 PM. Author: By DAVID CRAWSHAW People are not travelling overseas and Macquarie Leisure has been able to tap into this to bolster its domestic visits. All content copyright 2002-2023 Parkz and its respective copyright holder. "At a time when international tourists want to do Cape York to Melbourne in one day, Wonderland was too far out of Sydney," he says. 19 Things Every Aussie Kid Will Remember About Wonderland - BuzzFeed Cox says Wonderland also suffered because of its Eastern Creek location. 21 Eerie Photos Of Wonderland Sydney After It Closed - BuzzFeed Jamberoo Recreation Park visitor numbers: The park had a satisfactory couple of months, but for all their rides and investment they couldn't make very much of a profit. Wonderland Sydney Proposal - Sydney - WeekendNotes March 12, 2005Ambulances were called to reports of a person fallen at the 'Space Probe'.On arrival ambulance officers found a male in his early 30s trapped on a platform inside the tower approximately 30 metres above the ground. News 4; More attractions at Wonderland Sydney Top rated experiences at Wonderland Sydney. Sydney's Last Real Theme Park - The History of Wonderland Sydney Featured as the world's tallest and fastest free-fall ride at the time, Space Probe quickly became a crowd favourite with guests often queueing up for almost an hour to ride the attraction that lasted only 3.8 seconds as it dropped guests at 120km/h. Self care and ideas to help you live a healthier, happier life. March 31 2005A cyclone fence went up around the Bush Beast while the Heritage Order for the Bush Beast was being reviewed by Blacktown Council. The park included a steel roller-coaster, waterslides and log flume. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. Wonderland Sydney officially closed. I know there is not really any new info as such in the articles (as I said I was not expecting any of you to be surprised) but as you said Richard it is the first time this angle has been published, unfortunately. The first one has some insight from Neil Balnaves from Dreamworld (Macquarie Leisure). This all comes from marketing pretty much. "Everyone is not doing as well as they were because the fall in international tourists has dented theme park revenues," forensic valuer Brian Cox says. The most notable attractions included The Demon, The Beastie, The Bush Beast and the Snowy River Rampage. But other operators and analysts place the blame closer to home. I saw things I remember clearly as a child, pieces of rides I used to love that were still just sitting there, fading.. BuzzFeed Staff, Australia. 'Skyway' opened 1997. Tweet. 'Tasmanian Devil' opened 1985. on top of a roller coaster, and passengers had to get off on foot. And my friend wanted to take a drone, so we went out again this month.. Granted, it's the first time it's been published (what are the sources of the articles, by the way? Cartoon Network Characters To Debut at Wonderland Sydney In the mid 1990s he said Wonderland was consistently attracting 1 million visitors a year. The park haddodgem cars, a roller-coaster, an arcade, mini-golf, bumper boats and gravity-defying ride called The Scat. Before Werribee Zoo, visitors to Ashtons Bacchus Marsh drove through a safari park where lions would latch their paws onto their cars. Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe was so impressed with the honesty of a liquor he tasted while working in Dublin he bought shares in the company. When the aforementioned "excuses" hit, this portion of the attendance did take a huge hit. The new project to resurrect Wonderland Sydney has been earmarked for completion by 2021 with a new location in Western Sydney still to be finalised. The New Daily takes a look back at Australias most loved and forgotten theme parks. The Board of Directors wishes to inform the Exchange that International Theme Park Pty Ltd (a company incorporated in Australia), the operator of Wonderland Sydney in Australia will be closing its theme park operation latest by middle of this year. Leisureland Fair was in Langwarrin, in Melbournes south-east, and operated from 1984 to 1992. Dimly lit, hard-to-watch Disney trailer is further proof Hollywood has embraced the dark side, From Aussie politics to catering funerals: Here are 10 new books to check out in March, Introducing the worlds smartest suitcases. 2002-03: 170,000 [4] Today, the five Paramount Parks continue successful operation, purchased in 2006 by amusement park operator Cedar Fair. The 19-year-old thrill venue is being bulldozed for a traditional industrial estate, leaving Sydney without a major theme park attraction and Wonderland's Malaysian vendor with a hefty profit from the land sale. 09/03/04 - What do you think of Australia's Wonderland closing down? [1] It opened on Saturday, 1 December 1906 and closed in 1911. 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. The first thing we saw was the paddleboats and a few old signs to do with ice cream and The Flintstones. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Go here for more 90s and 00s nostalgia. Waste and neglect: Turkey's quirky amusement park that ran for just one 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. 'HMS Endeavour' opened 1985. However, Taft only had a minority stake in Australia's Wonderland and sold their stake to other Australian investors. "I guess it felt like I had a certain amount of closure by being able to climb The Beastie this one final time, it being the first roller-coaster I ever went on as a child.". Well-known circus family, the Bullens, also had other lion parks in NSW, Queensland and South Australia. The park included the Big Dipper roller-coaster,mini golf, ice cream kiosk and a miniature railway. After this contract expired, the ride dropped the '7' from its name). Originally known as. Friday August 26, 2005The Beastie was demolished. A look back at Australia's forgotten theme parks - The New Daily Ashley Jeffery Produced by Kings Entertainment Company. Atlantis Marine Park is an abandoned theme park in Two Rocks, Perth. Taking the technology and making it move in a different direction.. Several rides were closed in 2002 due to the reduction in operational area of the park. The owners of'HMS Endeavor' (beleved to be Sunway) where given access to the site and started started dismantling the ride.HMS Endeavor was then moved out to the back paddock. The park opened in 1970 and closed by 1980, it was run by the Ashton family, of Ashtons Circus fame. But it was so popular I really wanted to explore it. Both parks had at least twodeaths as well as injuries which contributed to their eventual closure. Wonderland City was an amusement park located at Tamarama, on Wonderland Avenue near the point at which it joins Fletcher Street, in Sydney, Australia. Sydney's Luna Park has closed and re-opened numerous times. Sydney's Wonderland is set to give our Queensland folk, a run for their money. Wonderland Sydney, which was in Eastern Creek, opened in December 1985 with the aim of providing an alternative to Luna Park. Dazzeland, Adelaide The official shutdown schedule is as follows: 27/04/04 - Laughter turns to tears as sun sets on Wonderland, 23/07/04 - Family seeks theme park ticket refund. Wonderland Sydney, then known as Australia's Wonderland opened amid much media attention and publicity on 7 December 1985 with financial backing from the New South Wales State Superannuation Board, James Hardie, Leighton Holdings and Taft Broadcasting (through Kings Entertainment Company)[3] at Eastern Creek on the junction of Wallgrove Road and the M4 Motorway. Problems around Wonderland Eurasia arose quickly: just two days after its opening, a train got stuck. It was put into voluntary liquidation in 1934, with its rides dismantled and sent to Luna Park in Sydney. 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"There is always something fascinating about abandoned places," Watts said. parks have managed topersist for decades, but most have sadly shut their doors. DECEMBER 20, 2004The Demon was taken off site.DECEMBER 22, 2004Demolition and all other work on site is put on hold!The Canadian company came over to pull the Demon down did not have the relevant demolition licence so they subcontracted it out to some guy at the last minute. Badgerys Creek is ideal but the sites are still under investigation, he said. GoGoBoy, The park was the largest theme park in the Southern Hemisphere. The Demon is completly down but still on site. Why did they decide to close down Wonderland in Sydney? April 28, 2004"Wonderland IS CLOSED" sgin in the carpark. Watts' obsession with the derelict site shows the impact Wonderland had on his formative years when it was alive and functioning. 12 February 2004ING Industrial Fund teamed up with The PacLib Group to buy wonderland.Hartford Lane Pty Ltd entered into a Put and Call Option Deed with Paclib Industrial Pty Ltd to dispose off Wonderland Sydney, the land measuring 58.87 hectares (Lot 11, Plan 1025320) and buildings, structures and theme park rides thereon for a total of $52.5 million AUD, excluding Goods and Services Tax, paying $10 million at exchange and the balance payable on settlement in January 2005.Hartford Lane Pty Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastern Glory Enterprises Ltd.Hartford being the Trustee of Sunway Australia Unit Trust , the registered owner of the Property. February 17, 2004Wonderland'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. Your Rating. Some of the rides were moved, but others were scrapped. Australia's Wonderland Sydney - TV Commercial 1987 Watch on Children's author and good friend Andrew Levins has spent some time in lockdown researching the history of Wonderland, 35 years after it first opened, and shared some of his stories on Hope Breakfast. I don't think anything will surprise you though, most of us were aware of what has been going on for some time. It remained open for almost nineteen years and was the premier theme park in New South Wales for much of its life, but was closed in 2004 after becoming unprofitable, The last lot of stors close on the 5th of January 2009. he closed down the monasteries because they were over powering Lots of money, Jewellery and Mobile phones.Most of the rides still on site where removed. However, it is still believed to be sitting in pieces in a paddock at the Malaysian theme park. Leisureland Fair 'Funnel Web' opened in 1985, and removed in 1990. Copyright 2023 The New Daily. Are bills set to rise? 1.0 3.0 5.0. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. 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. Wobbies World in Melbournes east opened in 1970 and closed in 1999. Beasties two blue PTC Trains under the cover of the stables in the back paddock behind Minchinbury reservoir. 19/09/86 - Why Wonderland is riding the J-Curve; 1991. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. by Anna Mendoza. "There was a kind of strange air of serenity after years and years of screams and shouts and the noise of all the rides and the music, the place was tranquil and relatively peaceful in the fading afternoon light. 2003-04: 91,000 Paclib Industrial Pty Ltd a special purpose vehicle with a paid-up share capital of A$2.00. Just 14 years ago, Sydneys Wonderland was filled with the screeching of roller-coasters, the scent of dagwood dogs and the laughter and excitement of schoolkids spending their pocket money at Australias most loved theme park. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. This guy thought he could charge what he wanted ($500 an hour to be precise) because there was such urgency to get the Demon down and out. But will it be safer for women? One of the pioneers of Wonderland and now chairman of Macquarie Leisure, Neil Balnaves, said the park's vendor, Sunway City Berhad, had not invested any money into the complex during its eight years of ownership. This in turn damaed the negotiations for Visionland to buy the Bush Beast and Beastie coaster cars. [8] Two of the park's camels were adopted by a family in Goulburn. 1:07pm Feb 2, 2017. While few probably still play this game or even heard of it, it was one of the few turn based MMORPGs out there. Far fewer know their real story. A. Why did they decide to close down Wonderland in Sydney. By 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. Warner Village have been a bit slow on the uptake (and some badly timed attractions and aquisitions targeting international guests didn't help), but they're pretty well back. When it opened in 1985, SkyRider was the first standup roller-coaster in Canada . Tricoart Magic Mountain at Gold Coasts Nobbys Beach was built in 1962 and closed in 1991. 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. For almost two decades . [17][18], Property developer, and former employee of Wonderland Sydney, Ammar Khan, announced plans to develop a new amusement, entertainment and retail attraction to be named Sydneys Wonderland in Western Sydney and has been seeking financial backing for the relaunch since 2009. Wonderland Sydney / Via Twitter: @Wonderland_Syd Your parents wouldn't leave the park without one. Its Rewind Week at BuzzFeed Oz! 1996. It was famed for its pyramid which displayed sculptures made of human teeth. Theme park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Mother's Consumer Guide to Australia's Wonderland, New South Wales State Superannuation Board, 'A visit to Wonderland 12/10/2004 after closure', "The lights go out at Wonderland, where millions got their thrills", "Australia's loneliest camel gets a new home", "Wonderland History: Demolition Timeline", "Theme Parks, Australian Theme Parks | Parkz Theme Parks", 'Australia's Wonderland Sydney Space Probe', 'Australia's Wonderland Sydney Blinky Bill Show', "Sydney's Wonderland to be a superpark on par with Gold Coast's theme park strip", "Sydney's Wonderland theme park set to make its home in the west", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wonderland_Sydney&oldid=1137703503, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Greatest Fun You'll Ever Have" (19851986), "Too Much Fun To Have In One Day" (19871988), "Wouldn't it be wonderful if the world was Wonderland (19881995), "No Wonder They Call It Wonderland" (19951998), 'The Beastie' opened 19852002. 'Little Monsters Flying School' opened in 1985 as Dastardly's Flying Circus. DECEMBER 15, 2004The Snower River Rampage Station, Conveyor and Plant room where destroyed. Sega World, which was on Sydneys Darling Harbour, was a nod to the Sega gaming franchise, primarily Sonic the Hedgehog. Galleon's Graveyard was dismantled and taken off site by its new owner. Wonderland Sydney - Wikipedia During that time he shot photos showing the remains of what was once a special part of many people's childhoods. Wobbies World in Melbourne's east opened in 1970 and closed in 1999. Childhood shattered. 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. 03/12/05 - Bush Beast's resting place revealed. A large wheel-shaped machine which laid on one of its faces, with several rocking rider cars attached around the circumference. Quite an interesting couple of articles, on many fronts and confrims what many of us have been saying about the theme park industry being overall, quite strong. After Wonderland shut Watts roamed the abandoned lot and took the liberty of entering sections of the park that were off-limits to visitors when it was open, including climbing to the top of The Beastie roller coaster structure. WORLDS of Wonder is destined to propel Western Sydney to the nation's top theme park destination, knocking off the Gold Coast. These two parallel streets are only 100m apart but an astonishing 20 degrees apart in temperature because one is tree-lined and the other is not. Mr Eddy said yesterday his park had just registered its best summer holiday period, and visitor numbers were soaring. To improve your experience. The articles may make some of you even more angry but they are well worth a read. The park was renamed Harbourside Amusement Park for a while before resuming its old name. The Bush Beast was identical in layout to the Wild Beast at Canada's Wonderland and Grizzly at Kings Dominion. What did you think of Wonderland Sydney? In 1995 Wonderland installed what was to become its new flagship attraction, the Space Probe a Giant Drop developed by Intamin that cost almost $10 million. Snowy River Rampage Wonderland was an Aussie theme park that created fond memories for many kids of the '80s and '90s. You can post now and register later. Waterslides, astro spin, dry slides . SCAT paramedics and a doctor from Careflight arrived on scene to assist in treating the patient.He was released two and a half hours later and taken to Westmead hospital with a back injury in a stable condition. 2001-02: 79,600. Unlike the Demon, Space Probe's future wasn't as fruitful. Australias Wonderland opened in December 1985 on a 219-hectare parcel of land in western Sydney. in 2020 , leaving a strong feeling . We couldnt get the smiles off our faces, he said of the visit. DECEMBER 2004The Electricity to the park was turned off in the main high voltage switch room.Demolition of the park starts.DECEMBER 2, 2004They started removing The Demon Track. Dazzeland was a two-storey, indoor amusement park occupying the top floor of the Myer Centre in Rundle Mall, Adelaide. dodgem cars, a roller-coaster, an arcade, mini-golf, bumper boats and gravity-defying ride called The Scat. June 16 2004The yellow Bush Beast train was sitting at the top of the lift hill.Dragons Flight, Merry-Go-Round and Baby Bumpers were put in shipping containers and sent to 'Sunway Lagoon' Malaysia.Dragons Flight in the shipping container. A steep sled slide, finishing in water. Mr Eddy expects Wonderland's closure to benefit his business, although he admits he is sad to see the icon go. This is how we got here and what needs to change, 'Please confirm what Muslim refers to': Why Ali's birthday payment for his nephew was flagged by his bank, Kade was a fit 31-year-old when he died from a heart attack, Sherpa are world famous for their work, which is synonymous with their name. After 29 years, SkyRider's ride comes to an end | The Star He cited events including September 11, the Ansett and HIH collapses, bushfires and SARS. Sydney is on track to reopen a wonderful memory in our West. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 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. Closed in 1998. Given the current name after being relocated to Transylvania, following the closure of Little Wonders Land/Hanna-Barbera Land. It is now a housing estate, with the only reference to it being a street called Leisureland Drive. The park had three separate themed areas, including Hanna-Barbera Land, which featured rides and attractions based on characters such as Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. We are thinking ahead of time, he said. 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. Lost Sydney: Seven Theme Parks That Made Our Childhoods Also thought it was interesting to hear from Neil Balnaves and it pleases me that he is obviously well aware of the need for capital investment in a park. International guests aren't attracted to Australian theme parks by big thrill rides, they are attracted by uniqueness, diversity and in particular wildlife. Australia's forgotten theme parks hold unforgettable memories for visitors. Where Alice in Wonderland, Now 150 Years Old, Came From All times AEDT (GMT +11). Perhaps put more eloquently than Daniel, but yeah, there was really nothing there that is terribly new. 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. Urban Estate Developments Pty Ltd owner Ammar Khan said a Badgerys Creek site would be the best location for Worlds of Wonderland. Register, Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout. 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. Wonderland City - Wikipedia US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. The Bush Beast Roller Coaster . The ride was sold in 2005 to Fly Coaster, a small. Richard - the source, author and date for each article are written underneath each of the bold headlines. Dreamworld did well to counter this with very well times thrill and family attractions. Luna Park, Scarborough Beachopened in 1939 and closed after 33 years of operation. [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. Wonderland Sydney is set to be operating within 3 to 5 years time. OTHER NEWS: IS THIS LAST DRINKS FOR THE 1:30AM LOCKOUT? 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.