I was a ride operator at Australias Wonderland in the 90's and it was fun. Not only the memories but the free entry we and our family got. Those pricks at sunway never intended to extend or do anything for Wonderland, All they wanted was an Industrial park. The industrial park was initially meant to be build around Wonderland. But after the useless Council caved and allowed those asshole Sunway bitches to build they ran the park into dis-repair. Onething that stood proud was the Bush Beast, they tried and tried to bring that thing down, but the Bust Beast said "F*** you" and wouldn't budge. They tried using the cables from the ride 'Skyrider' to bring it down, the cables just snapped. Such good times, it would have been nice to send my own kids to that place. That's what happens when you allow foreign companies to buy Australia land.
ive got a photo with my old man on the bush best in the mid 90s and then again in 2000... that thing scared the shit out of me with it's creaking and rattling hahah
Amazing how the government sold out Australia to overseas interests. Fibermakers located near Penrith was the biggest manufacturer of fiber belts for the inside of tires in the Southern Hemisphere. The government actually subsidized the American company 3M to buy it out, and they in turn shut it down to favor their overseas production. My guess is that the shitbag politicians retired wealthy.
We couldn’t afford shoes or bus fare let alone going to wonderland. My sister had to sell her body to 50 yo men when she was 13 just to help out family eat.
Yeah Sydney was a great place now days its just curryville and kebabville if you're not in that category you don't belong here unless you live in Eastern Suburbs were they cannot afford to live 😂😂😂😂
Australia's Wonderland hosted one of the most special days of my childhood. My parents worked hard but despite this, we didn't have a lot of money. But they always worked out a way. When Wonderland first opened, I begged them to go. It was decided that just my Dad would take me for my birthday, unfortunately they didn't have enough for the whole family to go. So I got Dad to myself to discover this new park, going on all the rides for the very first time. That memory will forever be treasured. My Dad is very much still alive and kicking, so I'll need to remind him what he meant to me as a kid.
Our family was so poor when I was a kid but one year I was given a Wonderpass that was $80 and gave you access all year round. Best god damn year of my life
Wonderland was a great park and Sydney used to be fun and exciting. For a ‘world city’ of over 5 million, Sydney doesn’t offer much these days. It is such a shame that the State Government allowed Wonderland to be destroyed. That was a truly family friendly and top notch theme park. Corporate greed destroyed it.
Don't be fooled. The bloody parks up here in Qld are just overpriced carnivals. I do remember the Wiggles show at Wonderland though (on video). That looked like it went right off. Public transport was always a bit iffy. Especially going to Rooty Hill then waiting for an empty bus to go to a secluded bush area. 😅
But wait Sydney has VIVID. lol what a joke that has become. couldn't agree more this city has been on a slow decline since the mid 2000s ironically the time wonderland closed. Melbourne & Brisbane have a better scene than Sydney.
I imagine insurance costs for theme parks are sky high. Rides have to be replaced too and they are not cheap. Gold Coast relies on tourists and charges an arm and a leg to visit something not that special with a very commercial vibe. The equivalent in Perth has less rides than it used to and focuses more on slides.and a handful of really big rides. Entry fees have to be high to cover low or no numbers in winter. Plus it seemed like it was inaccessible and poorly advertised to tourists. Sydney wildlife world in the middle of the city and such negated the need to visit an animal kingdom.
This is the core reason of what's happened in sydney over the past 20 years selling off iconic and private business to overseas investors , who just want a quick turnover and lack zero interest in the locals.
It seems they are demolishing many cities in the Western world and destroying our history and landmarks for profit. I can barely recognize the city I lived in for nearly 60 years they have so rapidly started changing it and renaming everything
I didn't get to go to Luna Park before it closed. However, I did get to spend a day at the Manly Fun Pier while it was still a thing. The Fun Pier, as well as other rides and entertainments, had a ghost train which, part way through the ride, would bump through a swinging panel in the wall and suddenly you were suspended out over the water below. If you weren't prepared for it to do that, as I wasn't, it certainly raised your heart rate. The Fun Pier at Manly seems to be almost a forgotten part of Sydney's history, overshadowed by the larger and better known Luna Park.
The thing I remember about the Fun Pier in the mid 80s was what a sensational video game arcade it had, just next to the mirror maze. This is where I first saw many new games for the first time, such as Star Wars (sit in cockpit), Rolling Thunder, Afterburner (sit in cockpit) and many more. My parents rarely gave me money to play the games, so I'd be that awkward little kid just lurking behind players and watching them play, or just pretending I'm playing a non occupied game before a teenager would come up and say "Are you playing?" before taking it over.
I remember the last time I went there. My friends and I had all left school, and were working our first jobs, driving our first cars, still on p plates, and we all head down there one summers weekend since we were all independent, and didnt need our parents permission to go anywhere. Had an amazing day I'll never forget. Our final hour was spent on the water trikes and the dodgem cars before the park closed and kicked us out. I dont see those people anymore, we all moved and went our separate ways decades ago, and the place that held those precious memories is long gone.
As one of the administrators for Wonderland History, I want to categorically state, for the record, that not one animal was abandoned or forgotten. These claims are false. All were rehomed, or in some cases, the keepers themselves were permitted to adopt them (where law allowed). Not a single keeper had to “break in” to feed the animals. And certainly none were arrested. This is direct from a senior employee who worked at the park during the post-closure asset sale, who witnessed every animal removed from the site. Feel free to reach out to me if you need evidence of this.
6 місяців тому+5
I was hoping to find this in the comments section, because I didn't believe it for a second. Thank you.
Some of the best memories I had as a child....we went once a year religiously throughout the late 80s....I remember being to short to do the pirate ship and bush beast roller-coaster I remember the year I finally was tall enough....it's was a highlight of my childhood like a graduation 😂
Speaking of religiously-haha, i went with the church NSW, to an event there: wonderfest in late 90s, bloody good fun. Tent city outside wonder land for 3 or 4 days…. One ☝️ fee, for the whole thing!! And I also remember just before it shut, a car of us from Canberra- i filled up my jeans pockets with spare change…. Went on bounty’s revenge- as pirate ship went over; all of the shapnel rained down into the water 💦 memories.
My mum was a single mum working multiple jobs and putting herself through university. She figured out a wonderpass for me and my brother was cheaper than child care. We would get dropped there in the morning with $10 each to get lunch and picked up in the afternoon...it was indeed way better than childcare
Funily enough, my mum was also a single mum and she also somehow managed to figure out wonderpasses for my brother and I, we used to also get dropped off with only $5, enough for a hot dog and a coke, we were happy, we went there with our neighbourhood friends. Best times. Sydney doesnt have much now. Although i’m truly grateful for my life and having food, shelter and reasonably good opportunities in Sydney, Australians as a whole has lost its originality and its becoming harder and harder to get by. The government keeps enacting new taxes to keep itself alive as there’s no more manufacturing left…. Anyways, thanks for your post Dan! Brought back wonderful memories. Cheers
Probably wouldn't be allowed that now with duty of care issues. Problem with a lot of these theme parks is that parents that don't want to go, have to go.
@@MsJubjubbird They are simply not profitable. All that huge real estate, 100 employees minimum, expensive mechanical maintenance that needs to be extremely frequent for safety means a few quiet seasons and its bankruptcy time. And they probably need to charge $300 per person per visit to maybe break even, plus theres already luna park to compete with.
Omg was that wer they had all the futuristic electronics, like the future house phone that was ment to have a video screen ( 90s face time on the house phone lol
Just before it closed, i took my sons. It was so quiet, we rode Bush Beast over 20 times in a row without having to get off. We could have kept going but they wanted to ride other things and then come back later. I miss the park - it felt very much like Magic Mountain in California when it first opened. Thanks for nothing Sunway........
I also remember a day I was there that the Bush Beast, the Beastie, Demon, and Space Probe were empty. Great times, could never get over that first high portion of the Bush Beast after the first drop. That frame creaked and rattled so damn loud and wobbled so damn hard that I thought it was going to crumble to the ground every time I went on it 🤣
Sydney used to be a great place to live…. It’s gone to absolute garbage Too hard, crowded, dirty, agro, expensive… I left 2 years ago and dread visiting the pkace Best thing about Sydney is seeing it in my rear vision mirror
As long as your happy now that's what matters most. Are you happy now? Or at least content? Maybe look in the mirror next time and ask yourself this lol.
I totally agree ... i grew up baulko , castle hill and then five dock... all areas are shit as now. The 80s and 90s were wicked times to live in syd. Id advise to move out country now. SYD is full of wanna be millionaires and slaves and scumbags who smile at you in a fake way because they are under greed pressure which they deserve.
I visited this place several time during my Sydney life. Best day out ever. Fantastic place. Was so gutted when it closed. I even had a relationship with an acrobat who worked there.
I remember winning a radio contest to be given exclusive access to one of the new roller coasters. The park was closed and the group of about 30 of us had the run of the park. As a season ticket holder this was a dream come true. Like the rest of us locals, couldn’t believe the demise of our wonderful Australia’s wonderland. It was so sad to watch ❤️😘
Me and my brother had that yearly pass you could get. e got the train from Gymea/Miranda to Rooty Hill. My mum freaked and thought we would get rolled. But we never did. Mind you, we weren't exactly wearing Nikes LOL.
I do a lot of work on the site where Wonderland originally was. It's a concrete jungle of warehouses now, it kept the name "wonderland drive", though it serves an insult to what used to be. Such a shame
I Loved Australia's Wonderland!!!! Was there almost every weekend as a 15-16 year old, thanks to our annual Wonderpass!! Loved the Demon ride and the Bush Beast!!! Thank God for the photos that they took on these rides!!
I went here a few times a kid, lots of great memories, the last time was maybe a year before it closed and it was in a bad state of disrepair, clearly Sunway had no intentions to keep it going, it’s sad that we no longer have anything like this in Sydney, thanks for the video it was a good ride down memory lane.
Reading all these comments in this video thread about the memories and emotions people feel from their time either working or visiting Wonderland, it makes you realise this was a great place to attend. I visited myself a dozen or so times and visited again about a month or so before it closed its doors for good. What makes me sadder is that children, plenty of kids in Western Sydney won't get a chance to attend a theme park for not much money. You'd have to say that nobody will ever build a theme park in Sydney ever again like Wonderland. Now the land is too expensive to buy, materials and labour have gone through the roof, cost of living has gone up $$$ and people would rather sit at home and look at UA-cam or Netflix then go out for recreation. Oh but if they only knew! However they won't be able to!
63 years ago, long before Wonderland, I lived at Walgrove in an old army camp that straddled both sides of Walgrove Road. The western side of the camp was demolished and Wonderland was built. The “site office” was my old school which had wooden buildings and coke fueled slow combustion heaters. Two classes per room with two teachers one at each end of the room. I was saddened to see it all go. If you go to Google Earth you can still see SOME remnants of the eastern side of the army camp which had Nissen Huts. We lived in hut A13.
I knew people in management at Wonderland..... From very early on it became apparent that the Malaysians intended to run it into the ground... Industrial land beside the M4 and the coming M7 was worth so much more than a seasonal amusement park..
I personally love Australia's Wonderland and visited there annually. It was a big blow to me, my growing family and the rest of Australia when it was closed down! It gave us great joy!
I went a few times as a teenager in the late 80’s. It was by far my favourite theme park in Australia.. much better than anything you get on the Gold Coast !!
Absolutely loved the pre 1979 Luna Park and Wonderland even Jamberoo recreation Park which I now live over the hill from. Growing up in the 60s and 70s there were some really brilliant Parks. Shame we’ve lost most of them.
I loved this place as a kid! I remember my first ride on a proper big roller coaster was on The Bush Beast. I can clearly remember that feeling as the roller coaster perched at th highest point for a second (seemed like a lifetime) before hutling downwards at a million miles an hour. A truly great childhood memory.
That place was awesome !! Took our children & their friends children on low incomes at the time , That was our pleasure . We still all remember those fun thrilling days !!!!
Sydney , in the 1960s had so much more to enjoy - plenty of decent theatres , great shopping , especially the large department stores , Luna Park was so much better , and even Manly had an amusement pier and aquariums. The Easter Show was also wonderful , providing fond memories, whereas most memories of more recent Easter Shows are quite mundane by comparison . At least we have Darling Harbour now ! 💥
Remember hearing the Wizards Fury as you walked in from the car park? Also the Funnel Web, Snowy River Rampage and Endeavour were great. The lamest ride was the SkyHawk. Was there a ride called the Tasmanian Devil? It was similar to the Funnel Web? Truly a lost era.
Chunderland, it was a fun place to go. Worked on maintenance there one time and had to go in on the Saturday to ride the Bush Beast all day to run it in - so it would make it round the track by itself.
Sunway worked very early on that the land it sat on was worth way more then running the park. Sunway brought wonderland with the intention of selling it for the land it sat on
That’s not entirely true. Sunway already ran theme parks in Malaysia and they intended to keep the park and develop the rest of the land. They got caught badly in the Asian crash of 1997 when they lost nearly $1bn. Wonderland never made money from the day it was opened so it was an albatross around their neck when their main business of plundering forests throughout SE Asia started losing money. Hence it was easier to sell the land and shut it down.
I’m 52. I met my first love at Wonderland. Best place for a local 16 year old to spend a weekend. Affordable, fun, great staff, always a great memory there with family and friends.
We went to Sydney with the Make-A-Wish foundation and stayed at the casino. They asked my daughter Bethany what she wanted to do while she was there. Her answer was on the set of “Home and Away” and Australia’s Wonderland. They absolutely loved it. I am absolutely devastated at what happened to Australia Wonderland. I would say that they systematically destroyed it on purpose, which is what’s happening to our Country right now😢😡
I visited Wonderland the year it opened as a 11yo kid and then again many times over the next 18 years. It truly was a magical place from my childhood which I'll never forget, it sad the sydney kids of nowadays have nothing like it now
Omg yes, I was 8yrs old in 91 or 92 ,from wa and went to Sydney to visit family, iv got awesome memories of Australia's wonderland lol that roller coaster was my first and may I say my last roller coaster iv ever been on lolol I loved my yogi bear head drink bottle that hung around my neck lolol
Used to love going to wonderland on NYE, parents would hang out in the amphitheatre being treated to music by the greats like john paul young, the wiggles, and many other great acts, while us kids would run rampart through the park. The Zodiac was my favourite, it was always fun making it spin to unsuspecting visitors to the park! I was always scared to try the demon because of the loopty loop, but am glad i finallly gave it a go before it was forever removed. I remember the last few visits to wonderland being kind of depressing, half of the areas were closed, and the other half just not functioning as they should have. RIP Wonderland, You helped create some of the best memories i have from childhood. Any plans to do a video like this for Old Sydney Town?
Such a huge shame that this park closed down. I was there on the last day it operated, and walked out of the gates at closing time with a massive feeling of sadness and disappointment knowing that would be all the fun we could have at this Sydney institution. Thanks for the video and memories 🙂
That add at the end, 5 after 5. That's what (in my view) changed Wonderland for the worse. I was in my late teens at the time, and the $5- entry encouraged lots of bored teens like myself to meet up at Wonderland for some cheap rides, and to see what mischief we could find to get up to. Often couples with kid's would be tormented by us unruly (often intoxicated and stoned) adolescents. Apologies to those families for often wrecking their evening out.
Thanks Karen but it was shut down for the land not because of unruly teenagers. The 5 after 5 deal was good because families are leaving at that time so you just get a little extra income from the tightasses and the workers aren't getting paid to twiddle their thumbs from 5-9.
I went there on a school excursion and had one of the best times. I don't remember a lot from my childhood, but I can remember standing in Wonderland and going on the Snowy River Rapids.
I went there once when I was 16, in 1994. I remember having a good time there, as a teen from Melbourne in Syd visiting relatives. The rollercoaster was pretty intense, if remember correctly. Sad to see it gone, like so many other things from when I was young. .
When it opened my parents bought us annual passes. Would go there regularly during the summer. A couple years later a neighbour got me a job there on the wash down crew. Use to wash down the entire park walkways prior to opening. Then started working in the garden crew for a couple summers. I reckon last time I was there would have been ‘89. Great memories!
I kept meaning to visit this place for years. Then I had someone special and managed to go there for a day, just a week before it closed. Went on every ride, twice!
I used to lead a youth group in Mudgee and we took entire bus loads of kids down every year. It was sad when it closed. From a young kid to a young adult I enjoyed so many things at Wonderland. I have old videos of the group and even outings with mates to the park. So sad. The ad brought back memories too!
As a kid growing up in Mt Druitt Wonderland was the place to go. Especially when they brought in $5 after 5. I still have a tape my friends and i made in the music studio singing American Pie. A very sad day when they started closing parts of the park and then the day they closed its doors. I still get angry at all the business that now occupy the place where the Bush Beast once sat proudly
I loved Australia’s Wonderland as a kid that grew up in the Western Suburbs. We didn’t have a lot of money but they had special affordable entry fees so that everyone could visit. The Beastie was a great ride and I remember going when it was surprisingly and disappointedly closed. It’s very sad that it was poorly managed at the end but I have very happy memories of going there with my family.
Space probe, demon, bush beast were my fav rides. Such a fun place. Pirate ship scared many teenagers and heaps lost belongings into the water. Dodgem cars were great as it had heaps of room to drive or ram mates. All good things must come to an end like el caballo blanco in catherine field.
What a place so many good memories there in the 90s, remember my old lady forcing me in baby sisters pram at 11 years old and pushing me through the gate for free..!haha Also went to a rave there in 2000 during the Olympics I think. Was unreal to say the least..
Australia’s most happiest place. So many memories made here. My childhood was the best!!! Closing it down was a huge disappointment and broke many hearts. Future generations would never knew true happiness.
I went there a few times, it was heaps fun going there. You had to go there a few times to see every part of the place. I remember getting in near the start there was a big line up to get in. It was sad to hear that it closed.
I've been driving from the M4 onto Wallgrove Rd to work,daily since 1997.The growth in the industrial area, the construction of the M7 has been inexorable .The traffic is horrible,and a new road being built will only exacerbate the congestion .
Wow, this brings back some good reflections.. well put together. Kind of sentimental for some of us Aussies out there.. should never have closed down.. our generation and our future generations missed out on the magic of a true wonderland..
My greatest memory of wonderland was around 1993 my dad took me and my brother. After a big morning darting around the place we sat down in the shade under some trees with a hot dog for lunch. A bird pooed on my hot dog. I cried so dad bought me another one. Happy days
The last time I went was approx February 2004. It was a school day and the park was basically empty. No queues anywhere. The lack of queues was great for us on the day but we definitely were aware that the park was running at a huge loss. Such a stupid idea to have it open every day of the year. Bounty's Revenge, Demon, Bush Beast, Snowy River Rampage & Space Probe were my favourites.
They were good time, I still have the last Wonderpasses 2003 for myself, our 2 boys and their best friend from next door. The boys loved summer, I would break up their week by taking them to the pool and then a few rides on Wednesdays. My boys turned 10 late that year, the boy next door a year younger. It was sad when it closed down.
Went there as a kid in the late 80's, was too scared to go on the bush beast. Went back in the early 2000's, the place was eerily quiet, my girlfriend (now wife) and I almost had the place to ourselves. Got on the front seat of the bush beast, all by myself, and the ride operator sent me around about 30 times in a row. Sad to see it go, the theme parks on the Gold Coast are too busy and expensive.
Yeah, I lived only 15 minutes away and went many times. I was there opening night for “The Beach” and the cast of Home and Away were there. It was really upsetting to see it go.
OneFM (96.1) were giving away wonderpasses when i was in year 7 or 8 (circa 1994) and i was a lucky caller and won one, i couldnt believe it! I remember recording the phone call which aired a couple minutes later and showing my friends. Really good memories growing up in western Sydney in the 80/90s
Visited many times as a kid and then with my own kids and went one last time 6 months before it closed. I was told at the time the park was closing because it couldn't afford the new insurance tax recently added. It wasn't the only business or homeowner that was affected by the tax increase so it was very believable that that was the reason why it closed.
Let's not forget the concerts & partys nights & going on the rides at night. Let's also not forget the awesome burgers at Stockman's BBQ there. Let's not forget the popping of some trips (LSD) with a bunch of mates & going on Wonderland rides days.
In the 90s Blinky Bill was a puppet tv show not a cartoon, it was really cute and worth a look. I always wondered what happened to this place I did go a couple of times and it was a really fun park
When I first visited Australia in 1991, this was one of those magic places that made me fall in love with Sydney. I couldn't believe that it had been closed when I came back in 2015...
I remember when the Demon first opened, they had actors taking you to the ride pretending like there was some kind of space emergency. That stopped after a little while but man it was cool while it lasted
And i also remember AFRICAN LION SAFARI MAGIC KINDDOM And now, i pick up stock from Wonderland Drive, Everytime i go there, it's heart breaking to see that it's a business park
![The air crash that changed aviation safety [AH002]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/r4hYZ5eS-mQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I was a ride operator at Australias Wonderland in the 90's and it was fun. Not only the memories but the free entry we and our family got. Those pricks at sunway never intended to extend or do anything for Wonderland, All they wanted was an Industrial park. The industrial park was initially meant to be build around Wonderland. But after the useless Council caved and allowed those asshole Sunway bitches to build they ran the park into dis-repair. Onething that stood proud was the Bush Beast, they tried and tried to bring that thing down, but the Bust Beast said "F*** you" and wouldn't budge. They tried using the cables from the ride 'Skyrider' to bring it down, the cables just snapped. Such good times, it would have been nice to send my own kids to that place. That's what happens when you allow foreign companies to buy Australia land.
Spot on.
I remember how much all the timbers and cables use to shake while standing at the bottom, made you think it was going to come down
ive got a photo with my old man on the bush best in the mid 90s and then again in 2000... that thing scared the shit out of me with it's creaking and rattling hahah
Couldn’t have summed it up more accurately. Disgusting to think what they did to this wonderful park. It was an icon of Sydney
Amazing how the government sold out Australia to overseas interests. Fibermakers located near Penrith was the biggest manufacturer of fiber belts for the inside of tires in the Southern Hemisphere. The government actually subsidized the American company 3M to buy it out, and they in turn shut it down to favor their overseas production. My guess is that the shitbag politicians retired wealthy.
even as a dirt poor kid from the west, a day at wonderland made you feel like a million bucks, it truly was a magical place...
Same here, such good memories
@@x0xminx0xyep loved 🥰 that place as a kid such great memories of the whole place
I couldn't imagine being dirt poor...
We couldn’t afford shoes or bus fare let alone going to wonderland. My sister had to sell her body to 50 yo men when she was 13 just to help out family eat.
Yeah Sydney was a great place now days its just curryville and kebabville if you're not in that category you don't belong here unless you live in Eastern Suburbs were they cannot afford to live 😂😂😂😂
Australia's Wonderland hosted one of the most special days of my childhood. My parents worked hard but despite this, we didn't have a lot of money. But they always worked out a way. When Wonderland first opened, I begged them to go. It was decided that just my Dad would take me for my birthday, unfortunately they didn't have enough for the whole family to go. So I got Dad to myself to discover this new park, going on all the rides for the very first time. That memory will forever be treasured.
My Dad is very much still alive and kicking, so I'll need to remind him what he meant to me as a kid.
thanks for sharing that lovely story
Our family was so poor when I was a kid but one year I was given a Wonderpass that was $80 and gave you access all year round. Best god damn year of my life
thats actually such good value. even with inflation thats $200 in todays money for unlimited access, even $500 wouldve been a fair price
I’m 42, and that was the coolest place when growing up!
Yep, I'm 43 and it was awesome, whether as a kid or as a uni student .
I loved Wonderland! I spent many weekends in the wildlife park area, especially when the main park & rides area got too busy. I miss it!
Back when Sydney was exciting and a happy place to exist
Still is
@@-PORK-CHOP- if you are rich
Still is a great place to live.
Yeah nah they dont call is Shitney for nothing
Not wrong there! It’s now a hole
This is a perfect example of why we shouldn't sell out to foreign investors.
You tell me whether we can trust a government that rents a harbour in Darwin to the Chinese.
It was owned by American at the beginning so it has always been foreign investors
Yes. Ok, Ms. Hanson.
@@harryh536 Sunway Group is Malaysian.
Do we have any say in the matter though ?
Wonderland was a great park and Sydney used to be fun and exciting. For a ‘world city’ of over 5 million, Sydney doesn’t offer much these days. It is such a shame that the State Government allowed Wonderland to be destroyed. That was a truly family friendly and top notch theme park. Corporate greed destroyed it.
Sydney is becoming a very boring version of an Asian megacity.
Don't be fooled. The bloody parks up here in Qld are just overpriced carnivals.
I do remember the Wiggles show at Wonderland though (on video). That looked like it went right off.
Public transport was always a bit iffy. Especially going to Rooty Hill then waiting for an empty bus to go to a secluded bush area. 😅
@@Boababa-fn3mrcan’t disagree with that.
But wait Sydney has VIVID. lol what a joke that has become. couldn't agree more this city has been on a slow decline since the mid 2000s ironically the time wonderland closed. Melbourne & Brisbane have a better scene than Sydney.
I imagine insurance costs for theme parks are sky high. Rides have to be replaced too and they are not cheap. Gold Coast relies on tourists and charges an arm and a leg to visit something not that special with a very commercial vibe. The equivalent in Perth has less rides than it used to and focuses more on slides.and a handful of really big rides. Entry fees have to be high to cover low or no numbers in winter. Plus it seemed like it was inaccessible and poorly advertised to tourists. Sydney wildlife world in the middle of the city and such negated the need to visit an animal kingdom.
I worked at Wonderland for 3 years in my teenage years. Was my first job. Worked in the games section near the pirate ship. Good times.
This is the core reason of what's happened in sydney over the past 20 years selling off iconic and private business to overseas investors , who just want a quick turnover and lack zero interest in the locals.
It seems they are demolishing many cities in the Western world and destroying our history and landmarks for profit. I can barely recognize the city I lived in for nearly 60 years they have so rapidly started changing it and renaming everything
I was there as a 1 year old all the way to an 11 year old. The River Rampage was my favourite by far.
Ned Kelly's Getaway was my favourite.
I didn't get to go to Luna Park before it closed. However, I did get to spend a day at the Manly Fun Pier while it was still a thing. The Fun Pier, as well as other rides and entertainments, had a ghost train which, part way through the ride, would bump through a swinging panel in the wall and suddenly you were suspended out over the water below. If you weren't prepared for it to do that, as I wasn't, it certainly raised your heart rate. The Fun Pier at Manly seems to be almost a forgotten part of Sydney's history, overshadowed by the larger and better known Luna Park.
Did it close
The thing I remember about the Fun Pier in the mid 80s was what a sensational video game arcade it had, just next to the mirror maze. This is where I first saw many new games for the first time, such as Star Wars (sit in cockpit), Rolling Thunder, Afterburner (sit in cockpit) and many more. My parents rarely gave me money to play the games, so I'd be that awkward little kid just lurking behind players and watching them play, or just pretending I'm playing a non occupied game before a teenager would come up and say "Are you playing?" before taking it over.
I remember this as Pier One. Same place?
Luna park is still very much open
I don't remember Manly Fun Pier but I do remember there being a place with awesome waterslides there in the mid-late 90s. Was that a part of it?
I remember the last time I went there. My friends and I had all left school, and were working our first jobs, driving our first cars, still on p plates, and we all head down there one summers weekend since we were all independent, and didnt need our parents permission to go anywhere. Had an amazing day I'll never forget. Our final hour was spent on the water trikes and the dodgem cars before the park closed and kicked us out. I dont see those people anymore, we all moved and went our separate ways decades ago, and the place that held those precious memories is long gone.
As one of the administrators for Wonderland History, I want to categorically state, for the record, that not one animal was abandoned or forgotten. These claims are false.
All were rehomed, or in some cases, the keepers themselves were permitted to adopt them (where law allowed).
Not a single keeper had to “break in” to feed the animals. And certainly none were arrested.
This is direct from a senior employee who worked at the park during the post-closure asset sale, who witnessed every animal removed from the site.
Feel free to reach out to me if you need evidence of this.
I was hoping to find this in the comments section, because I didn't believe it for a second. Thank you.
Thank god for this! I certainly could not fathom this as being in any way factual.
Rob, how can i contact you directly? Do you have an email? Id love to ask.you a couple of things about the time when Wonderland was closing
My husband's workplace (Alcan) paid for all the families to attend as a Christmas gift. It was a magic day for all of us.
Some of the best memories I had as a child....we went once a year religiously throughout the late 80s....I remember being to short to do the pirate ship and bush beast roller-coaster I remember the year I finally was tall enough....it's was a highlight of my childhood like a graduation 😂
Speaking of religiously-haha, i went with the church NSW, to an event there: wonderfest in late 90s, bloody good fun. Tent city outside wonder land for 3 or 4 days…. One ☝️ fee, for the whole thing!!
And I also remember just before it shut, a car of us from Canberra- i filled up my jeans pockets with spare change…. Went on bounty’s revenge- as pirate ship went over; all of the shapnel rained down into the water 💦 memories.
My mum was a single mum working multiple jobs and putting herself through university. She figured out a wonderpass for me and my brother was cheaper than child care. We would get dropped there in the morning with $10 each to get lunch and picked up in the afternoon...it was indeed way better than childcare
That's fricking *AWESOME!*
Funily enough, my mum was also a single mum and she also somehow managed to figure out wonderpasses for my brother and I, we used to also get dropped off with only $5, enough for a hot dog and a coke, we were happy, we went there with our neighbourhood friends. Best times. Sydney doesnt have much now. Although i’m truly grateful for my life and having food, shelter and reasonably good opportunities in Sydney, Australians as a whole has lost its originality and its becoming harder and harder to get by. The government keeps enacting new taxes to keep itself alive as there’s no more manufacturing left…. Anyways, thanks for your post Dan! Brought back wonderful memories. Cheers
What a great Mum !!--that is fantastic !!
Probably wouldn't be allowed that now with duty of care issues. Problem with a lot of these theme parks is that parents that don't want to go, have to go.
@@MsJubjubbird They are simply not profitable. All that huge real estate, 100 employees minimum, expensive mechanical maintenance that needs to be extremely frequent for safety means a few quiet seasons and its bankruptcy time. And they probably need to charge $300 per person per visit to maybe break even, plus theres already luna park to compete with.
Let’s not forget SegaWorld in darling harbour, gosh how times have changed, Sydney use to be a great place to be.
Omg was that wer they had all the futuristic electronics, like the future house phone that was ment to have a video screen ( 90s face time on the house phone lol
Just before it closed, i took my sons. It was so quiet, we rode Bush Beast over 20 times in a row without having to get off. We could have kept going but they wanted to ride other things and then come back later. I miss the park - it felt very much like Magic Mountain in California when it first opened. Thanks for nothing Sunway........
I also remember a day I was there that the Bush Beast, the Beastie, Demon, and Space Probe were empty. Great times, could never get over that first high portion of the Bush Beast after the first drop. That frame creaked and rattled so damn loud and wobbled so damn hard that I thought it was going to crumble to the ground every time I went on it 🤣
Sydney used to be a great place to live…. It’s gone to absolute garbage
Too hard, crowded, dirty, agro, expensive… I left 2 years ago and dread visiting the pkace
Best thing about Sydney is seeing it in my rear vision mirror
Wah wah wahhhhh!! Poor widdle baby.
As long as your happy now that's what matters most. Are you happy now? Or at least content? Maybe look in the mirror next time and ask yourself this lol.
I totally agree ... i grew up baulko , castle hill and then five dock... all areas are shit as now. The 80s and 90s were wicked times to live in syd. Id advise to move out country now. SYD is full of wanna be millionaires and slaves and scumbags who smile at you in a fake way because they are under greed pressure which they deserve.
Just came back from a holiday and yes Sydney has become a mess
I've wanted to get out of Sydney for a few years now, know a few people who have and they hate coming back here.
I visited this place several time during my Sydney life. Best day out ever. Fantastic place. Was so gutted when it closed. I even had a relationship with an acrobat who worked there.
I remember winning a radio contest to be given exclusive access to one of the new roller coasters. The park was closed and the group of about 30 of us had the run of the park. As a season ticket holder this was a dream come true. Like the rest of us locals, couldn’t believe the demise of our wonderful Australia’s wonderland. It was so sad to watch ❤️😘
I remember about 15 of us used to get the train to Rooty Hill station then get the wonderland bus and spend all day there as teenagers
Me and my brother had that yearly pass you could get. e got the train from Gymea/Miranda to Rooty Hill.
My mum freaked and thought we would get rolled. But we never did. Mind you, we weren't exactly wearing Nikes LOL.
Lmao man that was sketch af on that no street bus with only 5 passengers
We caught the train down from Katoomba. Was awesome
Wow, that ad you showed had a lot of celebrities in it - Warwick Capper, Greg Evans, Pat Cash, Johnny Young and more!
I loved that place went many times, loved the bush beast, and later the superman roller coaster. No where like this in Sydney now, it’s sad.
I do a lot of work on the site where Wonderland originally was. It's a concrete jungle of warehouses now, it kept the name "wonderland drive", though it serves an insult to what used to be. Such a shame
many times.. my dad drove the double decker bus from blacktown to wonderland on weekends....GOOD TIMES.
I Loved Australia's Wonderland!!!! Was there almost every weekend as a 15-16 year old, thanks to our annual Wonderpass!! Loved the Demon ride and the Bush Beast!!! Thank God for the photos that they took on these rides!!
I went here a few times a kid, lots of great memories, the last time was maybe a year before it closed and it was in a bad state of disrepair, clearly Sunway had no intentions to keep it going, it’s sad that we no longer have anything like this in Sydney, thanks for the video it was a good ride down memory lane.
Young Teen love and hanging out with my mates…. When life was simple and times were good - thanks Australia’s Wonderland
Reading all these comments in this video thread about the memories and emotions people feel from their time either working or visiting Wonderland, it makes you realise this was a great place to attend. I visited myself a dozen or so times and visited again about a month or so before it closed its doors for good.
What makes me sadder is that children, plenty of kids in Western Sydney won't get a chance to attend a theme park for not much money. You'd have to say that nobody will ever build a theme park in Sydney ever again like Wonderland.
Now the land is too expensive to buy, materials and labour have gone through the roof, cost of living has gone up $$$ and people would rather sit at home and look at UA-cam or Netflix then go out for recreation. Oh but if they only knew! However they won't be able to!
63 years ago, long before Wonderland, I lived at Walgrove in an old army camp that straddled both sides of Walgrove Road. The western side of the camp was demolished and Wonderland was built. The “site office” was my old school which had wooden buildings and coke fueled slow combustion heaters. Two classes per room with two teachers one at each end of the room. I was saddened to see it all go. If you go to Google Earth you can still see SOME remnants of the eastern side of the army camp which had Nissen Huts. We lived in hut A13.
I knew people in management at Wonderland..... From very early on it became apparent that the Malaysians intended to run it into the ground... Industrial land beside the M4 and the coming M7 was worth so much more than a seasonal amusement park..
I personally love Australia's Wonderland and visited there annually. It was a big blow to me, my growing family and the rest of Australia when it was closed down! It gave us great joy!
Best place funwise as a teenager in my day... loved this place! Loved the bounty watchin things fall from ppls pockets.... went so many times!!!
I went a few times as a teenager in the late 80’s. It was by far my favourite theme park in Australia.. much better than anything you get on the Gold Coast !!
This was devastating as well as the closing of Old Sydney Town. Gone but never forgotten
Lucky old Sydney town gets used for weddings and filming so buildings are there but only for films etc
Absolutely loved the pre 1979 Luna Park and Wonderland even Jamberoo recreation Park which I now live over the hill from. Growing up in the 60s and 70s there were some really brilliant Parks. Shame we’ve lost most of them.
I loved this place as a kid! I remember my first ride on a proper big roller coaster was on The Bush Beast. I can clearly remember that feeling as the roller coaster perched at th highest point for a second (seemed like a lifetime) before hutling downwards at a million miles an hour.
A truly great childhood memory.
I loved Wonderland. It was uniquely Australian in so much as it was ours. R.I.P Wonderland. Thanks for the video
That place was awesome !! Took our children & their friends children on low incomes at the time , That was our pleasure . We still all remember those fun thrilling days !!!!
Sydney , in the 1960s had so much more to enjoy - plenty of decent theatres , great shopping , especially the large department stores , Luna Park was so much better , and even Manly had an amusement pier and aquariums. The Easter Show was also wonderful , providing fond memories, whereas most memories of more recent Easter Shows are quite mundane by comparison . At least we have Darling Harbour now ! 💥
Remember hearing the Wizards Fury as you walked in from the car park? Also the Funnel Web, Snowy River Rampage and Endeavour were great. The lamest ride was the SkyHawk. Was there a ride called the Tasmanian Devil? It was similar to the Funnel Web? Truly a lost era.
Chunderland, it was a fun place to go. Worked on maintenance there one time and had to go in on the Saturday to ride the Bush Beast all day to run it in - so it would make it round the track by itself.
Sunway worked very early on that the land it sat on was worth way more then running the park. Sunway brought wonderland with the intention of selling it for the land it sat on
They did not bring it anywhere, they just pulled down after they bought it.
That’s not entirely true. Sunway already ran theme parks in Malaysia and they intended to keep the park and develop the rest of the land. They got caught badly in the Asian crash of 1997 when they lost nearly $1bn. Wonderland never made money from the day it was opened so it was an albatross around their neck when their main business of plundering forests throughout SE Asia started losing money. Hence it was easier to sell the land and shut it down.
@@terrywatson Plundering forests🤔😂🎯
@@MikesManCave Some people confuse "brought" & "bought" (or aren't careful with typos).
I’m 52. I met my first love at Wonderland. Best place for a local 16 year old to spend a weekend. Affordable, fun, great staff, always a great memory there with family and friends.
Loved it. Was a fun day for the whole family.
We went to Sydney with the Make-A-Wish foundation and stayed at the casino. They asked my daughter Bethany what she wanted to do while she was there. Her answer was on the set of “Home and Away” and Australia’s Wonderland. They absolutely loved it. I am absolutely devastated at what happened to Australia Wonderland. I would say that they systematically destroyed it on purpose, which is what’s happening to our Country right now😢😡
I visited Wonderland the year it opened as a 11yo kid and then again many times over the next 18 years. It truly was a magical place from my childhood which I'll never forget, it sad the sydney kids of nowadays have nothing like it now
Omg yes, I was 8yrs old in 91 or 92 ,from wa and went to Sydney to visit family, iv got awesome memories of Australia's wonderland lol that roller coaster was my first and may I say my last roller coaster iv ever been on lolol I loved my yogi bear head drink bottle that hung around my neck lolol
Was awesome!! Grew up going every year,!
Thank you for putting this video together. Nice to know what happened. I have Lots of happy memories with family and friends there 🤘
It's now been closed for longer than it was ever open. Crazy
Used to love going to wonderland on NYE, parents would hang out in the amphitheatre being treated to music by the greats like john paul young, the wiggles, and many other great acts, while us kids would run rampart through the park.
The Zodiac was my favourite, it was always fun making it spin to unsuspecting visitors to the park!
I was always scared to try the demon because of the loopty loop, but am glad i finallly gave it a go before it was forever removed.
I remember the last few visits to wonderland being kind of depressing, half of the areas were closed, and the other half just not functioning as they should have.
RIP Wonderland, You helped create some of the best memories i have from childhood.
Any plans to do a video like this for Old Sydney Town?
Such a huge shame that this park closed down. I was there on the last day it operated, and walked out of the gates at closing time with a massive feeling of sadness and disappointment knowing that would be all the fun we could have at this Sydney institution. Thanks for the video and memories 🙂
That add at the end, 5 after 5. That's what (in my view) changed Wonderland for the worse. I was in my late teens at the time, and the $5- entry encouraged lots of bored teens like myself to meet up at Wonderland for some cheap rides, and to see what mischief we could find to get up to. Often couples with kid's would be tormented by us unruly (often intoxicated and stoned) adolescents.
Apologies to those families for often wrecking their evening out.
Thanks Karen but it was shut down for the land not because of unruly teenagers. The 5 after 5 deal was good because families are leaving at that time so you just get a little extra income from the tightasses and the workers aren't getting paid to twiddle their thumbs from 5-9.
Shame on you😢
@@MaleOrderBride shame on me for my actions from over 35 years ago.
I went there on a school excursion and had one of the best times. I don't remember a lot from my childhood, but I can remember standing in Wonderland and going on the Snowy River Rapids.
I went there once when I was 16, in 1994. I remember having a good time there, as a teen from Melbourne in Syd visiting relatives. The rollercoaster was pretty intense, if remember correctly. Sad to see it gone, like so many other things from when I was young. .
When it opened my parents bought us annual passes. Would go there regularly during the summer. A couple years later a neighbour got me a job there on the wash down crew. Use to wash down the entire park walkways prior to opening. Then started working in the garden crew for a couple summers. I reckon last time I was there would have been ‘89. Great memories!
I started working there pre=opening until 1991. great times.
I have so many happy childhood memories attached to this place
I kept meaning to visit this place for years. Then I had someone special and managed to go there for a day, just a week before it closed. Went on every ride, twice!
I was really young when I went there, but it was one of my happiest moments in my childhood. I wish that it never closed down.
I used to lead a youth group in Mudgee and we took entire bus loads of kids down every year. It was sad when it closed. From a young kid to a young adult I enjoyed so many things at Wonderland. I have old videos of the group and even outings with mates to the park. So sad. The ad brought back memories too!
Best memorys when id come and visit my dad from nz...hed always take us there. ❤
As a kid growing up in Mt Druitt Wonderland was the place to go. Especially when they brought in $5 after 5. I still have a tape my friends and i made in the music studio singing American Pie. A very sad day when they started closing parts of the park and then the day they closed its doors. I still get angry at all the business that now occupy the place where the Bush Beast once sat proudly
First job ever worked at admissions. Loved it and the free park entries! Was so sad it went the way it did.
I loved Australia’s Wonderland as a kid that grew up in the Western Suburbs. We didn’t have a lot of money but they had special affordable entry fees so that everyone could visit. The Beastie was a great ride and I remember going when it was surprisingly and disappointedly closed. It’s very sad that it was poorly managed at the end but I have very happy memories of going there with my family.
Space probe, demon, bush beast were my fav rides. Such a fun place. Pirate ship scared many teenagers and heaps lost belongings into the water. Dodgem cars were great as it had heaps of room to drive or ram mates. All good things must come to an end like el caballo blanco in catherine field.
What a place so many good memories there in the 90s, remember my old lady forcing me in baby sisters pram at 11 years old and pushing me through the gate for free..!haha
Also went to a rave there in 2000 during the Olympics I think. Was unreal to say the least..
Australia’s most happiest place. So many memories made here. My childhood was the best!!! Closing it down was a huge disappointment and broke many hearts. Future generations would never knew true happiness.
I went there a few times, it was heaps fun going there. You had to go there a few times to see every part of the place.
I remember getting in near the start there was a big line up to get in.
It was sad to hear that it closed.
I've been driving from the M4 onto Wallgrove Rd to work,daily since 1997.The growth in the industrial area, the construction of the M7 has been inexorable .The traffic is horrible,and a new road being built will only exacerbate the congestion .
100% agree I drive a truck for a living & driving from Penrith to Minto everyday is a nightmare!
Wow, this brings back some good reflections.. well put together. Kind of sentimental for some of us Aussies out there.. should never have closed down.. our generation and our future generations missed out on the magic of a true wonderland..
My greatest memory of wonderland was around 1993 my dad took me and my brother. After a big morning darting around the place we sat down in the shade under some trees with a hot dog for lunch. A bird pooed on my hot dog. I cried so dad bought me another one. Happy days
I miss it so much. I’d only just renewed my wonderpass when the closed it
The last time I went was approx February 2004. It was a school day and the park was basically empty. No queues anywhere. The lack of queues was great for us on the day but we definitely were aware that the park was running at a huge loss. Such a stupid idea to have it open every day of the year.
Bounty's Revenge, Demon, Bush Beast, Snowy River Rampage & Space Probe were my favourites.
They were good time, I still have the last Wonderpasses 2003 for myself, our 2 boys and their best friend from next door. The boys loved summer, I would break up their week by taking them to the pool and then a few rides on Wednesdays. My boys turned 10 late that year, the boy next door a year younger. It was sad when it closed down.
Went there as a kid in the late 80's, was too scared to go on the bush beast.
Went back in the early 2000's, the place was eerily quiet, my girlfriend (now wife) and I almost had the place to ourselves.
Got on the front seat of the bush beast, all by myself, and the ride operator sent me around about 30 times in a row.
Sad to see it go, the theme parks on the Gold Coast are too busy and expensive.
Got to go once when I was 10. Certainly memories I'll have forever
I went when it was Hanna Barbara themed. We road tripped from SA and I thought it was amazing. I think that was maybe 1985-ish
Yeah, I lived only 15 minutes away and went many times. I was there opening night for “The Beach” and the cast of Home and Away were there. It was really upsetting to see it go.
Loved it. A part of Sydney died when Wonderland closed its doors.
My neck still remembers the bush beast and the little beasty roller-coasters! Seeing a piece of wood fall off was just adding to it!
OneFM (96.1) were giving away wonderpasses when i was in year 7 or 8 (circa 1994) and i was a lucky caller and won one, i couldnt believe it! I remember recording the phone call which aired a couple minutes later and showing my friends. Really good memories growing up in western Sydney in the 80/90s
Yes we had seasonal pass for my family . And my kids always love going there.
It had a smell also i can remember very distinct.
Awesome memories as a young fella
Yeah for sure, a certain timber smell to me each time I went.
‘It’s the smell, Mr Anderson’
forever... something, something in your hand.... wonder, wonder wonder laaaaaaand!
So glad I got to experience WONDERLAND back in the day, some awesome memories.
This was such a great place to go. Myself & a huge group of friends would go st least once a month.
Visited many times as a kid and then with my own kids and went one last time 6 months before it closed. I was told at the time the park was closing because it couldn't afford the new insurance tax recently added. It wasn't the only business or homeowner that was affected by the tax increase so it was very believable that that was the reason why it closed.
Let's not forget the concerts & partys nights & going on the rides at night.
Let's also not forget the awesome burgers at Stockman's BBQ there.
Let's not forget the popping of some trips (LSD) with a bunch of mates & going on Wonderland rides days.
In the 90s Blinky Bill was a puppet tv show not a cartoon, it was really cute and worth a look. I always wondered what happened to this place I did go a couple of times and it was a really fun park
The cartoon was from the 90s. I remember the puppet show too though
Best fckn theme park ever! The deamon and the space probe were the highlights of my childhood! Strait to the back of the deamon!
When I first visited Australia in 1991, this was one of those magic places that made me fall in love with Sydney. I couldn't believe that it had been closed when I came back in 2015...
Amazing theme park!! Went heaps in the 80's/90's. Remember seeing Kim Wilde perform there too..
Space probe was pure kino the demon as well, i absolutely miss hana barbera land. The beach was so good fun in summer.
I remember when the Demon first opened, they had actors taking you to the ride pretending like there was some kind of space emergency. That stopped after a little while but man it was cool while it lasted
@@richardhandcock That was the Space Probe and yes i remember it too !
@@LargeHadronAnusCollider Yeah, it was Space Probe 7, no idea why I said Demon, that was the rollercoaster!
Loved Wonderland. Seems like only yesterday.
And i also remember
AFRICAN LION SAFARI
MAGIC KINDDOM
And now, i pick up stock from Wonderland Drive, Everytime i go there, it's heart breaking to see that it's a business park
That was fantastic.Thank you so much.