Luna Park Sydney

Pre-colonisation to 1830s: Establishment of Milsons Point The Cammeraygal people are the traditional owners of the North Sydney area, having lived there for at least 5,000 years. After the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, a block of land between Lavender Bay and Careening Cove was granted by colonial authorities to a private soldier named Robert Ryan. This land passed down via surveyor-general Charles Grimes to politician Robert Campbell by 1805, with James Milson later settling there in the 1820s. In 1830, Jamaican ex-convict Billy Blue commenced the first ferry service across Sydney Harbour. By 1837, a regular wharf and waterman's service was operating from the site now known as Milsons Point. A regular vehicular ferry was operating by 1860, joined by a tram line to North Sydney in 1886. 1915 to 1935: From New York to Glenelg . Rides from this park formed the basis of its subsequent Sydney counterpart. The first Luna Park was opened at Coney Island, New York in 1903. The first Luna Park in Australia opened in , Melbourne in 1912, followed by Luna Park Glenelg in Adelaide in 1930. From 1924 onwards, the future site of Luna Park Sydney was used extensively by Dorman Long to fabricate and assemble steel components for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which officially opened in 1932. Phillips and his associates won the tender for the North Sydney site and began a 20-year lease on 11September 1935, forming Luna Park (NSW) Limited. The rides from Glenelg were dismantled and transported to Sydney over a three-month ‌an elaborate process undertaken by Stuart Brothers under the direction of David Atkins, Ted Hopkins and Arthur Barton. Construction of the park employed almost 1,000 engineers, structural workers, fitters, and artists. There were noise complaints and protests from North Shore residents against the park's construction as early as April 1935, before it had even opened. Members of a "Parks and Playgrounds Movement" were quoted as saying the park was the result of "a deplorable lack of aesthetic taste", and akin to "Coney Island under the Tower of ‌as in, not worthy of proximity to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. These sorts of complaints would turn out to be a theme throughout the park's history. 1935 to 1969: Official opening and heyday riding the Big Dipper in 1938. On 4 October 1935, Luna Park Sydney was officially opened to immediate success. After a successful opening season, the park closed down for the winter months so that rides and attractions could be overhauled and repainted, and new ones could be added. Winter closures were abandoned under this new management, meaning there was no opportunity to carry out regular maintenance works on the rides. 1980 to 1990: Friends of Luna Park campaign and Harbourside ownership The NSW government called for tenders for the site's development at the end of July 1979. Over the next six years, the entrance face was removed from over the entry gates on two occasions. The owners of Harbourside were involved in two disputes with the Department of Public Works, and one director was the subject of an inquiry by the Corporate Affairs Commission. Soon after this, the National Heritage Trust added several buildings on the site to its list of protected structures. The previous face was moved to storage owned by the Powerhouse Museum. The Luna Park Plan of Management was prepared by the New South Wales government in 1998 to guide the future management of the Luna Park Reserve. This plan identified a preferred option for Luna Park's future use, determined in consultation with residents, the general public and other stakeholders. It sought to preserve Luna Park's amusement park character while introducing new uses to improve its viability and accordance with the parameters in the Luna Park Site Amendment Act 1997. There was also grassroots community support for the park's reopening; one example of this was the collection of a 5,000 signature petition by a pair of high school students. The claim was of noise nuisance from the amusement rides, particularly those in Maloney's Corner . Stating that they had been misled as to the types of amusement ride that were located in the Maloney's Corner area, the residents and developer attempted to claim over $20 million in damages, and demanded the relocation or permanent closure of the Ranger and Spider rides. in 2012. On 1 January 2007, a staff member working on the Golden Way Amusements-owned Speed (hired for the Christmas holidays) was struck in the head by the armature while the ride was in motion. In October 2007, Multiplex announced that it was intending to sell the lease to one of the undeveloped sections of Luna Park. The section of land, advertised for approximately $7 million, had initially been leased from the NSW Government for $1, on the condition that any profit made from property built on the site was invested in the amusement park. In February 2010, the Park was placed on the NSW State Heritage Register. In late 2011, the NSW government allocated $78,000 in the state budget for upgrades of the park's lighting to LEDs, along with repairs to the park's buildings. On Boxing Day 2013, Luna Park opened Hair Raiser, a Super Shot drop tower manufactured by Larson International. The ride was constructed without proper planning approval, sparking controversy. Furthermore, there were complaints from local residents about the noise, light and visual impacts of the ride on the surrounding area. In 2015, the Department of Planning and Environment approved the operation of the ride, requiring the park take measures to reduce its visual impact. In 2016, Hair Raiser was repainted from white to blue. In 2017, the park unsuccessfully lodged a construction certificate to install a new ride, The Flying Carousel (later known as Volaré). After taking then-planning minister Anthony Roberts to court over the rejection, judgment stated that the park now would be required to submit a development application any time a new ride of any kind was to be added. Luna Park management opposed this, as it would require the park to take into consideration objections of local residents. Public reaction and media coverage of the decision was negative, with management claiming it would be unviable to operate the park long-term under the planning restrictions. In October 2018, it was announced that the park would no longer need to submit development applications for ride installations, with new planning processes introduced. Volaré opened to the public on 24 March 2019. 2020 to present: COVID-19 era On 19 March 2020, Luna Park confirmed that the park would be closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The park reopened on 3 July with the implementation of additional safety measures, including regular cleaning between rides, limits on the number of visitors per ride and health checks upon arrival. The park closed again in January 2021, and nine new rides were built, including three roller coasters; one a Gerstlauer family shuttle coaster called Boomerang, and another a Preston and Barbieri mini coaster named Little Nipper. The third coaster is Big Dipper, a prototype Intamin Hot Racer, and Australia's first single-rail coaster. In March 2023, the park held a reunion of the Friends of Luna Park activist group at Coney Island. A plaque was unveiled to commemorate their efforts, and particularly Sharp's, in saving the park from development. In June 2024 Luna Park's lease that runs until 2044, was sold by Brookfield to Oscars Group. ==Park layout==

Park Entrance / "The Face" The iconic 9-metre-high (-foot-high) face, as well as its 26-metre-high (-foot-high) supporting towers, which are decorated in the popular 1930s Art Deco style with scalloped spires imitating the top of New York's Chrysler building, have presided over the main entrance for almost all of the park's existence. The idea was based on the entrance of Luna Park Melbourne, and Steeplechase Park's "face" mascot. and in 1995, the supporting towers were rebuilt in the style of the original 1935 design. , this version of the main entrance still stands. Midway Stretching from the Park entrance to Coney Island, the Midway has always been the main thoroughfare of Luna Park. The Midway is the focus of many activities and amusements, and provides access to the Crystal Palace, Big Top, and Coney Island, along with the majority of Luna Park's permanent rides. Crystal Palace Beginning life in 1935 as a dodgem hall and office space, the Crystal Palace has seen many uses over the park's history, including as a dance hall, a BMX track, a games arcade, and a restaurant and bar. The essential form of the Crystal Palace is that of a large rectangular thirteen-bay steel-framed structure, two storeys in height with a hip roof behind extended walls. The end bays are framed with heavy Oregon members and the roof ends above them are gabled hips with louvered ventilation in the gables. The exteriors were originally symmetrical, the two long elevations having emphatic central elements and end pavilions. Parapets conceal the main roof; these are crenulated except for the tower motifs where chamfered blocks of timber, imitating machicolation, have been planted on. The cladding, once predominantly asbestos cement, has been replaced in the early 1990s works with fibre-cement. The centre of the east or Midway entrance elevation has a steep hipped roof between tall pinnacles, while the four "towers" of the end pavilions have steep pyramid roofs. Since the 2004 reopening, Crystal Palace has been host to four of the seven rooms used by Luna Park's functions business. The main room stretches across the entire lower floor of Crystal Palace, and is often used for wedding receptions and other large social functions. The Midway-facing exterior of the building is host to numerous sideshow games and food stalls. Big Top Constructed during the 2003 redevelopment on the site of the Big Dipper, Coney Island First constructed in 1935, Coney Island (also known as Funnyland) is the only operating example of a 1930s funhouse left in the world. Although some changes have been made over the years, the layout is almost identical to when Luna Park opened in 1935. It is a rectangular building with the longest side running east–west. It has a corrugated iron hip roof with its external walls forming parapet walls around each side. The basic structure of Coney Island is virtually identical to that of the Crystal Palace. It is similar in width but slightly shorter, having twelve bays. Internally the steelwork of the main structure is concealed by mural panels or decorated motifs which were physically conserved during 1994. The roof purlins and sheeting are exposed. Industrial light fittings are suspended from the roof. .The open space contains large and small attractions, including four sets of giant slides, a joy wheel , revolving barrels, moving walkways and obstacle courses. The design was based on funhouses in Europe and the United States. Today's Coney Island is also host to the restored artworks of Arthur Barton, Luna Park's original resident artist, along with photographs and memorabilia spanning Luna Park's history. The amusements were saved from demolition in 1981 by the 'Friends of Luna Park' action group, who purchased them for $9,200, on the condition that they remain in the heritage-listed building. The Park closed on 26January 2021 and reopened on 22October of that year with eight of the nine new rides (Boomerang, Bug, Cloud 9, Freaky Frogs, Little Nipper, Loopy Lighthouse, Sledgehammer, and Silly Sub) open to the public; the ninth and final new ride (Big Dipper) would become available a couple of months later on 26December of that year. ==Rides==

Current rides This is a list of all permanent rides in operation at Luna Park, arranged alphabetically, : • Big Dipper (2021)An Intamin Hot Racer that opened on 26 December 2021. The ride is the world's first launched single-rail coaster, and the first single-rail coaster in Australia. • Cloud NineA Zamperla Samba balloon. • Coney IslandA funhouse containing numerous classic attractions. Coney Island is the last surviving opening-day attraction at Luna Park. • '''Devil's Drop'''A taller and steeper set of slides, which was installed in 1938. • Joy WheelA wooden joy wheel. • Mirror MazeA mirror maze which was installed in 2008, located under the slides. • SlidesThree sets of large wooden slides. • Turkey TrotAn undulating moving walkway. • Wonky WalkAn obstacle course. • Dodgem CityA nineteen car dodgem hall. Dodgem City was originally located underneath Wild Mouse from 1995, before being moved to its current location underneath Big Dipper in 2004. • Ferris WheelA 35 metre tall, 24 gondola Ferris wheel. Introduced to the park during the 1982 Harbourside development. • Freaky FrogsA Zamperla Jump Around. • Hair RaiserA Larson International Super Shot drop tower added to the park in 2013. • Little NipperA Preston & Barbieri mini coaster. • Loopy LighthouseA Zamperla Jumping Tower • RotorLuna Park's Rotor was first installed in 1951. It was continually a popular ride until its demolition at the end of 1986. A slightly smaller Rotor was constructed during the 1995 redevelopment. • Silly SubA Zamperla Crazy Bus. • SledgehammerA Zamperla Discovery 360, first opened in October 2021. • Tango Train (2016)Opened in 2016 on the site of the original Tango Train. A 20-Car Musik Express manufactured by SBF Visa. • VolaréA Preston & Barbieri Wave Swinger, opening in 2019. • Wild MouseA wooden Wild Mouse roller coaster, Luna Park's Wild Mouse first opened in 1963, and although it has been disassembled and removed on several occasions, it has remained at Luna Park since 1995. Previous rides of note • Big Dipper (1935) - A wooden roller coaster constructed in 1930 for Luna Park Glenelg, a clone of Luna Park Melbourne's ride of the same name. Operated at the Milsons Point site from 1935 to 1979, when it was demolished and burned in 1981 following the park's closure as a result of the Ghost Train fire. • Ghost Train - A ghost train operating at Luna Park from 1935 until it burned down in mysterious circumstances on 9 June 1979. Seven people were killed in the fire. • River Caves - An Old Mill style dark ride, which was demolished in 1981. • Big Dipper (1995) - A large custom looping coaster designed by Arrow Dynamics and opened in January 1995. Noise pollution complaints by a resident action group focused primarily on the Big Dipper, putting heavy restrictions on its operation. • Flying Saucer - A 1988 HUSS UFO which arrived at Luna Park in 1995. Was closed in 2013 and replaced by Volaré in 2019. • Moon Ranger - A HUSS Ranger coming to the park in 1995. Was closed and removed in 2020. • Tumblebug - A 1988 HUSS Troika, the Tumblebug was installed in 1995. The ride, named after the Tumble Bug operated by Luna Park from 1935 to 1973, was closed and removed in 2020. • Spider - A HUSS Breakdance installed during the 1995 redevelopment, the Spider received its name from the park's 1938 ride. This was the last of the four HUSS rides that came to the park in 1995 remaining when it was closed and removed in late November 2020. • Octopus - An Octopus ride that opened in 1995 and was removed in 2001. ==In media==

Film • In 1959, the entire park was used for Leslie Norman's film adaptation of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, based on the play by Ray Lawler. • In 2018, the closing scenes of the Australian film Chocolate Oyster were filmed at the park. Television • Luna Park was used as a filming location by the ABC pop music series ''Six O'Clock Rock'', which ran from 1959 to 1962. • In 1969, the 38th episode of the 2nd season of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was filmed at the park. The episode, simply entitled "Luna Park", was based on the premise that Skippy had won a trip to the park in a newspaper competition. • In 1976, television soap opera Number 96 had characters Dorrie and Herbert Evans, Flo Patterson and Junior Winthrop (Pat McDonald, Ron Shand, Bunney Brooke and Curt Jansen) visit the park, including scenes of them in Coney Island, eating fairy floss, and riding on the Big Dipper and the Topsy-Turvy House. This footage, from Episode 920, has been preserved digitally and was featured in ''Number 96: And They Said It Wouldn't Last, a bonus feature on the 2006 DVD release of the feature film version of the show, Number 96: 2 Disc Collectors Edition''. • In 1977, the park was featured in the telemovie Gone to Ground. • In 1983, the park was featured in the ABC TV movie The Girl from Moonooloo. • In 1989, the park was featured in the New Zealand children's drama/adventure programme ''Betty's Bunch''. • In 2000, scenes for the two-part 100th episode of JAG, entitled "Boomerang", were filmed at the park. • In 2001, the "memory sequences" in the Farscape episode "Infinite Possibilities Part I: Daedalus Demands" were shot at the park. • In 2010, Luna Park was featured in the first season of the Australian TV series Dance Academy. • In 2019, the auditions for season 9 of Australia's Got Talent were filmed in the Big Top, with the judges being seen on the rides at the beginnings of some episodes. • In 2019, scenes for a Season 2 episode of the Australian crime drama Mr Inbetween were filmed at the park. Documentaries • In 1996, a documentary about the park entitled Spirits of the Carnival – The Quest for Fun was released. • In 1979, Martin Sharp brought Tiny Tim to Luna Park to set a new record for the world's longest professional non-stop singing marathon. Tiny performed for two hours and seventeen minutes. Footage of the complete show was released as The Non-Stop Luna Park Marathon by Planet Blue Pictures in 2014. As of 2023, it can be viewed for free on Vimeo. • Footage of the above marathon was originally intended for Street of Dreams, a feature film directed by Sharp that investigated the Ghost Train fire and the history of the park in general, as well as telling Tiny's life story and showcasing his eccentric personality. The film was never completed in Sharp's lifetime, but a leaked rough cut exists on the internet. • In March 2021, a 3 part documentary aired on ABC TV and ABC iview called EXPOSED: The Ghost Train Fire which investigated the cause of the fire, interviewing many witnesses and drawing posthumously on Sharp's extensive research into the topic. Music and music videos • In 1983, Luna Park was mentioned in the song "Upstairs In My House" by the Australian band Men at Work on their 1983 album Cargo. • In 2016, the park was featured in Seventeen's "Healing" music video which was released on 16 October 2016. It was filmed during their Shining Diamonds: Asia Pacific Tour. • In 2018, Lady Leshurr filmed her music video for "On My Way" at the park. • In 2020, Sydney post-punk band Johnny Hunter filmed their music video for "Innocence Interrupted" at the park. Video games • In 2022, the video game ''Newfound Courage's expansion Return to Otherwhere'' featured a theme park inspired heavily by Sydney's Luna Park, including several of the rides which players are required to use. == See also ==