History - The Changing Face of Luna Park

The Luna Park story

1950's Face

The origins of Luna Park go back to Coney Island, U.S.A., part of metropolitan New York, where in the late 1800’s a number of competing amusement parks sprang up. Elmer Dundy and Frederick Thompson developed an amusement called A Trip to the Moon which was extremely successful. In 1903 they opened their own amusement park on Coney Island and called it Luna Park in acknowledgement of their successful ride.

Soon Luna Parks spread throughout the world. American showmen, brothers Herman, Leon and Harold Phillips with J.D. Williams, opened Australia’s first Luna Park at St. Kilda in 1912. Showman David Atkins noticed its enormous success and convinced the Phillips to open a Luna Park in Glenelg, Adelaide in 1930. Ted Hopkins an electrical engineer joined the Park just prior to its opening to complete the electrical and mechanical installation. Despite several successful seasons, the Glenelg park was forced to close because of friction with the local residents and a local council that resisted any changes or expansion of the Park.

Herman Phillips and David Atkins commenced a search for a suitable place to relocate the South Australian Luna Park and found the vacant Harbour Bridge factory site at Milsons Point. Under the guidance of Ted Hopkins, Luna Park Glenelg was dismantled, packed up, transported by ship and unloaded onto the Dorman Long wharf and reassembled in Sydney.

1973 Face

Herman Phillips planned the layout of the park, Rupert Browne a scenic artist from Luna Park St Kilda gave the layout artistic imagination and Ted Hopkins made everything work – physically, mechanically and electrically. The whole Sydney site was constructed in just over 3 months and involved the employment of 800 structural workers, 70 electricians and 35 artists as well and many others.

When the doors opened at 8.00pm on 4 October, 1935 it cost 6d to enter (3d for children) and 6d for most rides. The Big Dipper and Coney Island cost 9d. The Park was an instant success. After the first year, the admission charge was removed and Luna Park proudly advertised “Admission Free”.

During the war years the lights of Luna Park were” browned out” and the Park became a magnet for servicemen. The Park was closed every winter and this gave an opportunity to move, overhaul and paint the rides and add new attractions. This continued until 1972. The amusement Park ran smoothly under the control of showmen from 1935 to 1970 when Ted Hopkins retired.

Luna Park 1935

In 1969 the lease on the park was sold to World Trade Centre Pty Ltd headed by Leon Fink. An application was made to develop the site as a trade centre consisting of multi-storey buildings designed by eminent architect, Harry Seidler. The state government refused the application and the park continued. During the 1970’s the park was altered from its original state, some older rides were demolished, and new portable rides introduced but they lacked the artistic facades that had been characteristic of the Park. The lease ran out in 1976 and operation continued on a weekly basis. The Park stopped closing for its regular winter maintenance schedules and in 1979 a tragic fire in the ghost train ride finally caused Luna Park to close down completely.

Artists were involved in Luna Park from the earliest days. Rupert Browne was brought up from Luna Park Melbourne, designed the first entry face and did all the original artwork during the parks 1935 construction phase. After the park opened Arthur Barton became the resident artist until 1970. He designed murals, panels and cut outs as well as the fifth entry face. In the seventies Martin Sharp and Peter Kingston along with Richard Liney, and many others were commissioned to revitalise the Park.

The government called for tenders for use of the site in July 1979 with a second and third round called. Public agitation was growing. At this time Friends of Luna Park, headed by Martin Sharp and Peter Kingston, was established. They organised exhibitions, public meetings and a protest concert to draw attention to the park’s condition.

1960's view of park

The Luna Park operating contract was eventually won in 1980 by a company which became known as Harbourside Amusements Pty Ltd. This consortium was led by Sir Arthur George with Harold and Colman Goldstein.

In April 1981, after unsuccessful negotiations between the old and the new lessees over the name and key equipment, the Government forced the old lease owners to vacate the site. On 31 May and 1 June 1981, an auction was held within the park and many of the original amusements and artworks were sold. When the new operators entered the site, the Big Dipper, David Jones Locker and the River Caves were bulldozed and burnt.

New rides were installed and the park took on a distinctive American theme park flavour reopening in May 1982. In 1987 the lease was transferred to Prome Amusements and Luna Park “closed for renovations” in April 1988. The entry face was removed and the towers dismantled. There were two further changes to the name of the leaseholder and an application was made to redevelop the park as “an adult entertainment centre with high rise towers”.

While Luna Park remained dilapidated and empty, public pressure increased. In November 1989, the Government announced there would be no high rise development on the Luna Park site and the lease was withdrawn in June 1990 following the leaseholder’s failure to re-open the park as an amusement centre.

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