Destroyed - The rise and fall of Australia's Wonderland theme park [AH015]

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...

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.

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

Back when Sydney was exciting and a happy place to exist

I’m 42, and that was the coolest place when growing up!

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.

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 a perfect example of why we shouldn't sell out to foreign investors.

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.

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.

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 😂

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!

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 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 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

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.

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

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

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 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.