Luna
Park Sydney (originally Luna Park Milsons
Point, now formally Sydney's Luna Park)
is a historical amusement park, located
on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour,
Australia:). The heritage-listed park
first opened in 1935, and is open for
business as of 2006, but over its 70 year
history, the park has experienced multiple
closures, changes of ownership, legal
battles, and community action in both
support of and opposition to Luna Park's
operation. The location of Luna Park was
formerly occupied by a series of workshops,
cranes, and railway sidings used to provide
for the construction of the Sydney Harbour
Bridge. When the Harbour Bridge was completed
in 1932, North Sydney Council opened applications
for tenders to develop the site. At the
same time, Herman Phillips, David Atkins,
and Ted "Hoppy" Hopkins, the
minds behind Luna Park Glenelg in South
Australia, began to search for a location
to establish a new Luna Park, due to difficulties
with Glenelg Council and local residents.
Despite initial resistance from North
Sydney Council towards the idea of an
amusement park, Herman Phillips won the
tender in March, 1935. Immediately after
this, Luna Park Glenelg was placed in
voluntary liquidation. The rides from
Glenelg were purchased by Phillips and
his fellow directors, dismantled, transported
to Sydney, and reassembled at the Milsons
Point site over a three month period.
The construction and reassembly cost £60,000,
and employed almost 1,000 engineers, structural
workers, fitters, and artists, led by
Hoppy and Arthur "Art" Barton.
Luna Park first opened to the public on
October 4th, 1935, to almost immediate
success. After a successful opening season,
the park closed down for the winter months
(a process which was repeated until 1972).
During the closed season, rides were overhauled
and repainted, and new rides and attractions
were added, to provide the impression
to patrons that the park had changed during
the three month closures. During the Second
World War, Luna Park was a magnet for
servicemen; both those treating their
girlfriend to a night out, and those looking
to meet someone. The park's external lights
were 'browned out' in case of a Japanese
sneak attack on Sydney, the neon lights
were disconnected, and non-essential uses
of electricity (primarily for ride facades)
were curtailed. The influx of servicemen
drew prostitutes to the area, and large-scale
brawls were a common occurrence - usually
American sailors on shore leave against
Australian home defence troops. In the
early 1950s, numerous changes and additions
were made to Luna Park. Atkins and Hopkins
went on a world tour, bringing back new
ride designs and amusements from amusement
parks in Holland, the United States, Germany,
and Britain. The Rotor was constructed
and installed, and became the stage of
many stunts. Arthur Barton redesigned
and reconstructed the enormous face over
the park's entrance, which had begun to
sag and distort. (This design of the Face
was based on illustrations of Old King
Cole, and was the basis for the current
incarnation of the Face). A mothballed
submarine (K-12) was acquired from the
Dutch Navy, and was used as both an attraction
and a backup power supply for the Park's
rides.
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