Although I’ve dropped back from delivering Luna in the near future I’m still collecting information and design for the long haul. Cutting back isn’t giving up – it’s breaking the final project up into smaller deliverables. To keep people interested in the long term goal and avoid art project space madness.
Most of my inspiration is located in the USA but there have been many fun parks in Australia – Sydney and Melbourne Luna Parks still exist and are crucial in preserving artefacts from the early 1900’s. Others are just a few photographs such as Sydney’s White City (visited below).
Some I visited as a child – in the 60’s – 80’s Manly Fun Pier was second to Luna Park Sydney. It first opened in 1931, evolved slowly over the years until a refit in 1980. In 1990 it was torn down and replaced by a boring shopping/food mall.
I’m practising my source documentation – which means locating photos of a site or object and collecting any remaining data at that location. There’s nothing left standing at the Manly pier but I was able to determine the position so that my period photos can be aligned.
There was also a Marineland and water slides along the beach – that site is still standing although renovated, messed up and boarded up.
The water slides are still in place behind the round building but quite run down and full of clownsº. A metal gate is up and a notice that the whole thing has been handed over to the NSW Department of Transportation – probably for the same reason that fun parks used to be at the end of tram lines.
November 1981 opening.
Even further back…
Long before Manly Pier in 1903 was a Shoot The Chutes slide most likely based on Coney Island in New York. I only had a postcard but have just this week found a period panorama. Here it is cropped to the ride. Over 120 years ago.
There would only be houses in that location now.
My very favourite ‘ghost’ has been White City in Paddington Sydney. The area is now a respectable tennis centre. Again I only had a postcard but have just found a series of photographs by a Japanese tourist in c.1913.
This is the postcard. Very much based on Dragon’s Gorge at Luna NY. Note that there’s British and NSW flags. Australia hadn’t been created yet.
Here’s the interior – the image is at a much larger size than shown here, so you’re not seeing all the detail. But behind the Scenic Railway sign is Paddington. There’s a flying boats ride at the right and behind that the carousel, which was moved to Melbourne Luna Park after a fire destroyed the park in 1917. There’s also a Japanese Village to the left which must have been very curious to the Japanese tourist that photographed it.
More images of Sydney Fun Parks.
º We have a rating system here. A derelict site will inevitably be occupied by scary clowns. The more derelict, dark, mouldy etc. the more clowns that will be in residence.
Hi Tom,
I have a potential project I’d love to get in touch about re scoring an audio tour for White Bay power station.