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Luna Park Sydney

Luna Park Sydney

Australia

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Overview

Luna Park Sydney is a heritage-listed amusement park located at 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point, North Sydney Council, New South Wales, Australia, on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour.

The amusement park is owned by the Luna Park Reserve Trust, an agency of the Government of New South Wales, and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 March 2010. The park was constructed during 1935 approximately 600 metres from the northern approaches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and ran for seventy-month seasons until 1972, when it was opened year-round. Luna Park was closed in mid-1979, immediately following the Ghost Train fire, which killed six children and one adult. Most of the park was demolished, and a new amusement park was constructed; this originally operated under the name of Harbourside Amusement Park before resuming the Luna Park name. The park was closed again in 1988 as an independent engineering inspection determined that several rides needed urgent repair. The owners failed to repair and reopen the park before a New South Wales government deadline, and ownership was passed to a new body.

History

Prior to European settlement of Australia and well into the 19th century, the site of Luna Park was occupied by the Cammeraigal (also spelt as Cammeraygal) Clan, part of the larger Kuringgai Tribe.

In 1805 Robert Campbell purchased a parcel of land on the waterfront of the North Shore, between Lavender Bay and Careening Bay extending about 550 metres (600 yd) inland, which comprised Milsons Point and the future site of Luna Park. "It was a block of 120 acres which had been originally granted to Robert Ryan, a private soldier who arrived in the First Fleet, and had passed via Charles Grimes the surveyor-general to its new owner". James Milson settled on there in 1806 "where by the grace of Robert Campbell, he grazed his herd and built his house".

From 1822 onwards Milson signed a lease for this land paying A£8 per year but later disputed Campbell's claim to it. Although another 12-year lease was signed in 1830 Campbell eventually sued Milson for trespass. No part of this grant passed into the hands of Milson "until well after the death of Campbell" (in 1846).[3] In 1830 Jamaican ex-convict Billy Blue commenced the first ferry service across Sydney Harbour. Seven years later a regular wharf and waterman's service was operating from the site. In 1842 Milsons Point was declared a public landing place and by 1860 a regular vehicular ferry service was operating between Milsons Point and Fort Macquarie. In 1886 a tram service commenced between the newly constructed terminus at Milsons Point and North Sydney.

In 1890 the North Shore Railway Line was opened between Hornsby and St Leonards. Three years later the site was quarried to prepare for the construction of the North Shore Railway Line extension from St Leonards to Milsons Point which followed the shoreline of Lavender Bay. A train station was located at the tip of Milsons Point adjacent to the existing wharf and tram terminus which became the major transport hub of the north In 1915 in preparation for building a bridge across the harbour a new temporary station and ferry wharf was completed further back on the line in Lavender Bay. From the mid 1800s the area on top of the cliff above the site was developed for housing. Directly above the site was Northcliff House which was demolished in the 1920s however the fig trees in the park on the cliff top are believed to be remnants of this period.

In 1916 a plan for the bridge across Sydney Harbour was accepted by the Parliamentary Works Committee. The tender for the construction of the new bridge was awarded to English engineering firm Dorman Long and Company in 1924. Work began on the bridge the following year. Dorman Long built a number of workshops on the Luna Park site for the fabrication and assembly of steel components used in construction of the bridge, as per the conditions of their contract. Milsons Point Railway Station was relocated in 1924 to the site of the station constructed in 1915. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was officially opened in 1932 which meant that Lavender Bay/Milson Point station and the use of vehicular ferries were made redundant.

Address: 1 Olympic Dr, Milsons Point NSW 2061, Australia
Departments: Grand Ballroom · Helter Skelter Cafe · Kiddies' Rides · Sonar Sydney · Sunset Room
Opened: October 4, 1935
Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 10:30AM Sat

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