The History of Wonderland Sydney: Sydney's Last Real Theme Park 

It was western Sydney, not eastern Sydney. Good luck trying to find that kinda space in the east lol Loved this park! Especially the 360 degree pirate ship

This video brings back many memories ....we had wonderland , mt druit water works , el Cabelo blanco , African lion safari and a bunch of others I can’t remember right now .....back when life was simpler in western Sydney

The real reason it went under was because they decided to open 7 days a week. The park used to only open over weekends and school holidays and was very successful, it was always full of people from open to close. Then they got greedy and did a dumb thing by opening 7 days a week. When kids where at school. When tourism wasn't in season. That place was a huge thing for kids in Western Sydney and meant a hell of a lot to people my age who grew up with it ( I was born in '82 the park opened in '85). I really miss that place and the old wooden rattler that was The Bush Beast, I tell my kids about it now and then and it kills me that I'll never be able to give them the experiences I had there especially now they are the perfect age for it.

I used to work there as a teenager in 1999 as a ride operator. It was the best! I operated the Bush Beast and Snowy River Rampage. The secret with the Snowy River Rampage was there was a Dry and Drown switch. We were able to view the people on a CCTV camera in the control room and turn on the Drown switch as we saw the people approaching!

Imagine Los Angeles selling Disneyland to a corporate giant turning it into a business park. It would never happen!

I had a wonder pass when I was 14 which cost $70. It allowed you to go whenever you wanted. My parents took advantage of this and they used to drop us off every weekend at opening and pick us up at closing. We went so much we started to beg not to go.... They refused. Having teenagers out of the house every weekend must have been too good. I knew every inch of that Park and was really sad to hear of its closure when I was living in London.

Gives me goosebumps remembering where the steps and gardens lay approaching the different rides.

I remember the 5 after 5 deal. Which was $5 after 5pm. Also a Wonder pass which was $99 for unlimited entry.

I loved this place, it's so sad seeing the water drained from snowy river and I can't believe the bush beast was just thrown away. Thanks for the video.

Yes the park was actually in Western Sydney (as another poster has stated) - but this is a really important thing to note. Wonderland was situated right between Penrith and Parramatta and entertained thousands of kids greatly from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Coming from St Marys, I was constantly going to birthday parties there. It really was the theme park of the West. Meanwhile, the rich kids from Eastern Sydney holidayed to the Gold Coast.

the bush beast was terrifying! it rattled and wobbled as the car roared around the track. It always felt like it was going to fall apart everytime you were on it. Im sure that roller coaster developed my fear of heights

Childhood memories especially the monster flying planes and river rafts. I've always wondered what happened to Wonderland. Sad that it isn't there anymore. Times change. Thanks for the update.

My experience with wonderland is much older. The Wonderland project office was my old wooden school house from the late fifties and early sixties. The actual site was part of the former Wallgrove army camp which straddled Wallgrove Road. The western side (wonderland side) had rectangular weatherboard huts while the eastern side had Nissen huts. The army camp had up to 5000 troops go through it which included the Australian Light Horse. Eventuality the camp facilities became a migrant hostel (Wallgrove Hostel) which I think closed down at the end of 1962. My dad ran dances and showed old movies from a projector in one of the wooden recreation huts. The hostel dog catcher took my dog, then shot him with a .22 before burning his carcass in the incinerator which was where I estimate the wooden roller coaster stood. My old school building stood for many years until and even survived wonderland. I think it was eventually demolished when the industrial development started. I absolutely loved that school and for many years in my late teens then my 20s I used to visit it. So for me, the FULL history of Wonderland is far more interesting than just the rides. If you go there now by the way I think there is one remaining building left OPPOSITE the Wonderland site on the eastern side of the road. That was a old radio transmission unit. I guess you’re bored to death.

Just recently moved to Sydney and I'd never heard of this park! Such a shame it's gone.

I remember going there as a teen with my friends on a double decker bus from Blacktown Station. We had a great time. The only let down were the queues! I went again 10 years later and I still loved it. It was an interesting design with gardens, little bridges, cute looking facades on the buildings and many themes within the park. I was hoping to take my own children there.

OMG you just brought back so many memories 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

that red plane ride and hanna barberra world are still some of my fondest memories. thanks for this video man

Damnit Sunway you killed Wonderland! This makes me glad I grew up in the 90's one of the most memorable things I remember was going to Wonderland on a school day and not having to wait to go on rides and sometimes just staying on the ride multiple times in a row, good times

Rest in peace Wonderland Sydney, great memories on rides and raves. I hope they make another one

Thanks for the massive nostalgia hit. Lot of childhood memories in that park.

I remember my first visit with my family like it was yesterday. The excitement, yelling in the car as we saw the sign, junk food, vomit. Good times.

I remember getting stuck at the top of the first hill of the Bush Beast! I always loved the swinging chairs, and of course Snowy River Rampage!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful Walking hand in haaand Wouldn’t it be wonderful If the world, was woooooonderlaaaaand Now that you all have that stuck in your head I remember going there almost every weekend as I had bought a year pass (for the equivalent of two entries from ticketec) and because I was a pass holder you would even get a discount at all the food court there. Great rides, great fun, great atmosphere. The only bad thing is they were always trying to sell you pictures of yourself halfway thru a ride looking like, well let’s say a very unphotogenic expression on your face. But memories, place was great.

I've noticed that most of these vids about Wonderland fail to mention the wildlife park that was attached to it, and I'm thinking was added in the Sunway era?

Your commentary has changed a lot! I like the changes and what a great job you’re doing on the channel

I have been to wonderland like 20 or 30 times and loved the place. You gave me back some old memories here. Thank you :)

This brings back so many memories. I worked at Wonderland Sydney - Bounty Burgers (It was the burger restaurant right next to the front entrance) from 1998 -2004 (A few months before they closed) as my first ever job as a young teenager 😢😢

I went on the last day before it closed, had a great day but it was kinda sad, the staff were really upset about it!

Thank you for that great documentary. The Zodiac and the Bush Beast was my fav! Ahhh fun memories.

Man, it’s crazy to think that my home park of Canada’s Wonderland once has a sister park in Australia of all places. I’ve seen some pictures from inside the dormant park after closure. It’s quite surreal since they are quite similar. It’s terrible to hear what Sunway did to the park. Glad that didn’t happen to CW. Great video though

This park was also the start of my love of Theme Parks. Wonderland Sydney was the first park I ever attended and it still remains in my memory. So upsetting it closed. Sydney deserves a big park like what is in America and Queensland.

I'm an '84 baby who lived in Newcastle, so i got to experience every level of this amazing place! Sadly, the first and only time I got on the Bush Beast, I got knocked out and don't remember anything after the first corner 😂 never been on a coaster since! 🫣 But I am grateful to have the memories I do, as I would have loved to have given my daughter the same memories (born in 01). But I also have Fantasy Glades, Peppermint Park, Old Timber Town and of course, Old Sydney Town 😁

Spent most of my childhood washing cars and mowing lawns on one weekend so I could go to wonderland the next....lol!

Man, something similar happened to one of my areas regional parks. Opryland in Nashville was popular and beloved by the locals. Yet despite this it got demolished and was replaced by a shopping mall. I unfortunately never got to go because I was only an infant when it closed. However not long after Santa Clause land expanded and got renamed it Holiday World which is one of the top theme parks in the U.S. I hope the same happens to Sydney.

Australia was awesome growing up in the 80-90's, after that this country sold out and destroyed what was a great country. Nowadays you ain't allowed to say anything without being called a racist or bigot. Absolute shame, great memories of Australia's wonderland as well as magic mountain in Qld

Have you done a review on the African Lion Safari at Warragamba? I would be interested to see what happened to that...

Saw Jimmy Barnes in concert at the park was awesome, i would have been 15??? The roller coaster Bush beast, wow use to peak me out. Couldn't believe it was made from timber. The whizzard fury, when you entered the house, it made you want to tilt your head to one side as you felt it was gonna smack in to the side of it. Ned kellys getaway, the sleds were a tad heavy going up the stairs and it was always a relief to come back down, so only did that one once perhaps twice. I often drive past the old Wonderland site these days due to my work and every time i do i always think of Australia's Wonderland and the 3 times our parents took my sister and I there for a family fun day out. Great memories. (shit, am i that old?) Thanks for the trip down memory lane tonight. 2 thumbs up.

My cousins were the two blonde boys who but heads in the old Wonderland TV advert, this place was awesome, I remember paying $5 after 5pm and the park closed at 10

I saw the Collett concert there! Not my best moment..lol “You can ring my bell”

That Planco music ❤️

Worked at Wonderland through 97’ and 98’ and there were several issues with rides during some of my shifts. A cable snapped on the Space Probe, injuring someone and the Demon stopped upside down and people were left hanging for a few hours....Pieces of the Bush Beast used to fly off also lol

I was really young when I went to wonderland but I remember going on Wizard’s Fury with my mum. This video unlocked that memory so thank you!

Well done, I love your passion for theme parks

I loved the characters, the little kiddy rides and the clowns where you drop the ball in and win a stuffed prize

Went to Sydney in '88 but sadly never got a chance to visit Australia's Wonderland, even though I wanted to. I've since been to Kings Island, Kings Dominion & Canada's Wonderland, and it's a tragedy Sydney's version was never given the chance to become the incredible successful parks that those all are. No park can survive if it's neglected, deprived of new attractions and not promoted.

You beat me to it! Well done, thank you. Any plans on doing a Sega World video?

Fantastic video! My memories of the park was the astronomical size and how long it took to walk around. I loved the Demon and Bush Beast. And I remember they had a dragon inside a black tunnel that would have red eyes and growl at you!

Born in 87 Grew up in Melbourne and moved to Brisbane, if it was still there I definitely would've visited, Australia has so much history but we are selling out just about everything that was well known as Australian.... It's sad and I'm genuinely sad after watching this but thank you for sharing this beautiful piece of history. Long live the 80s and the 90s 🤙✌️

I visited Wonderland a few times in 2002 as a broke international student. $5 after 5! What a bargain. The park needed some TLC, but it still had life. I was furious that it was sold off.

my family had a all year pass and we'd skip school and go during the weekday it was dead quiet and you could go on as many rides as you wanted, best ditch day ever! we'd catch the bus from the station and head out for the day, we lived locally in Colyton at the time, Bush Beast holds a special place in everyone's heart due to how mental it is, the massive drop and how rickety it was! lol and its position right next to the highway for some reason that made it much more scary

i went here as a kid for my birthday, i was so young i dont really remember much but everytime i brought it up none of my mates know of it, kept making me feel like i just dreamed it up

I first knew about this park when I watched a Wiggles video called “Toot! Toot!” when I was little. And that video used Wonderland Sydney as a filming location for a song about Captain Feathersword called “Go Captain Feathersword Ahoy!”. The Wiggles also went to Wonderland Sydney to do their performance gigs there too.

i miss wonderland that bring back so much memories and it was so close to my home it was only a 18 minute drive from my house. right now i work in eastern creek same place where wonderland was and every time i go to work i always remember all the fun times i had in wonderland when i was kid. it kinda sad back in those days it was pretty simple then now

The major problem with sunway is that before they purchased the park, entry was $14.50 for kids and $25 for adults. After they boosted the prices to $49 for adults(sorry can't remember the kids prices as i was over 15 and had to pay adult prices by then). They originally closed down Hanna-Barbera land and some of the smaller rides stating that it was due to poor attendance and even claiming that some of the attractions were unsafe(no-one was hurt on any of the shut down attractions that i heard of). It is very likely that they had always intended to try and sell the park off while boosting the prices and shutting down rides so they could make as much money as possible in the process. The Blacktown city council didn't help matters as they systematically shut down public transport(reducing trains to the closest station and supplying less and less bus services). There is now a wet and wild a bit further west but it's just not the same as the place that myself, my family and all my childhood friends remember as a great day out.

Great video. Thanks mate. Never got a chance to go myself but when I was a kid we had a Wonderland gift card (or maybe season pass?) laying around at home. Not sure where it came from or where it is now but wish I still had it. Absolute relic.

Many good memories

We miss wonderland 🎉happy memories ❤

Great video and insight man! Enjoyed it

It's so sad. It was a brilliant park. I wish it still existed.

You can still ride The Demon today. It's at Enchanted Kingdom in Philippines. It's now called The Space Shuttle ... I've been on it 20 times in EK and about 100 times when in was here at Wonderland hehe

for what was at the time still a small population, Sydney during the 70s and 80s had so many theme parks, including animal parks. Now they are almost all long gone. Nothing remains

How could you apparently do all this research,go to the trouble of making a video on your research,make a hooplah about filling people in about the parks history and then say it was set up in Eastern Sydney? You’re next level genius mate.Just top flight kid.

No Joke when i was 5 years old in 2000 i nearly died there , I went into the deep end pool without my aunty and uncle watching me and some old lady and man saved me i was under water for 30 seconds i got pulled out by my foot , scariest day of my life , Thank god to that old couple

I never went here but my mum loved it went to it all the time. I wish I couldve gone their at least once before it went away

Wonderland was the best, my sister had a government job so they would get vouchers for $9 entry to the park, i would be there pretty much every weekend with a few friends, had the best times. My favourite was the Space Probe, i even remember when it first opened up, i was there that opening weekend, the que was massive but i still managed to get on with my friend and his mum, everybody was absolutely freaking out but i was loving every moment of it. Ive never been on the Demon or Bounty's Revenge(inverted pirate ship) since i dont like to go upside down. Another thing i can clearly remember was my first time on the Bush Beast, i was 6 years old, i was taller than the other kids my age and was just tall enough to ride, it was me, my two older sisters and my eldest sister's boyfriend, so there we are me and my middle eldest sister on the very front of the first carriage, my eldest sister and her bf one seat behind us, we climb up the hill then just as we get to the top my sister sitting next to me says "take a look down" and all i remember was thinking "ohh shit im gonna die" and the coaster just drops, i'd never felt so scared in my entire life, i mean i'd been on The Beastie before and thaught i was the king of rollercoasters since i wasnt scared of it but the Bush Beast was on a whole other level. Once we leave the ride and see the photo's at the ride photo booth i see my photo, im looking white as a ghost with a look of fear in my eyes my sister's are both cracking up at how scared i was so they take me on the Bush Beast again, we went at least 3 times that day, their idea was to try and get the fear out of me so i can enjoy it.

I was still in highschool when it opened a week earlier for a Charity Day we all went from the family & it was a great day. I went years later on Boxing Day about 10 years later but sadly things died a slow death. I went a few more times in the 2001. Sadly it was a sad era as too many new owners added their 2 cents worth.

Thank You! 🎢🎢🎢🌏🌍🌎

Wow!! that was interesting, I remember going on the dropping parachute ride thing and the spinning donut pirate ship. I only ever went once, that was during 2001 with the scouts for the Sydney Jamboree

I want more parks in Victoria There is only Luna Park Melbourne and a whole heap of water parks

Ahhh memories guys. Lucky I got to experience this park once in the year 2002

During the early 80s we were friends with one of the contractors, who was contracted to deliver wood for the Bush Beast, and during holidays came along for some delivery runs haha. The last time I visited Wonderland was in 1996.

I still to this day constantly have reoccurring dreams that the park is secretly still open, and we can ride the Bush Beast and Demon on weekends only... I only had another one of those dreams a few nights ago... I’m still soooo angry that they closed down my childhood memories... I even worked at Wonderland in The Beach retail precinct for a few months in 2001/2002. I remember one of my earliest memories of Wonderland when it first opened, riding The Funnel Web ride.... I swore little 10yo me was going to fall out.... I was sooo scared, I never rode that ride again lol.

Great memories of this place. Thanks for sharing it. I never knew exactly where it had gone to at the end.👍

Gumbuya World in Melbourne seems to be heading in the right direction at least.... Hopefully they add far more rollercoasters than just the two they've got now. Wonderland looked great. I never got to go there sadly.

This is so sad it makes me want to cry so badly. We would go to the park first thing in the morning and off we’d go all day (no idea what my dad did) it was so much fun and always something new my brother and I learned how to milk a cow there :)

The old Wonderland site has now been taken over by a Wet N Wild water park that operates during the summer periods.

We went to Wonderland during a Sydney holiday and I am not surprised the venture collapsed.We were the only people there.The car park was empty.We didn't have to queue for a single ride.The kids had a ball.If they wanted to go again, they were able to stay on the ride.And of course, the characters were all available for photo opportunities.

You didn’t speculate on James Hardies reason for selling could have been the mounting legal costs as a result of asbestos

I always had a yearly pass because we lived so close. So many amazing memories, last time I went was a week before closure and it was so dead ride attendants would let you ride a few times. Clocked 11 times on Bounty’s Revenge 🤣 This video made me sad my kids will never experience Wonderland.

I remember having the year pass and taking days off school to go with my friends. Not many people were there so we would just go up and down on the space probe and ride the demon but not too many times in a row because that was one shacky ride and we could only handle so much.

Had many fantastic weekends at Australia’s Wonderland. Was crushed when it closed, guess greed will always win over happiness

I loved wonderland,it was great.had so much fun there in my younger years.

The Pirate Ship here was the first and only time I've ever been on a ride upside down - never again!!

Mmm good video. 😀👍

Part of my childhood memories

I don't even remember it being called "Wonderland Sydney", I only remember "Australia's Wonderland"

Snowy river rampage was the best!

such good memories of wonderland! we would go right at opening and head up to the beastie first and just round round and round as no one was there yet haha but bushbeast was awesome

I went there in 1985 when it opened. Caught a bus with my uncles from Dubbo for open day.

Went to Wonderland as a kid in the late 90s until it closed down. There is something about the park that creeped me out.

As someone who grew up in Victoria I'd never even heard of this park. I wish I got to visit before it closed.

I guess I was one of the last few who visited it before the shut down. One of my friends got a lifetime ban due on that day. 😂

Wonderland was the best. It was sad it was demolished. so many childhood memories.

Very nice video. Thanks for posting and have a nice day too.

One reason why I knew about this theme park is because of the Wiggles and their little video that the park appeared in called “Toot! Toot!” Where they’d shot a music video about Captain Feathersword on the pirate ship.

That's the Planet Coaster music! Excellent use of recognizable theme music, but how did you get it past the RU-vid anti-music stuf?

we used to always have carols by candle light there with the kids , that ended not long after the malaysians gutted the coffers.

Dad would take me and my brother and sister there every week, we'd have to take an esky with food and meet at the front gate for lunch to go into the car park. If you missed that time you went hungry, if it rained you would get one day free admission that they'd always honour, that meant next time you could bring a friend. It was the best place ever, so many good memories.

0:42 nailed it

I would still visit it if it was still open. I have fond memories of Wonderland. RIP