A fairground of fun, a pavilion of pleasure, an arena of amusement. Roll up, roll up, Melbourne’s grandest and most spectacular landmark, Luna Park, is celebrating 110 years!
On a sunny day in 1912, Melbourne’s pleasure-seekers, thrill riders and lovers of the wild and wonderful stepped right up to the opening of a magnificent new attraction. Home to high-wire artists, husband and wife juggling act The Tossing Testros and acrobats Lovina and Franz who held one another by their teeth; Luna Park was unlike anything else.
More than a century on, millions of locals and visitors alike continue to come one, come all to revel in Luna Park’s modern thrills and nods to the past. Those who dare to step inside are still swallowed up by Mr Moon’s mischievous face, the smell of hot dogs, donuts and popcorn wafting in the air, the lovingly restored Carousel horses going up and down and round and round, and the squeals of those riding the Great Scenic Railway echoing across The Esplanade.
The oldest amusement park in Australia, the historic attractions are the jewels in Luna Park’s crown, creating a world of fantastical fun that has created delightful memories for generations.
“It’s lovely to see a new generation of children and adults making memories at Luna Park. It’s a part of Melbourne’s history, but it doesn’t belong behind glass. It’s a living museum in many ways, where you can enjoy attractions virtually unchanged from 110 years ago, while also experiencing modern thrills,” said Luna Park’s CEO of 16 years, Mary Stuart.
“We encourage everyone to share their most memorable Luna Park moments with us; the wild, the unforgettable, the exhilarating!”
Restored between 1999 and 2001, Luna Park’s Carousel is a grand example of carnival arts, with 68 magnificent horses each boasting an elaborate design. At the heart of the carousel is a large band organ made in Paris around 1909, the only one of its kind in Australia and one of only five in the world.
The Great Scenic Railway is the oldest continuously operating wooden rollercoaster in the world, persisting still when the Park reduced operations during World War I and as the park operated under blackout conditions during World War II.
Mr Moon’s gaping face has been restored several times over the years. Originally made of chicken wire, hessian and cement, the current Mr Moon is made of fibreglass, but used the original “bone structure” as a guide, a process that involving the painstaking chipping off of six tonnes of concrete.
Just like the Scenic Railway, Luna Park has had its ups and downs — struggling for survival during world wars, the depression and recession — but proving classics never go out of style, it’s thrived thanks to a winning combination of heritage charm melded with modern adrenalin-seeking; where the genteel carousel shares space with the Supernova and its 360-degree high altitude spins.
Here’s to another 110 years of creating memories at Melbourne’s home of fun!
For more information on Luna Park, please visit www.lunapark.com.au
Facebook: @lunaparkmelbourneInstagram: @lunaparkmelb
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