Defunctland: The Demise of Australia's Biggest Theme Park, Wonderland Sydney

Huge thank you to the preservation efforts of www.wonderlandhistory.net and Chris McCauley.
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[@andybyrd4107]

A lot of the cultural context of Wonderland is missing here. One of the reasons it was so important was that it was located in the Western Suburbs, which is inhabited largely by working class people, so if you were a child with working class parents this was one of the few affordable things you could do for a family outing. It was in many ways a bizarro version of Disneyland, with the Hanna Barbera characters which were not as well known as Disney characters, but the love people in the Western suburbs had for this place was huge.

[@becsingleton7951]

As someone who lived relatively near Wonderland and went there as a kid, I 100% agree.

[@mikgus]

Thanks for the added info.

[@Thenameless1]

This was insightful, thank you.

[@kattskittlesx82]

Yass this is what I came to read this was the only thing a lot of us kids had to look forward to as we couldn’t travel or afford the city when they took the park it was life changing all us kids had nothing to do any more

[@vickiwalsh5099]

You are so right. Affordable for the working class, and that was part of why it was so successful. I watched it being built, but I only got to go there once, and the news that it was closing was awful.

[@Legitgamer666]

“Former employees broke into the park to rescue the wildlife” Not all heroes wear capes.

[@maddinpictures3102]

Wonderland: Fallen Kingdom

[@dansweet2499]

"No capes" sorry if I see a comment that sets me up for a movie quote I can't resist and this comment gave a great opportunity have a great year

[@arashimiyazawa8165]

Sudden Twist: They wore capes while rescuing the wildlife!

[@ck-1649]

Amen

[@phanzon]

They tapped into their inner ALF

[@storkboi]

I was SURE that croc would attack someone at some point in this story.... Sorry Mr. Maniac. I misjudged you.

[@cookingwithtabitha]

So did I!

[@roxiep2010]

Don't feel TOO bad... he did kill the other gators lol

[@embercoral]

Nah, he only kills other crocs. He's chill with humans.

[@registradus]

#notallcrocs

[@taffysaur]

Nah dude, we (the visitors) all loved that croc. He was chill as hell mostly.

[@oldskewel]

The fact that the staff broke in to care for the animals is moving. That's some true caring right there.

[@liengandriod55]

Hero

[@MiraSubieGirl]

The Aussies are mostly Irish. Rebellion for a good cause is in their nature :)

[@Nerdgirl9853]

Yeah, that is so sweet and caring of them. And also, f•ck the company which just left them there. Tear down the park all you want, but make sure to take care of the animals.

[@manbearpig900]

Aussies are a diverse bunch, but when animals are being neglected/abused, it hits a cultural nerve with almost all walks of life. Not uncommon to hear people doing really dangerous things to save trapped wildlife.

[@MiraSubieGirl]

@@manbearpig900 I now see later in life how unique that Continent is... I used to never even blink twice at 10 wild gheckos on my ceiling or saving green tree frogs from my toilet. Now back in Russia, it truly is one of the few places Nature and Humans coexist.

[@frostbytefreemanfilms9971]

Using a homicidal crocodile as a framing device for this episode was an inspired decision. Well done.

[@frostbytefreemanfilms9971]

Eric Lee Johnson absolute,, *unit*

[@claudiobizama5603]

I'm in awe of the size of that lad

[@cdcdrr]

Figures an Australian episode would feature a dangerous animal.

[@Xailadrell]

Defunctland Team: We need an intro idea that's as iconically Aussie as Wonderland was. Kevin Perjurer: GIANT. FRIKIN'. MURDER-LIZARDS.

[@thelegendarylolifucker8021]

This whole time while I was watching the video, I honestly thought that maniac will eat some poor sucker that lead to the shutdown of that amusement park. I'm kind of a bit disappointed that it didn't happen.

[@stsensual]

"Sunway did give a reason for closing the park. Several, actually." Sunway: "Ufos, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the loch ness monster and the theory of atlantis."

[@jamesthiel2628]

"But not the bunyip. That would just be silly."

[@TheOrkneyFaction]

Not even a steady paycheck would make any of that plausible.

[@mugiwaradarwin4504]

Just another bizarre adventure in the land down under.

[@eqtaft]

"I'm not saying it was aliens...but it was aliens."

[@Hamsterjuices]

The theory of Atlantis omfg.

[@rouka120]

“What killed our park? Oh.. yeah. Bird flu for sure.” Also: They FORGOT the animals?!?

[@potatoradio]

The Cowman of the ghost train in this parks earlier iteration Luna park killed em. Look it up mafia at best, pedo occultists at worst.

[@MrAppie9090]

Asians don't give a fuck about animals

[@memereposter2606]

@@MrAppie9090 qi 0

[@memereposter2606]

The astralia is "oceania"

[@memereposter2606]

In

[@uneek35]

"Why did Wonderland have to close?" SUNWAY CEO: "Well I don't want to blame it all on 9/11 but it certainly didn't help"

[@Oceanrex]

Fuck Sunway

[@jordanhamilton3795]

But it was mostly meant for local people sooo… that doesnt sound that logical

[@lydiaboll2872]

😂😂😂

[@Josh-ut4wv]

basically they got Astroworld. If you know what happened to that park it makes sense

[@Theladywiththeblackdress]

"Are you sad today? Wtf Spiderman

[@ArchHouseStudios]

Alcendence it’s okay kid... I don’t feel so good either.

[@brookemaione4992]

Oh man

[@merpo2806]

I lost it when I heard him say that

[@ck-1649]

I don't feel so good

[@ryanharris3420]

That video is from the last day of the park.

[@ThirdSpectrum]

11:26 "The fun park will be replaced with a business park." Oh man I can't wait to get on the accounting rollercoaster and then go on the HR department cave ride.

[@lunahetfield]

ThirdSpectrun cant wait for the paper and briefcase show! And buying my own coffee mug!

[@jackpalmer2549]

This is it on Google maps. Just a series of grey rectangles. You can faintly see the scar that the park left behind. www.google.com/maps/place/Wonderland+Dr,+Eastern+Creek+NSW+2766/

[@fluff809]

Totally hyped to ride that dark-ride that goes through the work place! I can't wait to see everybody's favorite animatronic secretary Debby!

[@xxgothicprincessxx]

ToriToons 99 her famous catchphrase "WHERES MY DAMN COFFEE???" is always a delight

[@HarveyDentalfloss]

I would totally go to a theme park themed on The Office.

[@CZsWorld]

It's strange to think Australians would celebrate a character named Captain America.

[@kalebrunton527]

Ahh why wouldn't we he's awesome bro

[@kalebrunton527]

And in the same way its kind of strange that America loved crocodile Dundee and Steve Irwin lol

[@abrahamicreligionsbowbefor3585]

freedom rules. we want it back, cia.

[@EleventhHourPower]

EVERYBODY loves Steve Rogers.

[@KentishZombie]

Why Americans and Australians are both derived from British people ie all the sameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@nottherealriley7285]

“Why did the park close?” “Well, it started in 1929....”

[@bruhchamp16593]

Actually, it all started when the universe was somehow condensed into a single point that gave way and...

[@Finamajig]

@@bruhchamp16593 …and then M I C H E A L E I S N E R

[@KnowNoFear313]

A story of cooperations destroying childhood memories because of mismanagement, egotism, and greed. All framed with a homicidal crocodile. This is why I’m subscribed.

[@TheJiacheng123]

Well they are big in their home country in Malaysia. They own a lot of things so maybe they were in their head while owing the park.

[@marteenyo]

I think you mean corporations

[@ash-bob3398]

I think this could be the channels description 😂

[@Shenaldrac]

Just gonna point out that it was a corporation that built the park in the first place. It's pretty disingenuous to bring up corporations solely for the negative aspects and ignore how they factor into the positive aspects.

[@lorumipsum1129]

That all describes the crocodile, the croc killed a theme park. That's impressive

[@PoutineProductions]

Spiderman: "Are you sad today?" Me: "I don't feel so good."

[@briggasnax8575]

Hahahahaha

[@ck-1649]

😂😂😂😂

[@thejay8963]

PoutineProductions You: starts disintegrating

[@ryan-monty]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I WASN"T READY FOR THAT!!!

[@coydog7902]

THANOS KILLED THE PARK

[@baillie8408]

I can’t believe the Beast has lost his son and his sister poor guy

[@BigScreamingBaby]

And his nephew with the beastie

[@sprucebadger8229]

there can only be one syndrome

[@PETSEMATARYTWO]

he has his wife tho, the banshee is still going strong!

[@drakep.5857]

He's been on a Rollercoaster of emotions.

[@just-dashin]

His british half-brother is still going under a new name at Idlewild.

[@___Nightbreeze]

Reporter: "Why is the park closing?" CEO: **says any big-name issue he can think of** Me: "So... you're an idiot?"

[@sawyertilley4469]

I assume Maniac was unavailable for an interview.

[@sdgsgdgsdsdggsdsgd773]

Sawyer Tilley I saw him yesterday

[@AprilBytheBay]

He didn’t wanna comment, he isn’t taking interviews about that time in his life

[@sweeety969]

Boy, the things he had to say about this place... but I heard they never reached out to him.

[@goodisgoog]

My favourite story from the finals days of Wonderland was the removal of the Bush Beast. They took the chairlift cable and wrapped it around the ride and tried to use a dozer to pull it down. The cable snapped, the old wooden coaster was too strong. It took them about 3 attempts to finally pull the beast down. Like a true Aussie, it fought till the very end.

[@millimetersofmercury]

and its ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong...

[@Furrett]

christ, that's poetic as hell

[@Bruno-ec8ft]

I was expecting the story of a park that was too ambitious for it's small population, but it sounds like a well though out project that appealed to the local and some tourist, while generating a reasonable profit. It was just killed for lack of immediate profit for a company that didn't seem to want to run the park

[@dopaminedreams1122]

A city of 3 million with another 2 million in driving Distance is pretty decent to keep a big park running

[@Cryten0]

The writing was on the wall for a while sadly. The parks had to continually add new entertainment to attract people back, causing constant increases in operating costs. As the vid said, by the time sunwell bought it, the park was operating at a loss.

[@Lazurath101]

Imagine how much dosh Wonderland could've made with its Marvel tie-ins with the rise of Marvel over the last decade if it was still around. Lol.

[@awzthemusicalreviews]

They'd Bethesda their way through it and manage to fuck up that easy win one way or another

[@alyssasmith2838]

Probably would've kept Disney from snatching it up as well.

[@mollymay4846]

Kellan Farron nah universal has Marvel too

[@Oturan20]

@@alyssasmith2838 no it wouldn't Universal still has Marvel based rides... Disney would just get payed for the license.

[@wldcrd26]

the licencing fees would bankrupt them

[@pattyarreola4205]

"Former park employees began breaking in to Wonderland Sydney to rescue the animals that had been forgotten." T.T that both makes me sad and restores my faith in humanity

[@aldranzam3456]

Surely they knew the animals well. I can see how they might feel solidarity with them, as the animals lost their homes and care, and the employees lost their livelihoods and community. It's a heroic display of conviction and love for the place they had worked at. There are good people, thankfully.

[@yarpen26]

Honestly, weren't there any laws to ensure that animals be moved by a scheduled deadline? I could understand if it happened like in the '50s or something, back when nobody cared about anything, but it was 2004.

[@thejman5683]

Patty Arreola those guys are heroes

[@dianaburn2474]

@@yarpen26 I'm sure there were laws. The problem is if there's anyone actually enforcing them...

[@Lankpants]

It's the difference between the corporate heads who would barely visit the park and made a purely economic decision and the average worker there who, in some cases had spent years working with the animals and actually cared for them. After being laid off by Sunway the employees would feel no reason to not at least make an attempt to do this. Most people who aren't CEOs are decent people after all and a vast majority, especially of those who work with animals do not like animal cruelty.

[@soarel325]

Holy shit, the amount of excuses Sunway used to try and defend closing the park

[@BurntTransistor]

Terrible company

[@caseydykes117]

They should have just said we can’t be fckn bothered

[@themeparkreconnoiter9787]

@@BurntTransistor We Need a Gordon Ramsay or John Taffer for Theme Parks. Then He Or She will be shouting at Theme Park Owners in There Face. "Shut This Company Down!" "What the f**k is This shit?!" "Don't Bullshit with me!" "Who Gives a Shit about the Bird Flu, or The Fricken Sars Because Your making nothing but Excuses! Get over it!" "You Don't Know anything about owning a Theme Park!" "You're a complete failure!" Your Take Ownership or I'll Take the Park away from you and put it up for Auction!"

[@gavrilosinaga]

@@themeparkreconnoiter9787 Good idea, but I doubt this park would've been different from that Arizona bakery...

[@themeparkreconnoiter9787]

@@gavrilosinaga "haa!"

[@SeaPonyfnaf]

the employees breaking in to rescue the animals is the best thing

[@Gggmanlives]

I went there multiple times as a kid. The beast roller coaster and space probe 7 were great. Not as good as theme parks in the US but for a 12 year old it was fun.

[@ghostyboi2457]

Oh hello there Gman

[@RemoWilliams1227]

I just found your channel because of this comment.

[@ZNEIC1]

How funny! I was multiple times there too but I never ride a roller coaster, I was too busy riding your mom Lol

[@tennillej9601]

The beast one was my favourite still have photos of it feels like just yesterday

[@joecarnes9174]

I was fortunate enough to experience kings island in the early 80s to present day on a yearly basis. I actually got to ride the Original Bat suspended roller coaster, the Beast before it was "detuned" or slowed down and The Son of Beast when it still had the loop.... yep ther only looping wooden coaster. What a time to grow up and experience all this. This video has really taken me back!

[@xingcat]

It's so spooky, how similar the rise and demise stories all become. Someone with a passion for entertainment, different groups making profits, then mismanagement and sadness. Great episode as always!

[@lissawho4974]

Yeah, this and Nara Dreamland go down as my saddest episodes.

[@vincelamb4063]

@@lissawho4974 Astroworld is the saddest one for me. That it was the park my wife went to as a kid just made it even sadder.

[@sirrliv]

Hell, in its own twisted way, even Action Park kind of fits into this narrative structure.

[@Disneyland-wp2xj]

All of these parks seem to have fond memories but they close down due to not being up to code.

[@wannabef]

Still hoping for an episode on Opryland USA in Nashville.

[@stokesa3122]

There's something inherently sad about a park closing. The rides, the games, the experiences- no more. And never again will they exist, or at least not in the same way.

[@MintyComedicArts]

I love this video, back in 1991 when I was a little boy I went on a family holiday to Wonderland as back then everyone wanted to go to Wonderland and I found it magical, I remember I saw Captain Caveman (be that a employee dressed as Captain Caveman) but I thought it was the real Captain Caveman and I ran up and hugged him and that alone made the holiday special. Went back in 1998 and it felt less family orientated and more commercial and not as magical. Wonderland just fizzled out of public consciousness and I didn't even know it closed till watching this video :)

[@stugreenhouse6680]

You got 10 things I didn't know about Wonderland? 😂😂😂

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

Love when I see KZbinrs who I both watch comment on each others videos😅 don't know how this doesnt have more likes, love ya minty

[@MiraSubieGirl]

I cant believe I forgot coming here once as a kid... Woulda been 99 or 00. Trippy seeing it again and remembering stuff.

[@Cooe.]

I think the difference in your experience had more to do with the huge age difference than the park actually changing.

[@breezer723]

@@benderbendingrodriguez420 I was about to say the same thing. I have been watching these channels for years and to come across a minty comment i thought was pleasantly unexpected.

[@jeski82]

The guy who fell off the Space Probe was a member of a local urbex group that I was hanging out with in 2005 (I wasn't a member and didn't know him personally, but I heard the story). Dude and another person decided to do some urbex in the park (this group mostly explored drains/bunkers, but also other places) and climb up the Space Probe. The ladder had been greased to prevent this, and he slipped. The second person wanted to stay until help arrived, but the guy who fell told him to leave so he wouldn't get busted as well. When you said "it was unclear why he was up there or what he was doing" I laughed, who even knows why urbex peoples do some of the silly things they do xD

[@dharmallars]

Weird to grease a ladder to prevent someone trying to climb it. Why not just remove the ladder? Lmao

[@Kalandra86]

Laziness. It was bolted on, not welded.

[@polygondwanaland8390]

@@Kalandra86So weld on a cover plate. Greasing the ladder sounds dangerously close to laying a trap, which is incredibly illegal.

[@meikahidenori]

​@@polygondwanaland8390it's also illegal to break into abandoned places and treat them like they're tourist hotspots long after they're shut down. Dumber if it's a theme park with potential hazards.

[@MatecaCorp]

@@polygondwanaland8390 Yeah I am kinda surprised the company got away with that

[@Drawfield]

I rewatched the astroworld episode before this and both of these combined episodes just evoke a really strong distaste for these companies that ripped a beloved and important part of history and life away from the guests and future visitors that never had the chance to experience them

[@ayylmao8901]

Astroworld: did you mean sicko mode?

[@SavageGreywolf]

@@ayylmao8901 no, but Kieran Burke and Sunway make me sick

[@yotsubafanfan]

Sounds like the story of Opryland. They built it and replaced it with a mall. While it might come in handy at Christmas I'd much rather have a theme park closer to home.

[@yanirafonseca8013]

I wasn't really around that area, even though I saw the astroworld ep. To me I understand how it feels to have your childhood ripped from you. I saw the before and after pics of astroworld and I feel like a stab in the heart.

[@zakunick1]

Same. The corporate greed is astounding but not surprising.

[@alZiiHardstylez]

Considering this fella is American and didn't see it firsthand, he brilliantly captured the impact the park had on us Sydneysiders and visitors. Hit the nail on the end. A lot of information given too! I never knew about the animals, The press gave NO coverage. That being said, I'd like to think it's not true. This park brings back a ton of nostalgia and such happy memories. Sega World Sydney would be awesome to cover. I only went once when I was about 6 or 7 before it closed down, I thought that place was magical. I think there's a video elsewhere that covers it pretty well though.

[@hvvnsent]

I agree, great video. Definitely brought back some emotions :')

[@DissonusWren]

Ooh, yeah! I don't think I ever got to go to Sega World, but it was something I desperately wanted to experience as a kid.

[@User0000000000000004]

having said that, actually,

[@DaVeganZombie]

Usually it’s obvious where things went wrong. Things slowly died. And it isn’t sad. This one feels like a murder occurred. I feel so sad for so many who has memories there just vanish. I really hope it comes back. This park deserves to live. Love you, Australia

[@djpuglife2230]

Cheers mate 🍻

[@emilyofjane]

I don’t know what I was expecting, but “supervillain company takes over the park and actively starts sabotaging it into oblivion” was definitely not my first guess

[@Yukendoit]

Wow that was a great hook with the story of the crocodile and it’s connection to this wild story!

[@nanobotjr]

My thoughts exactly :)

[@gina4808]

Yess I thought the same

[@gagek4330]

Reptile gardens is only about 20 minutes away from me. its always cool to get that rush when a big youtube name mentions a very undermentioned area that you have ties to.

[@Tom5TomEntertainment]

Plot twist: The crocodile killed the park.

[@swaggaming2564]

Tom5tom Entertainment plot twist: the park ate the crocodile

[@AphoticLucent]

Dun dun dun!

[@nqk_0662]

The park was made and killed by crocodiles

[@madgang201]

I was a actually waiting for the crocodile to kill someone which would be the reason why the park was closed or something. Either way, great video :)

[@SmaMan]

The crocodile ate all the operating revenue. He was trying to substitute the greens in his diet after people got onto him for the *other* greens he was consuming.

[@XthTerrorOfDeath]

"What are your reasons for closing?" "Yes."

[@SWIFTO_SCYTHE]

:( they left the animals to starve in their enclosure cages :( good on the employees for breaking in and rescuing them.

[@MissMisnomer_]

This episode in particular hit home with me for some reason. There have been many sad stories, but this one, a park doing so well and loved by thousands in the peak of its prime, being slowly torn apart in front of the local's eyes, was just really sobering to watch. Those poor people and animals.

[@taffysaur]

MissMisnomer It really was heart-wrenching. Here in Australia, we don’t have theme parks all over, like in America.

[@roseheart2110]

How could they do that to the animals

[@fuzzbuttnmutt]

Absolutely! It was a massive part of many Australians childhoods. So sad - but I suspect the 'mis-management' was due to how valuable the land it sat on had become. Property prices in Sydney went through the roof! The land was more valuable than the park.

[@27ozyboy]

I use to take days of school to go to wonderland when there was no ques. I believe I wrode space probe one day 37x. Hehe

[@buddywriggles]

@@27ozyboy how fucking cool were the wonderpasses too!? all the cool kids had one

[@rodakscreens]

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Wonderland Sydney? I thought not. It's not a story the Americans would tell you. It's an Australian legend.

[@MarkyMatey]

It is possible to experience this park?

[@niallreid7664]

@@MarkyMatey Not from an American.

[@zobblewobble1770]

Gadget Freehan Prequel memes on a Defunctland video? A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

[@Manfromthenorth0551]

"It's an old meme sir, but it checks out."

[@GammaWALLE]

Ironic. It could save other parks from closure, but not itself.

[@funnyfella8198]

Those employees who broke in to look after the animals were the real heroes

[@sixstringedthing]

It was rite of passage for many Sydney kids to visit Wonderland for your birthday, especially in the year when you were big enough to step up from Beastie to Bush Beast (I passed this step before Demon was installed but rode it on a later visit, along with Space Probe and all the newer rides). Locals rarely if ever referred to the ship ride as "Bounty's Revenge", it was known simply as "the pirate ship" and was usually the first ride of the day because it was right in the front-centre of the park and towered over everything as you entered. Mum loved all the gentle rides in Hanna Barbera land, and a good portion of the day was always spent in Gold Rush lining up for Funnel Web, Bush Beast and Snowy River Rampage; the last was usually ridden towards the end of the day since getting fairly wet was a near certainty. Lots of memories came flooding back seeing the ads, the park map, hearing the names of all the rides, and watching the footage. A sad and senseless loss for many Sydney kids who grew up in the 80's and 90's. Thanks for the memories, cheers from Australia.

[@squidward8261]

The animal part was kind of sad. I hope they rescued all of them

[@liamhiggians6246]

They died

[@Chanman87]

Would that mean the new owners Sunway can potentially be charged with animal cruelty?

[@mikaylam.9117]

I know!!! I’m just glad some good semeritans went in to rescue some

[@fandomfancy2450]

@@liamhiggians6246 ☹

[@joe95883]

I wonder what ever happened to the Homicidal Maniac after all this?

[@mrWendybird]

Poor Maniac is secretly plotting to avenge the fallen park

[@Aussiemarco]

Having been born and lived in Sydney for most of my life, I can add a few things to your very well made video. When it was built, Wonderland was located WAY outside Sydney City. It was within the Sydney Metropolitan Area, but the area was semi-rural back then. Absolutely zero public transport to the park, you had to drive there, so if you were a visitor to Sydney, you either had to rent a car or go by train then taxi from a nearby station. It was a 1 hour drive (minimum) from the city centre, or about 2 or even 3 hours without a car. Of course things have changed now. At the time, it was close to the suburbs of western Sydney, but since I grew up and lived in the south, I never went to Wonderland - it was just too far away to spend the day doing rides. We would go past it on the way to visit family in the Blue Mountains, though. I remember the Bush Beast from the freeway very well. It was built way out there because the land was really cheap back in the 1980’s, and it was right next to the freeway from the city, heading west. By the 2000’s, the land was very valuable, so Sunway dumped the property. I heard stories from mates who went there towards the end of how rundown it was. I always suspected it was bought purely as a land investment purchase; buy it, don’t spend anything on it, take some profit, then sell it for the land value a few years later, make a few million on the sale. Letting the animals starve?? Disgusting. That was hidden from us, we were told they had all been relocated. Like so much big business, utterly despicable. I’m surprised those responsible haven’t been jailed for that. Murder someone, the trial takes years - murder a bunch of animals (especially Aussie native animals) and justice is very swift. Track them down and punish those responsible!!!!!

[@BarbarellaAlpha]

here here!

[@djpuglife2230]

So we burnin sunway corp down ayy mates?

[@lourdeswhitener9713]

@@djpuglife2230 I think so

[@djpuglife2230]

@@lourdeswhitener9713 I'm down

[@lorimartin6819]

Amen, friend! Amen.

[@jacksonseyl1063]

Sunway's explanation for closing the park: "Let's put the blame on anything but us."

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

Speaking of Australia, you should do a Defunctland episode on Sega World Sydney and London.

[@criticalmilk4877]

What what is that that sounds interesting I want to know more

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

@@criticalmilk4877 For a period in the 90s when Sega was at it's best. Sega dedicated to create two indoor theme parks one in London and the other in Sydney, Australia. With SegaWorld Sydney being the most well-known and had a stage show starring Sonic, Tails, Eggman (Then called Robotnik), and Sally Acorn called "Sonic Live in Sydney" or "Sonic In Sydney". It closed a few years ago due to financial difficulties.

[@NemesisTWarlock]

Remember the Star-tours esque multi-person simulator ride in Sega World? I got to take over for the announcer once :) (I mean, I was a dumb kid at the time and everyone failed miserably, but damn it was a cool experience)

[@indycoone9027]

This!

[@wjscottiii]

Sea World is in Brisbane not Sydney

[@finnsword8286]

Did any of the animals die from the neglect? That part saddened me the most, imagine ignoring a park of animals that YOU bought to the point where employees had to break in to save them.

[@CriAleMar]

Oh god, that part made me tear up. I really hope those animals did get properly rescued and housed somewhere safe.

[@thisismaribethe]

This made me so angry! I’m relieved that employees were so proactive! Thank God! Those poor creatures! 🥺

[@ashrogers1917]

Commenting from Australia in 2021...still no new theme park here. I went to Wonderland when I was a kid in 1989. It wasn't the greatest thing in the world but Australian theme parks are few & far between so I enjoyed it. The beach/water park was cool. Good video, brought back some memories. Thanks

[@hawthornss]

My aunt used to work here! I was very young at the time (maybe seven at most), but here are some interesting things I do remember: - Aussie celebrities from that time would often visit Wonderland, and would always be assigned a personal staff member to guide them around. Often they would ask that staff member (including my aunt) to take pictures of them and their families. Her favourite prank to play on them would be to turn the camera around at the last second and take a picture of herself. Her favourite celebs she ever met at Wonderland were Nikki Webster (remember her? yeah me neither) and Kylie Minogue. - The Beach was where myself and my brother spent most of our time! We were only allowed to play in the shallow pool area, but we were super small, so it was still fun. - the song that played over the speaker system around the front gates is still in my head to this day. Wonder-wonder-wonder-wonderlaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand....... - Steve Irwin did a reptile show there at least once that I personally saw. I miss him :'( - Some idiot once dropped their disposable camera into Maniac's display and actually tried to enter on their own to get it back. They were pretty much body-slammed off the enclosure fence to keep them out. Enclosure safety sure was different back then.... - my aunt's car got stolen in the car park a few months before the park announced its closure, which was pretty crappy, but at least her quitting the job was justified - I was able to visit the park with my aunt after the gates were closed to the public. Everything was turned off aside from the aforementioned speaker system song. It was super eerie. I remember a few things about Luna Park, too, but mostly its horrible face gate. I haven't lived in Australia for a decade, but the disgust is still fresh in my mind.

[@meikahidenori]

Melbourne's Luna park still has the smiling gate. Though our Luna park is tiny in comparison with zero room to expand.

[@nightswithping]

its many yeats later since you wrote this comment, do you still live overseas and have you ever come back to Australia?

[@darknight910]

4:11 God, this commercial is so wholesome and uplifting that it's giving me a poignant, nostalgic feeling; even though it's the first time I've seen it.

[@NeonNijahn]

Your production value has skyrocketed this season. Keep up the good work!

[@sunflowervolsix]

i've spent two days binging this channel, was literally just wishing for a video on wonderland, when i saw this! amazing. watching all the other theme parks has made me so nostalgic for this one. as a 90s kid who grew up right by wonderland, i went there many many times a year. it was my favourite place in the world. i was always obsessed with the pirate ship, and the rollercoasters. i remember being too small to ride the space probe and jealously watching my dad's legs as he went up. i also remember when i was finally tall enough to ride the demon; i rode it five times, stopped for fairy floss, and rode it again, which was a point of pride for me as a child lol. wonderland held so many of my happiest childhood memories, and i'm still devastated by the loss of it. i still dream about it sometimes ahah. this video was both deeply sad and deeply satisfying for me.

[@cadenc7162]

Does anyone know if World of Wonder was built? Poor guy probably got slapped when covid hit

[@lewesc]

Are you me!? I started going when I was too small for the Demon and getting tall enough was an immense point of pride. There were even some trips to Wonderland on a gloomy, but not quite rainy day - so few people you didn't even need to que again to go around another time. Ahhh memories.

[@lawsonbutcher735]

@@cadenc7162 it was not but we got a giant water park.. which was originally a spin-off a water park in Queensland but got sold to some giant Asian based conglomerate.. changed name and I predict will suffer the same fate as wonderland.. lol it's literally on the same trajectory it's weird..

[@parafitality2730]

It looks like shit, like a crappy attempt to try copy and merge wet n wild + movie world. Good riddance.

[@thomasp404]

@Lawson Butcher I worked there before they sold it. It was already going downwards prior to the sell

[@bettschwere]

both this video and the astroworld one almost made me cry. there's just something so sad about a beloved theme park closing

[@LPTV84]

I love how the narrative was about a croc named Maniac and his experience working/living at Wonderland. Good job on the video, mate!

[@aldranzam3456]

i thought Maniac was the reason the park closed when I started watching hahaha Even in the middle I thought poor management might cause him to get free and kill a visitor. But at the end his featured role seemed kinda arbitrary. Still, sad that he went from a larger cage to a small display :C

[@sdgsgdgsdsdggsdsgd773]

Aldranza M I can confirm he’s doing fine today because I went to the reptile gardens yesterday and he can roam in a large enclosure

[@JoeBushOnline]

I love how they just, like, blamed a series of worldwide current events for the park's closing as if every other park in the world didn't also have to deal with those events

[@elliesoska5687]

IM DYING

[@donderman.]

“The reason why the park closed is because of the ice age, it’s snowstorms took out the park”-Australia’s Wonderland CEO

[@natehill8069]

Ironically, COVID might actually have done it in.

[@ewha2456]

Thanks for doing an episode focusing on an Australian theme park, on behalf of all the aussie fans of the show I must say it is really appreciated to see a park I've actually been able to visit and had fond memories of.

[@BuckettLordRX]

Those two guys standing behind the counter, playing the guitar, and singing "Sharing the Night Together" by Dr. Hook was a quietly beautiful inclusion to this little doc. Kevin has a wonderful way of highlighting the human cost of shuttering now-defunct attractions, especially in episodes like this about the impact these places have on the lives of the locals they entertained. Rewatching old Defunctland videos is always a nice way to appreciate how far Kevin's come as a documentarian, too- this video's good, and leagues better than his earliest stuff (which I still loved anyways), but he's always patching up holes in his game and improving on his craft. Good stuff as always, Perj. Just wanted to leave a comment sharing my appreciation for all the work you've done, before and since this upload some five odd years ago.

[@CELFriendsGaming367]

Some more reasons Sunway closed the park include but are not limited to.... Global warming Geese Flip phones IPods Susan in accounting Sundays An odd smell in the bathroom Gingivitis And most of all... making money.

[@dugong_678]

u forgot ink lemonade and YTrewind 2018

[@chayden153]

damnit Susan

[@reillymcwriting]

Oh, and the fact that somebody ate a sandwhich on a roller coaster

[@lunahetfield]

CEL & Friends Gaming LOL sundays!

[@eggheadthedoctor7489]

*sundays*

[@nathansandy4221]

OMG as an Australian this is everything!!! I was literally just talking to my Boyfriend about how it would be so cool if you did Sydney Wonderland We went there as kids toward the end of its run and it was wonderfully horrible. 😂

[@chevyllac091]

Nathan sandy, he does great work and his videos are awesome but his best is what he did for Astroworld, I'm from Houston TX and his video did honor to the park as it was taken from us and the reason given was a lie, Astroworld was a legend and it was murdered :(

[@trash4miku]

chevyllac091 yea it makes sad that astroworld is gone I never got experience the park bc I was born in 2000 and hearing about its legacy makes me sad I never got to go to it but hey at least I got the one here in Arlington

[@joannethislittlelight4236]

This was so sad! And in the end the owners left the animals to die. Thank God for those ex-workers who broke in and rescued them.

[@im-on-a-rolla_gay]

I used to go to Wonderland a dozen times a year and never got sick of it. I went the last weekend it was open, it was a huge event and 9 year old me cried like a baby. It really was like saying goodbye to my childhood.

[@TigirlakaLaserwolf6]

You always manage to take something so simple and spin a thrilling narrative. As a writer, I hope I can achieve something similar someday.

[@Defunctland]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@atlas6270]

*drops and cracks phone screen trying to hurry up and sit down to watch Defunctland*

[@KH0LRA]

F

[@rebeccapatch6868]

rip

[@deltathedummy2303]

FFFFFFFFF F F FFFFF F F

[@meekonaleash]

worth it tho

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

F

[@tomhill3248]

Wow, look at that. A cherished part of the community annihilated by a ruthless company. What are the odds? (very high)

[@BurntTransistor]

Always a risk when you sellout to a foreign company that doesn't share the same values

[@patg9754]

Fun fact, they held a huge rave party festival thing here around 2000 for a couple of years, it was awesome, saw those rides from a whole new perspective lol. I'm sure I went to wonderland at least 50 times in total!

[@smks3638]

This channel is underrated. Definitely deserves more subscribers.

[@russianboss0378]

i subscribed when he had around 60k subscribers

[@ck-1649]

A million sounds right

[@thejman5683]

Agreed

[@ChaoticNikki]

I am literally showing the intro to this video to my students from now on. Excellent writing. Excellent hook.

[@carmina-solis]

You know, I am not a theme park enthusiast, but I’m really glad I’ve learned about their importance through this channel. I’m from Utah and we have Lagoon - if that was taken down and replaced with a business park, we would really lose something beyond “just rides”. It’s a piece of our social and cultural economy as much as our actual economy.

[@coverageye3598]

I remember seeing maniac at a zoo when I was like 4 and it was just going ham sandwich on another croc

[@PADARM]

Maniac is doing great here Reptile Gardens and he says hello

[@Lovely58522]

For those who would say “it’s just a theme park, who cares.”, think about this. Think about the places you have the happiest memories of your childhood being torn down all because of a companies lack of care. It would be to many as if Disneyland was sold and torn down.

[@bsholmes1993]

Sam Biron it’s not about lack of care. It’s a business and it couldn’t make enough money to turn a profit. So they tried to close some of the expansions to make money and that didn’t work so they closed the whole park.

[@aldranzam3456]

Also, it was the livelihood for hundreds of employees and providers. It's closure surely mean the loss of money for common people, as well as the community the had formed within. It's never just a park, it's a place real people care about.

[@Lovely58522]

Deer are Cute Added punctuation just for you

[@jakerelind5577]

@@bsholmes1993 If that were the case then it should have gone out of business long before Sunway even bought it.

[@lunahetfield]

Sam Biron wow if my favorite childhood theme park which is, universal studios Orlando resort, was torn down shredded every piece of universal magic gone, i"d be crying my eyes out. Crying while holding my toy DeLorean, i'd be so upset and confused, i feel so bad for those who lost WonderLand Sydney

[@carla8903]

Could you make a video about Luna Park Sydney and Melbourne, both parks have a rich history that not many people know about. I know you briefly mentioned it in this video but i would love to watch a deep dive!

[@steelbridge6363]

I cannot agree enough! Even though I am from Queensland, the Luna Parks are legendary to me as both my family and the Australian media love to reference them whenever possible. The park's gate (that big creepy face) is seriously like a cultural icon.

[@scar6862]

Agree. Both have fascinating histories, the Big Dipper in Melb was very similar to the Cyclone at Coney Island although on a much tighter footprint.

[@brooza664]

Have they closed down now?

[@scar6862]

Both parks are closed although most original rides including the Big Dipper in Melb are long defunct. Luna Park Melb opened in 1912 and has been open since.@@brooza664

[@partylikeits1066]

@@scar6862 Luna Park Sydney is not closed. It's currently operating

[@FamouslyPacman]

God, Wonderland was such a big part of my childhood. I'll always cherish the adventures I had there.

[@FaithTheZombieWolf]

I was trying to figure out why the font used for the ending credits looked so familar... "You wouldn't download a CROCODILE would you?"

[@ashleyjaytanna1953]

I would...I would...

[@RoryKatherin03]

“Taft Broadcasting was going down under.” Yeah both literally and figuratively.

[@WafflesX3XD]

fun fact: the man at the junkyard who owns both the wonderland signs, as well as the statue from sega world sydney, is a total nutcase. people wishing to purchase any of the three items have been met with angry, disjointed ramblings. yikes.

[@zombizzle_]

Is there any concrete information on this?! I love kookie junkyard dogs.

[@otakunthevegan4206]

Crazy Australlian Ramblings? He will take no less then 900$ Dollarydoos for the signs.

[@LettuceTrains]

@@zombizzle_ I'd say it's true. I'm a local near the junk yard and he's not the nicest bloke. His prices are often ludicrous and it's hard to get any of the rare, large items from him. His wife's nicer though.

[@OwlishFun]

Ah, Sega World, another lost gem!

[@Jackhatfieldfreediver]

Spent my 6th birthday at Segaworld just after it opened. It was awesome

[@brendanbourke9091]

A Junkyard/Antique shop near my parent's place has the old spiderman and hulk sign. Sometimes go down to get a good bit of nostalgia

[@andybyrd4107]

My older brother and my older sister both worked at Wonderland as teenagers and I hoped to one day work there myself, but by the time I reached my late teens it was already in decline. Every time we went back it was a little bit worse, rides closed, then towards the end entire lands closed. The last time we went it was a school trip and we got the tickets cheap, almost everything was shut, including the Demon, which was the highlight, but I got to ride the Bush Beast for the first and last time.

[@JacobHillSBD]

Wait a minute...there's a park called Magic Kingdom that ISN'T owned by Disney and HASN'T been destroyed from Orbit by the Lawsuit Satellite?

[@brycevo]

Magic Kingdom is too generic to be openly copyrighted, but if it's within the same country you could sue. If this was in America, it would have been destroyed by lawsuits, but it's not in a Nation with a Disney's Magic Kingdom

[@JacobHillSBD]

@@brycevo Fair point.

[@brycevo]

@@JacobHillSBD I'm glad you understand. Hope it helped you learn a little

[@davidfeltheim2501]

LOL the Lawsuit Satellite, I love that!

[@syxepop]

David Feltheim... as in "THAT'S NO MOON... THAT'S THE DEATH STAR AND IT'S OPERATIONAL!!!" (the meanest and biggest "disco ball" in the Universe)

[@JacobHillSBD]

Beast, Son of Beast, Bush Beast, and the Beastie. Are there any other members of The Beast Family?

[@drawsomethewizard3006]

Wild Beast

[@c.camillejones5331]

@@drawsomethewizard3006 is this real?

[@drawsomethewizard3006]

@@c.camillejones5331 Wild Beast is at Canada's Wonderland

[@BloomInTune]

Nah, they're the Beast-y Boys. ;v

[@gladitsnotme]

Mother of Beast, Beast the Bastard, and Cousin Beast

[@SKmaric]

I was excited about the 2021 proposal, rememebered the virus, then found there's been no updates for 3 years anyways. Sad times indeed.

[@beesarecoming]

I've just discovered this channel and boy did this episode give me feels. I got to go to Wonderland maybe half a dozen or so times in my life and I still get upset driving past the old site. I remember when Sunway bought it and the quality just tanking. Hanna Barbara land becoming "little wonders land" and then being shut because "some visitors reported the park was too big to visit all the attractions in one day", right after they'd changed the opening hours from something like 9-5 (and 9-9 during school holidays) to 11-4. They also nerfed the Bush Beast: it used to have lap bars only, which they replaced with a shoulder harness. Brakes were also installed at the top of the second hill; we all thought it was because it was cheaper than proper maintenance. The prevailing theory in my circles was the Malaysians had heard of the upcoming construction of the M7 motorway and bought it because the land was going to be worth more to be rezoned and sold than to run as a theme park. I miss it so much.

[@trevrah]

Kevin, your voice is really relaxing and calming to listen to. Love your videos!

[@katethegr8_11]

It really is ! Kinda asmr-like .

[@deceseze]

love your icon

[@indycoone9027]

Two things worth noting: Sunway's purchase of the part in 1997 could not have been timed worse - the Asian Financial Crisis took full swing and Asian currencies plummeted in their value. Sunway likely did not have any capital to even invest into the park after this point and did not want to admit it by saving face. In addition, Ansett Australia's collapse was quite the scandal. They had out-bidded Qantas for the Sydney 2000 official airline position, which was rather strange as Ansett was almost entirely a domestic operation with zero international presence beyond Asia. A large majority of the Olympic merchandise had the Ansett name on it, but the company wasn't doing well and heavy advertising didn't fix the problem once the Olympics were over. 16,000 were left unemployed after it collapsed in 2001 and the park no doubt lost major vacation/holiday contracts with the loss of the airline.

[@mattgrainger7084]

In the end though, that’s all they were - rumours. The whole asset stripping thing was pretty thoroughly looked into and no real evidence of it was ever found, in fact if anything the reverse was true, towards the end Air New Zealand was actually funnelling money into Ansett to desperately try and keep it afloat, as their fates were intertwined by this stage, but Ansett was already in a terrible state when Air New Zealand made their enormously misguided decision to buy the much larger Ansett, which then become a dead weight around Air New Zealand’s neck and succeeded in taking her down with it. Ultimately the New Zealand government stepped in and Bailed out Air New Zealand, but was not willing to do the same for the Australian Ansett and so she was sadly cut adrift.

[@abunnyyay4904]

Wonderland Sydney was my childhood theme park, growing up in the 90s. One of my earliest memories is running, screaming and being terrified of almost everything (I was very young, I think their were dinosaurs or something nasty got to me and I was a total cry baby). But it also was some of the happiest times and best memories; I got my first flintstones toy there, remember how happy my dad was after he rode the thrill rides and finally got to ride The Bush Beast twice just before the park shut down. This was really hard to watch, I was so upset when we lost this park. Wonderland truly was amazing in it's hey day! For young Australians and families, especially those who could not afford to get a plane ticket and visit the iconic Disney Land. Thanks for your incredible content, dedication, clear narration and research. I always learn something and lose myself in your videos. You should look into Sega World Sydney, if you have not already. That was another gem that died miserably... Thank you so so much for this video, I only recently found your channel and now addicted :) (Btw I visited Florida Disney Land as an adult, boy do the Americans know how to theme a park and keep you immersed in the "world", space mountain is incredible!). xxx

[@Captmushy]

This literally made me so sad 😭 Kings Island is super huge here in Ohio, so hearing similar sister parks in other regions like Australia made me so happy that people could experience fun rides like the ones here in their country. I freaking hate corporate greed ruining childhood memories. My heart goes out to all you aussies out there~ 👏❤

[@BarbarellaAlpha]

thank you, mate

[@jonathanbowers8964]

Yes. It is almost as tragic as Astroworld in Houston becoming another parking lot (like Houston needs more parking lots).

[@Frostaltered]

Same here. Good to see another Kings Island native.

[@meganmargules4029]

Beautifully said, Kevin. As a 90s kid, growing up in Western Sydney, Wonderland was a special place for me. You seemed to sum up my emotions and connection to this place so well. It was such a shame...

[@andysmith5806]

We used to travel up from Wollongong to go. I remember the Ferris wheel breaking down while I was on it with my parents.

[@xchasechaos]

Wow. Thanks for this video! Wonderland, Sydney, was a massive part of my childhood and I was absolutely devastated when it closed down. It’s nice to see the history of that place and how it all came undone. As a side note and random memory, the last time I went to Wonderland before closing, my dad took me on The Beast and I cried the entire way 😂 It’s such a shame that it closed. Looking at the site now still makes me sad.

[@Salbow_]

I used to do dance shows in Wonderland as a child, and it was a huge part of my life. For the longest time, you were able to see the Space Probe from a hill next to my house. It's still heartbreaking that it was closed the way it was, and even more heartbreaking how little people remember it unless they lived near it.

[@amittaizero]

Did you have a mullet, though, like the kid at the start?

[@djpuglife2230]

Yes every male child and man had a mullet during the 70s 80s and 90s dont question it.....Shit i have a mullet and its 2021

[@acartwright81]

today was reminising about how much I miss the place from my childhood. I don't think they will ever make a theme park as good as this place used to be. Still missed nearly 20 years later.

[@mattyt1961]

same, even hearing the ad brought back so many memories, a new park just won't have that. I have been to Disney, and seen their ads playing on TV in the days before I went, and the excitement I've felt was never as high as when the Wonderland ads would come on.

[@andrewkuder4159]

Sunway makes Cedar Fair look like a good company. Their treatment of Sydney’s Wonderland was just awful. Hopefully the new park will do well

[@arkinyte13]

Andrew Kuder they neglected and abandoned many of the animals, fuck those assholes.

[@VoyageOne1]

@@arkinyte13 Fuck the Sunway group with a hot blowtorch!! 🔥

[@TheJiacheng123]

@@VoyageOne1 Malaysian here. They don't just do theme parks. In Malaysia, they have an area with many of them being owned by Sunway, including (I shit you not) a university that seems to be doing well (which I was actually considering to go and where some classmates end up going), and also several malls, which are very big in the country. Basically they are a conglomerate and is huge in Malaysia. However, I guess their influence is best seen in Malaysia given that there's where it started, and they have a different way of handling things. So if their foreign endeavours are bombs, I won't blame you for thinking that. I mean Uber in my area was bought out by an Asian company called Grab that does the same thing, so this isn't an isolated issue. I guess they were too ambitious and unrealistic.

[@sl4gg]

it always boils down to suits out of touch with reality...

[@yarpen26]

It's so hot in Malaysia than when you put on a suit your brain literally melts from overheating, which explains Sunway.

[@louschwick7301]

@@yarpen26 the suits can afford airconditioning

[@yarpen26]

@@louschwick7301 So... like stillsuits from Dune?

[@a.a.g.h.1679]

Man every time I watch this episode the wonderland ad and the interviews at the end make me cry and idk why

[@jayarby8494]

Spider-Man- “Are you sad today?” Insert Disney/Sony drama jokes here

[@SnapperChannel]

9:50 Wolverine in Australia? That can’t be a coincidence.

[@ayylmao8901]

Nah, I prefer Saxton Hale to Wolverine.

[@bigd3883]

Not trying to be "that guy" but Wolverine is from Canada.

[@SnapperChannel]

I know I was more referring to Hugh Jackman since he’s from Australia and played Wolverine

[@EAPKDHPL]

"The fun seemed like it would never end." Uh oh, the end is soon

[@roxywright5558]

As someone who grew up in Sydney in the 90s/early 2000s I adored Wonderland and my family had yearly passes, we used all obsess over going and if we could bring a friend and etc. I was so devastated when it closed :(

[@fanartexhibit]

Thank you for shedding light onto Wonderland. It was beloved by many people in Sydney and around the country. I drive past the junkyard at Londonderry every so often that has the Wonderland sign on display. Hopefully the proposed Wonderland successor comes to fruition in the future, and that it captures the spirit and joy the original brought to many of us.

[@michaelhorne8366]

They have some of the dodgem cars and other signage on display as well (assuming they survived the 2022 floods, which hit that place hard)

[@ralpthegreat1694]

"They we're going down under" *dosen't play down under by men at work* Unsubbed

[@wendy-zarate]

😂😂😂😂

[@eliseallen3617]

Omg

[@Rebochan]

LOL, he probably just doesn't want to taunt the ContentID beast. The only creature with less mercy than Maniac.

[@nachos401]

My family had yearly passes for many years when I was a child and would go every second weekend at least. We were there on the last night when it closed and I remember my dad tearing up. When Wonderland closed, so did a part of my childhood.

[@MightyMoon1]

It’s heartbreaking how many videos I’ve seen on parks that just leave behind animals when they leave. I’m surprised how many times this has happened. They just leave them there to starve to death like they’re just another prop. 😠

[@dogcrabs6677]

I have so many great memories of Australia's wonderland, from the times I went there with family and friends, the times my high school would hire out the park for our annual day, but the most memorable time I can remember there was the last time I went to wonderland New Year's Eve 2002, a rave with the rides were open all night/morning, one of the best New Years I ever had. I just looked up it's old location and cannot believe that I drive past the old site every morning to go to work (for some reason I thought it was located somewhere else). RIP wonderland. You will not be forgotten