Buses to Wonderland

During its operation from 7 December 1985 to 26 April 2004, Australia’s Wonderland at Eastern Creek was served by several dedicated bus services linking the park with the surrounding suburbs and railway stations. Rooty Hill railway station was the main connection point for visitors arriving by train, with regular buses running from the station to Wonderland, and further services ran from Mount Druitt, Blacktown and Fairfield.

The services were run by private bus companies: Rowes Bus Service, later renamed Busways, Palmers Bus Service, Leslies Omnibus Service and Westbus. Six route numbers were associated with the park over the years: 187, 737, 728, 738, 725W and 828. Visitors could also buy a combined train, bus and park admission ticket called Wonderlink, and tourist coach companies ran organised excursions to the park, including services promoted through Sydney hotels and tourist agencies.

Rooty Hill station to Wonderland: routes 737 and 738

Route 737 (1985 to 1992)

The original bus link between Rooty Hill railway station and Wonderland was route 737, run by Rowes Bus Service, owned by the Rowe family. The Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill and Wonderland service was operating by 24 August 1985, before the park opened on 7 December 1985. It initially ran on weekends and during school holidays. On 9 October 1985, with Wonderland still under construction, the service to the park was cut back to Saturdays; on 13 November 1985 the weekend and school holiday timetable was restored for the days the park was open.

The route connected Mount Druitt with Rooty Hill railway station and continued to the park via Beames Parade, Catherine Crescent, Barker Street, Rooty Hill Road South and Wallgrove Road, turning into Wonderland’s entrance road, now known as Wonderland Drive.

Timetable, 24 August 1985

• First departure from Mount Druitt: 8.05 am
• Last departure from Wonderland: 5.41 pm
• Mount Druitt to Wonderland about every 60 minutes; Rooty Hill to Wonderland about every 30 minutes
• Operating days: weekends, and weekdays during school holidays
• Journey time: eight minutes from Wonderland to Rooty Hill and 16 minutes from Wonderland to Mount Druitt

By 11 September 1988 the Rooty Hill to Wonderland service still ran about every 30 minutes when the park was open. That timetable listed a first departure from Rooty Hill at 8.50 am and a final departure from Wonderland at 10.03 pm, with the note that the last bus depended on Wonderland’s closing time. Selected buses continued beyond Rooty Hill to Mount Druitt. In June 1989 Rowes Bus Service changed its operating name to Busways Blacktown.

Route 738 (1992 to 2004)

By 5 December 1992 the Wonderland section of route 737 had been renumbered 738. Route 738, operated by Busways Blacktown, part of the Rowe family’s bus operations, continued to link Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill railway station and Wonderland, with a few services running beyond the park towards Horsley Park. The 737 number lived on for a separate Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill and Eastern Creek service.

From Rooty Hill station the route followed Beames Parade, Catherine Crescent, Barker Street, Rooty Hill Road South, Wallgrove Road and Wonderland’s entrance road, returning by the entrance road, Wallgrove Road, Rooty Hill Road South and Beames Parade. For many visitors who came by train in the park’s later years, the 738 was the bus to Wonderland. Its destination signs read 738 WONDERLAND SYDNEY and 738 WONDERLAND & HORSLEY PARK, and both wordings survive on original destination rolls.

The preserved bus above is Busways fleet number 51, a 1979 Volvo B58 with Custom Coaches bodywork, carrying historic registration 48005H. Fleet number 51 was originally part of Busways’ North Coast operation at Macksville and later passed into private preservation. It shows a genuine Wonderland destination, but there is no record that this particular bus ran the Rooty Hill to Wonderland service: it is a preserved example of the type of bus Busways used at the time.

Blacktown to Wonderland: routes 187, 728 and 725W

Route 187 (1986 to 1991)

A separate service linked Blacktown with Wonderland. It began by 1986 as an extension of route 187, run by Palmers Bus Service, a long established Blacktown operator: the business had been bought by Charles Frederick Palmer and M. E. Palmer in December 1954 and was trading as Palmers Bus Service by 1962. The Wonderland service was introduced after the park opened and ran on weekends. On 26 April 1989 Palmers’ routes were transferred to Leslies Omnibus Service, operated by Phil Leslie, and in January 1991 the Blacktown bus network was reorganised and the Wonderland service of route 187 was renumbered 728.

Route 728 (1991 to 1997)

Route 728 ran directly between Blacktown railway station and Wonderland from January 1991, operated by Leslies Omnibus Service, which also traded as West-Trans, on weekends and school holidays when the park was open. It left Blacktown station via Main Street, Flushcombe Road, Alpha Street, Balmoral Street, Reservoir Road, the Great Western Highway and Wallgrove Road.

Timetable, January 1991

• First departure from Blacktown: 8.30 am
• Last departure from Wonderland: 6.20 pm
• Journey time about 18 minutes, about every 45 minutes
• Extra evening services when Wonderland stayed open late

On 5 June 1993 the service passed from Leslies Omnibus Service to Busways Blacktown. By August 1993 buses could divert through Eastern Creek Raceway when required, and by October 1995 the route had been changed to run from Blacktown through Kildare Road, Rosenthal Street, Douglas Road and Doonside Road before joining the Great Western Highway and Wallgrove Road. On 7 June 1997 route 728 was replaced by a new Wonderland route, 725W.

Route 725W (1997 to 2004)

Route 725W ran between Blacktown and Wonderland from 7 June 1997 until 5 May 2004, operated by Busways Blacktown. At first it ran only two trips a day when the park was open, because the 738 through Rooty Hill already provided a frequent connection.

Timetable, June 1997

• First departure from Blacktown: 9.27 am
• Last departure from Wonderland: 5.10 pm
• Journey time about 23 minutes
• Two trips on each operating day: weekends and school holidays when Wonderland was open

The original route went through Doonside via Douglas Road and Doonside Road, then along the Great Western Highway and Wallgrove Road. On 13 February 1999 it was altered to run via Rooty Hill railway station instead of Doonside Road, sharing the last part of the trip with route 738. Route 725W also carried crowds to Eastern Creek Raceway on event days, diverting through or extending to the raceway, and Busways destination rolls carried the wording 725W WONDERLAND & EASTERN CK RACEWAY. The route ceased without replacement on 5 May 2004, shortly after Wonderland closed.

Fairfield to Wonderland: Westbus route 828

Wonderland was also reached from Sydney’s south west by Westbus route 828, which linked Fairfield with Wetherill Park and Horsley Park along The Horsley Drive. The route had been run by Bosnjaks Bus Service, owned by the Bosnjak family, which changed its name to Westbus in October 1984. Around the park’s opening in late 1985 Westbus trialled a service between Fairfield and Wonderland, following the 828 route as far as the Horsley Park area and then continuing to the park, and running only when Wonderland was open. On 21 September 1987 the Wonderland trips became part of the regular 828 timetable, with buses extending beyond Horsley Park to the park whenever it was operating. The route ran along The Horsley Drive through Smithfield, Wetherill Park and Horsley Park, then down Wallgrove Road to Wonderland’s entrance.

Timetable, 21 September 1987

• First departure from Fairfield: 9.42 am
• Journey time to Wonderland about 25 minutes, about every 60 minutes
• Last departure from Wonderland: 5.42 pm on school holiday weekdays, 6.13 pm on Saturdays and Sundays
• Operating days: weekends and school holidays when the park was open

Westbus kept the Wonderland extension until May 2004, when route 828 was cut back to Horsley Park after the park closed. This was a separate operation from the Busways services linking Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill and Blacktown with Wonderland.

Wonderlink: train, bus and park admission in one ticket

Visitors could buy a combined travel and admission ticket called Wonderlink, promoted by CityRail and Busways as the easy way to reach the park by public transport. A 1997 description of the ticket listed return CityRail travel to Rooty Hill railway station, the connecting Busways bus between Rooty Hill and Wonderland, admission to the park and access to its rides and shows. Tickets were sold at railway stations and could not be bought before 9.00 am on weekdays; those were the conditions described in 1997 and may have changed over the years the ticket was offered.

Wonderlink appears in official records as well. The State Rail Authority’s annual report for 2000 to 2001 lists Wonderlink posters and flyers among CityRail’s publications, and an April 2002 submission by the Bus and Coach Association of NSW to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal names Wonderlink as a discounted Busways ticket, including a Wonderlink from Blacktown. The State Library of New South Wales holds an original CityRail Wonderlink leaflet titled “Wonderland has a wonderful new ride to save you money”. Wonderlink prices have not been established.

The Wonderland promotional coach

One of the most distinctive vehicles linked to the park was a large touring coach painted in a Wonderland livery: a sky blue body with a rainbow along the side, Hanna-Barbera characters including Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound, the slogan “We’re all going to WONDERLAND” and advertising for the Outback Woolshed. A Gray Line diamond logo near the front identifies it with the Gray Line sightseeing brand, which was separate from the suburban Busways and Westbus route services.

In January 1997 the Driver Group bought the Sydney company Clipper Tours and Limousines, with its fleet of 31 charter and day tour vehicles, largely to obtain the Gray Line NSW franchise. In February 1998 the group sold the Clipper charter and limousine division back to the Deane family while keeping the Gray Line sightseeing operation, and afterwards supplied coaches from its Sydney fleet for Gray Line tours.

Because the coach advertises the Outback Woolshed, which opened in 1995, the livery dates from 1995 or later. The coach’s owner, fleet number, registration and exact service, whether a scheduled tourist excursion, a charter or a promotional arrangement, have not been established, and there is no evidence that Wonderland owned the vehicle or that it ran the Rooty Hill shuttle. It is best described as a Gray Line touring coach carrying Australia’s Wonderland advertising.

Organised coach excursions

Wonderland also featured in organised day tours from other parts of Sydney. The State Library of New South Wales holds a brochure titled “Day tours from Sydney” by F J Tours, with tours departing Sydney, Strathfield and Parramatta and taking in Australia’s Wonderland, the Australian Wildlife Park and the Outback Woolshed, complete with dates, departure times and prices. Another Wonderland brochure in the library, “Wonderland Sydney Australia”, includes hotel pickup times and tariffs. The individual coaches, pickup points and fares of these excursions have not yet been established.

After the park closed

Wonderland Sydney closed on 26 April 2004 after more than 18 years, and with it went the bus services run specifically for the park. On 3 May 2004 route 738 was altered: instead of ending at the theme park it became a reduced peak hour service between Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill and Eastern Creek Industrial Park, keeping a few trips towards Horsley Park. On 5 May 2004 route 725W from Blacktown ceased without replacement, and in the same month Westbus withdrew the Wonderland extension of route 828 and cut the route back to Horsley Park. The former entrance road, Wonderland Drive, went on serving the industrial estate built on and around the site. Route 738 outlived the park and was extended further into the Eastern Creek industrial area on 29 June 2009, keeping a small piece of Wonderland’s transport history alive.

Route summary

Route	Years serving Wonderland	Operator	Connection
187	By 1986 to 1991	Palmers Bus Service, later Leslies Omnibus Service	Blacktown to Wonderland
737	By August 1985 to December 1992	Rowes Bus Service, later Busways	Mount Druitt via Rooty Hill to Wonderland
728	January 1991 to June 1997	Leslies Omnibus Service, then Busways	Blacktown to Wonderland
738	December 1992 to May 2004	Busways	Mount Druitt via Rooty Hill to Wonderland, with limited Horsley Park services
725W	June 1997 to May 2004	Busways	Blacktown to Wonderland, with Eastern Creek Raceway connections
828	Late 1985 to May 2004	Westbus	Fairfield via Wetherill Park and Horsley Park to Wonderland

Timeline

Date	Event
By 24 August 1985	Rowes Bus Service route 737 running between Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill and Wonderland
9 October 1985	Wonderland section of route 737 reduced to Saturdays while the park was under construction
13 November 1985	Route 737 weekend and school holiday services restored for when the park was open
7 December 1985	Australia’s Wonderland opens
Late 1985	Westbus trials a Fairfield to Wonderland service
By 1986	Palmers Bus Service running Blacktown to Wonderland as part of route 187
21 September 1987	Westbus Wonderland service incorporated into route 828
26 April 1989	Palmers’ Blacktown routes transferred to Leslies Omnibus Service
June 1989	Rowes Bus Service renamed Busways Blacktown
January 1991	Blacktown to Wonderland route 187 renumbered 728
By 5 December 1992	Rooty Hill to Wonderland route 737 renumbered 738
5 June 1993	Route 728 transferred from Leslies to Busways
7 June 1997	Blacktown to Wonderland route 728 replaced by 725W
13 February 1999	Route 725W rerouted via Rooty Hill railway station
2000 to 2001	CityRail Wonderlink posters and flyers listed in the State Rail Authority annual report
April 2002	Wonderlink from Blacktown named in a NSW bus industry submission
26 April 2004	Wonderland Sydney closes
3 May 2004	Route 738 altered to serve Eastern Creek Industrial Park
5 May 2004	Route 725W ceases
May 2004	Westbus route 828 withdrawn from Wonderland and shortened to Horsley Park
29 June 2009	Route 738 extended further into Eastern Creek Industrial Park