Visiting Wonderland in 1985

This is how a day at Australia’s Wonderland worked in its opening year, as the 1985 souvenir book described it. Hours, prices and services changed over the park’s life; the price timeline is on the Admission Price page.

Admission

Admission was pay one price: the ticket covered the rides and the live shows, and only food, merchandise and games cost extra. In December 1985 general admission was $14.95 from Monday to Saturday and $16.95 on Sunday, with children aged three to six, seniors over 60 and wheelchair guests at half price. Travellers’ cheques and personal cheques were accepted at Guest Relations and major credit cards throughout the park.

Hours

The ticket booths and front gates opened at 9 am, the rides and shows started at 10 am and the park closed at 8 pm.

Getting there and parking

The car park covered about 30 hectares and held 6,000 vehicles, with attendants on hand to help anyone whose car would not start. Visitors without a car could use the bus services from Rooty Hill, Mount Druitt, Blacktown and Fairfield described on the Buses to Wonderland page.

Guest services

• Self service lockers just inside the front entrance
• Strollers and wheelchairs for hire
• Security staff stationed throughout the park
• First aid staff, who also looked after lost children
• Safety guidelines and regulations displayed at ride entrances and around the park
• Wonderland Memories, the Kodak outlet in Medieval Faire, which lent visitors a camera for the day, sold film and developed it after the visit

Entertainment

Live shows ran all day and were included in the admission: the pirate stunt show on The Tall Ship five times a day, Solid Gold at the Gold Nugget Theatre, character shows at the Hanna-Barbera Theatre and puppet shows at the Gumtree Theatre. The show schedule, sponsored by Yellow Pages, was printed in the park’s mini catalogue. The food outlets, shops and games of the opening year have their own pages: Food Outlets, Shops of Australia’s Wonderland (1985) and Games and Sideshows (1985).