Old video footage of our Aussie theme parks in 80's/90's

[Theme Park Girl]

So I just stumbled across these videos on YouTube and wanted to share with you guys, as they have only been uploaded in the past couple of weeks ☺ Brought back a lot of fond memories for me, as I am sure they will for you all as well! 

Pretty much the entire Country Jamboree show at Dreamworld, filmed in 1990: 

Old 1996 footage of the SW Bermuda Triangle, including the entire pre-show briefing video, the revolving platform and also some footage of the Corkscrew:

 

There are probably more around, if anyone finds any and wants to share, please post them here too? I know there have been videos shared previously in other topics, but thought it would be cool to run a new topic that we can post them all into the one place with Especially since there are new ones still surfacing today!

I also have my own home video footage on VHS of Dreamworld in 1996, have been slack with backing it up but promise to do so as soon as I can, and as soon as I work out how to get it off of VCR format hahaha When I do, I will def upload and share on here ?

[joz]

I miss the old Jamboree show.  Good video though, there is footage of the original incarnation of the show floating around, but that's the first time I've seen the second version anywhere, and obviously it's the second version I'm more familiar with. 

 

Also, it closed about 16 years ago, so hands up anyone who had no idea that Dreamworld used to have a musical animatronic show?

[Brad2912]

I remember it fondly! 

[jjuttp]

With the spinning platform, were there paddles or something that link with the boat to sync up the speed with the rotations and keep the boats moving?

[joz]

No, but the speed of the platform was easily adjustable, so when they built it they didn't have to get it spot on.  Basically they built it, then someone watched some boats go round, adjusted the speed of the platform and went 'that should pretty much be right forever' 

[Ashley]

Here is a video of Dreamworld back in 1989, certainly looks different and very strange without the DW tower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUbyM6U_Rq8

[rac2703]

18 hours ago, joz said:

Also, it closed about 16 years ago, so hands up anyone who had no idea that Dreamworld used to have a musical animatronic show?

I am only 25 and have great memories of this show!

[DWP]

Wait so you had to watch that pre ride video of Bermuda Triangle every time you rode it? To me that would get old real fast as after the first time I'd be like can we just get to the ride already. Now before people jump up and down I've read the previous posts about how great the pre show was for Bermuda and how it enhanced the experience etc. and while I see how a good pre ride can help the ride and is something that is much loved by people who experienced it, it would appear tiresome to me to have to deal with that on multiple occasions on the same day etc. Now granted that people here have mentioned that later in the day that at times the pre show was skipped but still.

I'm sure some will argue that going to MW and riding Superman Escape multiple times will result in having to deal with the pre launch trip through the subway every time but for mind that's part of the ride as opposed to lining up in a queue for x amount of time only to then once reached the end of the queue to then have to enter another room to watch a video before finally experiencing the ride.

Apologies to people who grew up with this style of pre shows for rides as the norm as I never got to experience the parks until a few years ago but just my 2c on the (non-existant) issue

[Brad2912]

If you are doing multiple rides back to back in the same day, then sure, it can be a little grating watching the same video/pre-show over and over. But really, it's just filler for your wait in the queue. When running efficiently, watching that pre-show was not adding time to your queuing time, it was just absorbing some of it.

[Theme Park Girl]

The only one that really ever used to bother me was the Lethal Weapon preshow video briefing. That was ok once or twice, but after seeing the same movie footage (and from a tired old 80's movie, at that) got boring and repetitive after that. It got to the point where my best friend and I would make fun of it and recite it word for word as it was playing hahaha (much to the annoyance of people around us, gotta love adolescence lol) ??? 

[Wil_i_am_not]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ1FdM9YSGs

Heres a great one from Luna Park in the late seventies.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Wil_i_am_not

[The Sunlander]

22 hours ago, Ashley said:

Here is a video of Dreamworld back in 1989, certainly looks different and very strange without the DW tower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUbyM6U_Rq8

Thanks, Ashley.  A little shaky, but a good look at what was there in 1989. 

So much has changed.  In earlier days there was much about entertainment - the barbershop quartet, bushrangers, magician and card tricks, shooting gallery, Blue Lagoon aquatic area, IMAX theatre, Captain Sturt paddle-wheeler - whereas today emphasis is on new rides guaranteed to make you lose your milkshake.  The IMAX was a real eye-opener.  Some of the earlier buildings survive, somewhat prettied up, and the original rides - The Train, Vintage Cars, and Log Ride still provide for the guests.

Clothing styles have changed too!  Short shorts and mini-mini skirts have made an appearance in recent years.

A question - Was the River Rapids ride open on day one?  If so it can be included in the group of three rides above that have survived.

Quote

 

Here is a flash-back video-clip of 1981 by Channel 7 in2010.  Admission price in the beginning was $11.50 for adults.

https://youtu.be/Z2qwWCyVZxQ

[Ashley]

15 minutes ago, The Sunlander said:

 

A question - Was the River Rapids ride open on day one?  If so it can be included in the group of three rides above that have survived.

 

No the River Rapids alone with the Eureka Mine Ride opened on December 11th, 1986, 5 years after DW opened.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Ashley

[Santa07]

6 hours ago, OceanGirl said:

The only one that really ever used to bother me was the Lethal Weapon preshow video briefing. That was ok once or twice, but after seeing the same movie footage (and from a tired old 80's movie, at that) got boring and repetitive after that. It got to the point where my best friend and I would make fun of it and recite it word for word as it was playing hahaha (much to the annoyance of people around us, gotta love adolescence lol) ??? 

^ Sounds like me and the superman spiel

[The Sunlander]

11 hours ago, Ashley said:

No the River Rapids alone with the Eureka Mine Ride opened on December 11th, 1986, 5 years after DW opened.

Thank-you Ashley for your help here.  So that means that the only rides that are still with us from Day 1, 34 years ago, are The Train, Vintage Cars (although on a different location), and Log Ride.

[joz]

Don't forget the Zumer (Puss in Boots swing) which is probably the oldest ride on the Gold Coast

[Gary86]

1 hour ago, joz said:

Don't forget the Zumer (Puss in Boots swing) which is probably the oldest ride on the Gold Coast

Isn't Vikings Revenge the oldest ride? 

[Reanimated35]

But Zumer hasn't changed its ride path so it's closer to "original"  

[Brad2912]

Found this old photo of the DW entry.

any ideas at what point they excavated and lowered the carpark? And why? No steps up to the entry, basically just a walk up in this photo 

[Slick]

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a whole album I saw posted this morning courtesy of a friend - not sure if the forum software can handle Facebook Embeds yet.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Slick

[joz]

I have it in my head that Zumer was already an old second hand ride when Dreamworld opened, Viking's Revenge opened I think in about 78

[Brad2912]

4 hours ago, Slick said:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a whole album I saw posted this morning courtesy of a friend - not sure if the forum software can handle Facebook Embeds yet.

That's the post where I got the DW entry from. Don't think the album embedded properly into your post though 

[Ashley]

10 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

Found this old photo of the DW entry.

any ideas at what point they excavated and lowered the carpark? And why? No steps up to the entry, basically just a walk up in this photo

Me  personally thinks it looks better today.

[Reanimated35]

^ Give the old building the new logo and make it the train station and we're on a winner. 

[DWP]

Looking at that old entry photo of DW it seems that the entry is still elevated over the carpark height as is the case today although the grass area between the carpark and entry doesn't seem as steep or as long as the current staircase is although that could be a perspective issue from the photo being taken further away but still it does look strange not seeing the staircase.