Back in the 1930s, Glenelg had its own Luna Park
DECADES ago, Glenelg was so popular you sometimes couldn’t find space on the sand. It even had Luna Park, rollercoaster and all. Have at look back at the Bay in the heyday. SEE THE PICS.
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- Everyday life in Adelaide and SA in the 1930s
ON a stinking hot summer’s day in Adelaide, long before we were all airconditioned and before the advent of the suburban swimming pool, there was just one place to escape from the heat and cool off — the beach.
Of the many fine beaches along the city coastline, most people would head for “the Bay”, a nice easy drive along Anzac Highway.
The most exciting moment of the trip occurred as you neared the end and the blue water line would materialise, then the sand, crowded with families, all trying to catch a bit of the cool breeze.
Glenelg back then was mainly about the beach and the water. On a hot weekend you would be struggling to find a space to spread out the towel and the crowds lingered on well into the night.
For the kids, there were also the sideshows. Who can remember the trampolines, ghost train, go-carts, the Gravitron, Gee Whiz, Ferris wheel, bucking horses, dodgem cars, pinballs, Aladdin’s Castle, the carousel and of course, Cookie’s Kitchen — long hot summers and the best of times!
As teenagers, Glenelg was one of those regular hangouts. I have fond memories of lost Saturday nights hooning with three or four best mates, a trip to Burger King on Anzac Highway for a burger and Coke and then we’d take a cruise in the FJ to Glenelg to see what was happening at the beach. How cool were we?
It seems all so innocent now, but back then we were just trying to have a bit of fun and stay out of trouble.
Even before Magic Mountain, The Bay was the place to be for fun in the sun.
In 1930, following the success of Australia’s first Luna Park in Melbourne, it was decided to set up a similar amusement park on the Glenelg foreshore.
It was not well received by the local citizens, who were worried that such a place would attract “undesirables” to the area. After struggling for three or four years, Luna Park Glenelg was placed into voluntary liquidation, disassembled and moved to Milsons Point in Sydney.
The single surviving ride from that first fun park was the carousel, which was kept at the beach and later used in Magic Mountain. It survives today in The Beachouse, Glenelg’s latest amusement park.
For most of its history, Glenelg has always been the most popular place in Adelaide for recreation and leisure.
Many Boomers will remember as kids taking part in the sandcastle competitions held there every summer in the 1950s.
Then there was the era of the bathing beauty beach parades, which attracted crowds of up to 25,000 people.
On a weekend, Channel 9 would set up its outside broadcasting equipment, the girls entered on the day and paraded in their bathers on the catwalk.
They would answer a few questions about their hobbies or career and a winner would be chosen to later appear in one of the semi-finals.
For the TV station, it was a great commercial opportunity to promote soft drinks, ice creams and suntan cream, and it gave the channel cheap local programming during the summer recess.
Jane Reilly, probably Adelaide’s best known Beach Girl winner, said recently on the ABC: “I was selected as Miss Asia Australia, which took me off to Manila, and I was there for more than three months, got to meet President (Ferdinand) Marcos, met people from all over the world, and I think that really boosted my confidence.
“At the same time, I was still doing my studies at teachers’ college and ended up qualifying at the right time, so I had my hands full. But it was an incredible time.”
Local radio stations loved all the beaches during summer, but especially Glenelg.
We had surf reports, shark patrols, beach-buggies, boating reports, tons of giveaways, free spray tanning locations, and I wonder how many remember the jingle we played on 5AD every half-hour: “It’s time to turn so you won’t burn”.
Another strong memory I have of Glenelg is the riot in January 1984 that erupted during a pop concert on Colley Reserve.
It was an extremely hot day and a large amount of alcohol had been consumed.
Just for fun, several groups in the crowd began throwing ice at each other which eventually turned into bottle throwing.
When the police moved in to calm things down, the drunken mob turned on them.
The crowd was completely out of control and the police barricaded themselves into the police station in Moseley Square until back-up arrived.
A number of police cars were torched and eventually 63 people were arrested.
The riot led to the foreshore eventually becoming a “dry area”.
It did however spawn some pretty good T-shirts, like ...”Come to Glenelg ... it’s a riot”.
And speaking of great memories, I just have to mention the Birdman Rallies and the Milk Carton Regattas, both held at the Bay during the 1980s.
How things have changed! Glenelg is very different these days with lots of high rise apartments and major tourist developments taking over the coastline.
It’s become the playground of the rich and famous.
But, nothing ever stays the same and for those of us who can remember the days, as kids, heading to the beach on a stinking hot Adelaide summer’s day and that blue water line would come into view at the end of Anzac Highway, well, that’s a memory we can keep forever..
Bob Byrne writes every day for the Adelaide, Remember When blog and at the Facebook page.
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