Old Sydney Town revamp: Council returns tourism plans to the owners

The highly anticipated revamp of the Old Sydney Town precinct has hit a snag in the planning process. Here’s the lastest and a look at the history of the iconic site.

Concept plans for the Old Sydney Town site are yet to pass the first hurdle.

It’s been almost two years since owners World Cultural Tourism Village (WCTV)

sent its draft planning proposal to Central Coast Council with a view to convert the iconic Somersby site into Australia’s first multicultural tourism resort.

The Express has been investigating a potential hold up in the process which has been confirmed by the council.

“The Planning Proposal is currently not scheduled for an upcoming Local Planning Panel or Council meeting,” a council spokeswoman said.

Old Sydney Town, drone view of the dilapidated park. Picture: @switchy3 / Mitchell Hubbard.

“Council has requested that WCTV undertake further studies and investigations prior to finalising the proposed concept.

“Council is currently awaiting receipt of this additional information. Once received, Council will continue the assessment of the proposal.”

The owners need council to approve its proposal in order for plans to proceed to the State Government’s Gateway process which will see further community input.

The council spokeswoman said council initially received the planning proposal in August 2020, “seeking to amend the zoning of land comprising the Australian Reptile Park and former Old Sydney Town”.

Concept plan for the Old Sydney Town site.

“This proposal seeks to rezone approximately 120ha of land to enable a mixture of land uses, including tourism attractions, tourism related retail and accommodation, retail, business, residential development and conservation,” she said.

The highly-anticipated revamp of the Old Sydney Town precinct has been of significant interest to the community considering the popularity of the former theme park.

WCTV purchased the 120 hectare site in 2018 for more than $20 million, including five parcels of land.

This encompassed the defunct 1970s heritage theme park as well as the region’s premier tourist destination, the Australian Reptile Park and surrounding land.

The convicts and redcoats of Old Sydney Town. Picture: Amusement Centre Travel

When the initial planning proposal was lodged, a spokeswoman from WCTV said the redevelopment of Old Sydney Town was a unique opportunity for the coast due to “significant investment, major new employment opportunities for the local community, and delivering a major boost to the social and economic infrastructure for the region”.

“Importantly, the current proposal seeks to not only maintain but improve the Australian Reptile Park to create a unique Australian learning and recreational centre with improved amenities, conservation and tourism experiences,” she said.

The Express has contacted WCTV for an update on the planning process.

2025 will mark 50 years since the popular tourist attraction opened.

We take a look at the history of the place that brought six million visitors to Somersby.

William Parr's Bonded Store at Old Sydney Town. Picture: Gostalgia, Central Coast Council Library Services.

1969: Architect Frank Fox bought the land on which Old Sydney Town was sited.

Old Sydney Town was developed by Mr Fox with the help of the Federal Government and the Bank of NSW.

A group of University of NSW architecture students, under the supervision of heritage architect Robert Irving, designed 13 of the first buildings and camped at the site while they were built. They researched the era learning to lay bricks, wattle-and-daub, shingles, tiles, thatch just as the convicts did.

From then on, a research team took over and completed the attraction under the supervision of Mr Fox and his sons Stephen, Michael and Peter.

Gough and Margaret Whitlam at the opening of Old Sydney Town, 1975.

1975 – It was Australia Day in 1975 when the attraction was officially opened by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. It was described as a living tribute to Sydney’s colonial settlement.

In December 1975, funding pledged by the Labor federal government was withdrawn by the new Liberal Government.

In 1979 the Fox family sold the land to the State Government which sold it to Warwick Amusements (owned by Richard Chiu) in 1983.

A re-enactment on the water.

Convict punishment at Old Sydney Town. Picture: Guy Wilmott.

Old Sydney Town: Looking across the "Sydney Cove". Picture courtesy of Gostalgia, Central Coast Council Library Services.

1975-2003

There’s not many people, over a certain age, that did not make the trip to Old Sydney Town either with family or their school.

We remember the thundering cannons and soldiers in their red jackets on parade.

There was “Sydney Cove” – a recreation of Sydney Harbour as well as the Magistrate’s court, bullock rides and horse-drawn wagons.

There were also re-enactments of convict rebellion and punishments.

In the mid 1990s the location was used to film a number of television shows as well as documentaries.

2003 – The park closed on January 27 2003 due to financial losses up to $600,000 a year.

Warwick Amusements indicated that a generation obsessed with computer games and thrill rides was no longer interested in a park like Old Sydney Town.

After its closure the park also became a useful site for filming movies due to its isolated nature.

Staff at Old Sydney Town tourist theme park at Somersby, a day before it is to close down. Picture: Guy Wilmott

Jake Cassar supports started a campaign to reopen Old Sydney Town.

2013: A campaign to reopen Old Sydney Town gained momentum in 2013. What started out as a Facebook group took on a life of its own, growing to more than 4000 members.

The group lobbying for the reopening held a series of events to return the park to its former glory. The push was led by environmental activist Jake Cassar who stated that they just wanted to know what options were available around selling or leasing the property.

Mr Cassar ran in the 2013 federal election with a promise to work on getting the park reopened.

2014: The main entrance building was destroyed by fire in February 2014.

More than 80 per cent of the building was destroyed by an intense blaze which started in the early hours of the morning. The building contained historic memorabilia including replica cannons. Some of this has also been destroyed.

Fire ripped through the main entrance building in 2014.

2017: Drone image taken by Central Coast photographer Mitchell Hubbard put Old Sydney Town back into the spotlight, revealing the state of ruin and decay of the much loved site.

2018: The park hit the market in 2018. During the three month campaign to sell the land, a variety of possible buyers came forward, including millionaire Central Coast businessman Tony Denny who made a failed bid to join forces with Central Coast Council to buy the land. His vision was for a smaller version of Old Sydney Town with a wave park next to it into which he was prepared to put $10 million of his own money if Council backed the plan.

The land was eventually sold in May 2018 to WCTV for more than $20m.

Drone image taken by @switchy3 / Mitchell Hubbard in 2017.

2019: Plans were first mooted by WCTV to incorporate some of the remaining Old Sydney Town ST buildings into a mixed-use tourism resort and entertainment hub. Community consultation was held.

2020: The draft planning proposal was submitted to council in August, but has since been returned.