Like many of these attractions, Leyland Brothers World started with much excitement and dreams of huge profits. Mal Leyland (pictured) starred in the TV show ‘’Ask The Leyland Brothers’’ with his brother Mike and attempted to convert their fame by building an amusement park off the Pacific Highway near Tea Gardens in NSW.

Leyland Brothers World featured a replica of Uluru, as well as amusement rides, a playground, a roadhouse, museum, circular railway and a bush camp. But within two years the brothers couldn’t afford to pay their loan and went bankrupt.

The venue continued to operate as a bush camp and roadhouse but the Uluru replica met a tragic end in 2018 when it was destroyed by fire.

Port Macquarie’s Fantasy Glades also finished in sad circumstances. The small theme park ran from 1986 to 2002, when it closed after the death of an infant.

Magic Kingdom was another small amusement park in NSW, located in Lansvale in Sydney’s west. It included bungee jumping and a 95m water slide.

The view from the top of the bungee jump at Magic Kingdom.

But it was wound up after several decades of fun and years on looked run-down and abandoned. Picture: Vanessa Berry/Flickr

The remains of what was Magic Kingdom theme park in Lansvale in Sydneys west. It operated in the 1970s and 80s but was abandoned in the mid 90s. Picture: Richard Dobson

‘Built for fun in ‘31’, the Manly Fun Pier reached the peak of its popularity in the 1980s before being demolished when the passenger wharf in Sydney was redeveloped in 1989.

Everyone wanted to start an amusement park in the 1980s, and at the time none were bigger in the entire southern hemisphere than Wonderland at Eastern Creek, west of Sydney.

Wonderland opened in 1985 with three separate themed areas: ‘Goldrush’, ‘Medieval Faire’ (later renamed Old Botany Bay) and ‘Hanna-Barbera Land’ (later renamed ‘Little Wonders Land’), which featured rides and attractions based on characters such as Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones.

After changing owners several times Wonderland closed in 2004. Pic Nathan Edwards.

Sega World, opened in 1997, was Australia’s first indoor theme park and part of the Darling Harbour entertainment complex in Sydney.

An indoor mine rollercoaster was one of the main attractions.

Sega World had many other ‘futuractive’ rides but it was a bit of a flop and wound up within four years.

You’ve probably passed this spot doing the Bondi to Bronte walk - did you know Tamarama Beach was once the site of Wonderland City?

It was open from 1906 to 1911 and at the time was the largest open air amusement park in the southern hemisphere, featuring a huge switchback rollercoaster. Picture: Tyrell Collection, Powerhouse Museum.

One of Australia’s most ambitious theme parks was built in Western Australia by businessman Alan Bond and a consortium from Tokyo. Known as Atlantis Marine Park, the 8000-hectare site in Two Rocks, 60km north of Perth, was open from 1981 to 1990. One of the major attractions was a giant King Neptune scuplture. Picture: Supplied

Six months before the park opened seven bottlenose dolphins were caught and trained to perform. But later when they bred and had offspring it presented challenges. New requirements around enclosing marine life meant a bigger enclosure needed to be built. And that, coupled with growing losses, saw the park shut down. Picture: Supplied

Leisureland Fair, an amusement park in Langwarrin, Victoria. Picture: Facebook

Caribbean Gardens was located in Scoresby in Melbourne. It was closed in 2020, partly due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Picture: Matthew Paul Argall - https://www.flickr.com/photos/79157069@N03/28143778675/Wiki

A rollercoaster at Leisureland Fair, Langwarrin, Victoria. The park was sold to a religious group who developed the land for housing. Part of the property was changed to a mosque for the Australian Ahmadiyyan Muslim Community. Picture: Urgeback/Wiki

Hi-Lite Park opened in 1956 and closed in 1985. Picture: Public Domain

A tyrannosaurus model located in Dinosaur Park. The park changed hands and was later closed due to increasing liability insurance. Picture: Sliat 1981/Public domain

Whistlestop Amusement Park was open in the 60s and 70s in Skye, outside of Melbourne.

Atlantis Marine Park in WA was built in 1981 but is now abandoned. Picture: Tor Lindstrand/Flickr

The WA park is well past its best years. Picture: Tor Lindstrand/Flickr

A strange element left behind at the Atlantis Theme Park in WA. Picture: Tor Lindstrand/Flickr

Any list of SA attractions begins with Dazzeland, which filled the top two levels of the Myer Centre on Rundle Mall in the city. It cost a $1 billion to build, opened in 1991 - and closed just seven years later

The figure 8 roller coaster named “Jazz Junction” was the signature attraction, running overhead along the fifth level, but others included dodgem cars, a carousel (pictured), a Lego Expo, giant playground, musical fountain and train.

Another abandoned theme park in SA is Puzzle Park, which ran from 1985 to 2007 in Murray Bridge. Picture: Tait Schmaal

It immediately became one of South Australia’s top tourist destinations after being opened by a pair of local entrepreneurs.

But rising costs forced its closure in 2007 and it sat untouched for more than a decade.

The water slides were run down.

Puzzle Park’s maze.

Every Adelaide kid had a photo snapped in the ball pit.

Which emptied out after the park shut.

If you weren’t heading east to Puzzle Park, you were likely travelling south to Greenhills Adventure Park near Victor Harbor.

Greenhills, a 10 hectare plot of land that featured 20 attractions, had an even longer run - lasting from 1983 to 2016. Pic: Tricia Watkinson

Aqua bikes and canoes were always popular. Pic: Tricia Watkinson

Greenhills also had two water slides.

But the site was sold to developers. photo Calum Robertson

Adelaide’s most popular beachside attraction was undoubtedly Magic Mountain in Glenelg.

With an incredible water slide set-up, the park ran from 1982 to 2004.

Bumper boats and dodgem cars were also featured at the odd-shaped theme park.

It was demolished in late 2004 during a redevelopment of the foreshore, but replaced by the Beachouse two years later. Picture: Ray Murray

We’re really testing your memory now. Who remembers Luna Park Glenelg? (Pic: Mortlock Library)

The amusement park actually pre-dated - and provided the rides for - Luna Park Sydney, after its owners struggled to make a go of the venture in South Australia after opening in 1930 and moved to Sydney in 1935.

The Big Cow at Kulangoor was originally at the Sunshine Coast, and was later moved to Toowoomba, where it was reopened on September 20, 2020. As the name suggests, it featured an enormous cow. Photo: Erle Levey / Sunshine Coast Daily

The Big Cow at Kulangoor. Photo: Erle Levey / Sunshine Coast Daily

Olympia Theme Park was a big attraction located near the beach on the Sunshine Coast, It was demolished in 2006.

Willows Waterworld was big in Townsville in the 1980s.

Funland Water Park at Bribie Island had a swimming pool, wading pool, kart track and 15-hole mini golf course. It was sold in the 1990s and later dismantled due to high maintenance costs.

The Bullens Yatala Lions Park was plauged by incidents including in 1973 when an attendant was dragged off by a lion and killed in front of a family in their car. Eventually the animals were sold off and the land was used as the headquarters for Ashton’s Circus.

The Bunya Park Sanctuary was a popular tourist attraction in the north of Brisbane. The sanctuary was later re-located to Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. Photo: Remembering Bunya Park

The Black Hole Waterslides were a major attraction on the Sunshine Coast and was open from 1982 to 1985. Photo: ‘Caloundra- The Past 100 Years’.

Adventureland, Samford operated through the 1970s and featured a flying fox and go-kart track.

Magic Mountain, Gold Coast was open in the 1970s until 1991 when it closed - to be replaced by very expensive houses.

Australian Woolshed, Ferny Hills closed in 2006 to make way for a housing development - you can see a theme here.

Marineland, Gold Coast opened in 1965 and was originally called the Seaquarium. However, when Sea World opened, the market could not sustain two parks and in 1976 it was purchased and later closed.

Superbee Honey factory in Tanawha was an iconic Sunshine Coast tourist attraction in the 1980s that sits abandoned today. Picture: Sunshine Coast Libraries

The Mighty Mouse roller-coaster at Dino’s Fun Park (formerly Tanawha World), Tanawha. The theme park was put up for sale in 1983.

World Expo Park was an amusement park that was constructed for World Expo 88 in Brisbane. It closed on October 30, 1989.

Amazons Aquatic Adventureland, Jindalee was a waterpark in Brisbane. The park closing briefly in 1997, before re-opening later in the year. After a drowning in 1999, the park was later closed in 2001.

Nostalgia Town, Pacific Paradise was a history-inspired theme park. The land was purchased by a Queensland manufactured-home park developer in 2013.

Tops Amusement Centre - Myer Centre (Uptown) was a theme park at the top of a shopping centre (as the name suggests). It was closed at the turn of the century to make way for a cinema complex.

The amusement park Wobbies World in Nunawading, Melbourne, closed down in the 1990s.