Luna Park opening a special memory.

By Samantha Elley

The recent listing of Sydney’s Luna Park on the real estate market had one Alstonville resident reminiscing about one of her most memorable days as a child.

Molly Martell, better known as Patti, was only five years old when Luna Park opened.

In fact, it was on 4 October, 1935 that the big smiley face, with its Art Deco style architecture, opened its ‘mouth’ to the children growing up through the Depression.

“We stood outside the gates of Luna Park, just my brother and I,” said Patti.

“He was born in 1928, so was two years older than me.

“By the time we got down there, there was a mass of kids, I don’t remember adults being there.”

Patti said it was the excitement of the new amusement park opening that she remembered.

“There was nothing like that in Sydney,” she said.

“There had been the (Sydney Harbour) Bridge which was opened just around the time I was born in 1930.

“Here we were outside (the gates of Luna Park), so excited to get in and they announced on a microphone that every child would be given 5-6 tickets, plus a box of Aeroplane Jelly.”

Aeroplane Jelly had just launched in the same year and Patti remembers receiving a box of the sweet crystals as part of their promotion, to take home to mum.

“Of course, they never made (it home), we just licked it all,” she laughed.

“We didn’t have many lollies in those days and that was exciting.

“It was something sweet and different.”

When the gates finally opened, all the children raced in. Patti’s brother asked her if she wanted to go on the rides, but she settled for the more sedate merry-go-round, ghost train and the amusements in Coney Island.

“I gave him my extra tickets and he went on everything,” she said.

“I never saw him again (that day).

“I went into Coney Island and they had a big revolving wheel…ran into the centre and everyone else slid off.

“They had the big slides, the Turkey Trot and the big mirrors.”

Many years later, Patti did return to Luna Park as a teenager and she had finally worked up the courage to go on many of the rides she had been too scared to try as a little girl.

“All I did was hold on and scream ‘I don’t like it, I don’t like it’,” she said.

“And whoever was with me said ‘I don’t like it either, but will you shut up!’”

Patti attended many dances at Luna Park as well throughout her teenage years.

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