End of an era: Demolition underway as Manly Waterworks turns off taps for good

Nicole Kidman and her gang used its famous waterslides to escape the cops in an iconic scene in the 1980s teen flick, BMX Bandits. Now, more than 40 years on, the Manly Waterworks has announced its taps will be turned off for good.

The landmark amusement park opened its doors in 1981 just two years before Kidman’s breakout movie. In the wake of its closure, the harbourfront attraction will leave a multimillion dollar slice of rare real estate with a question mark hanging over it.

The Manly Waterworks first opened its doors in 1981, next to a now-demolished aquarium and Manly Fun Pier. Picture: realestate.com.au

Sitting on Crown land, the 1600sqm site has had a long list of leaseholders in its time.

Back in 2015, the dated water park was momentarily shut down before its lease was snapped up the following year. Fast-forward to 2021, the Waterworks lease then surprisingly resurfaced on Facebook Marketplace with an asking price of $950,000.

The site was taken over by hospitality group The Boathouse Group, but will now be demolished and repurposed. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

Management was then taken over by The Boathouse Group, who also run the Manly Pavilion (aka The Espy) next door. The hospitality group, which operates venues including The Boathouse Rose Bay, The Boathouse Balmoral Beach and Barrenjoey House, shut the water park down at the end of last year, and have not announced any future plans for the asset.

The site was used in the film BMX Bandits, starring Nicole Kidman.

This week, The Boathouse Group issued a statement on the end of an era.

“After 45 years, Manly Waterworks has come to the end of its life and will be turning off the pumps for good. Engineers have deemed the structure no longer safe for sliders with demolition planned to commence in September,” it says.

“Although this Manly institution will no longer stand proud in West Esplanade, the memories will remain for generations of Manly locals and visitors who have enjoyed the waterpark over the years. Any further plans for the site are yet to be confirmed.”

The Waterworks at Manly in 1983. Picture: Manly Library

The former Manly Fun Pier.

The Boathouse Group plans to retain the site, which currently sits under the Manly Pavilion Precinct lease. Demolition will reportedly begin before summer.

The cove is now a hub for hospitality rather than adventure parks. Picture: realestate.com.au

Sydney is no stranger to loved and lost theme parks with the closures of once popular attractions such as Wonderland and Old Sydney Town.

Wonderland in Eastern Creek, which was home to 24 rides at its peak including three rollercoasters, was open for 18 years before officially closing in 2004. It was sold for a reported $52.5 million to ING Industrial Fund and The PacLib Group to become an industrial estate.

The iconic entrance to Wonderland Sydney. Picture: Facebook/Wonderland Sydney

Old Sydney Town, a colonial-themed venue in Somersby, was open from 1975 to 2003, eventually selling in 2018 for somewhere between $15 and $20 million, according to reports. The new owners, World Cultural Tourism Village, has submitted plans to Central Coast Council to convert the legendary site into a multicultural tourism resort.

Old Sydney Town was popular as a theme park for almost 30 years.

In 2023, fairytale attraction Fantasy Glades in Port Macquarie was listed for sale with no ticket price. No official exchange of the property has been reported, and the 1.68ha property at 5 Parklands Close, which welcomed visitors between 1968 and 2002, is no longer on the market.

Wobbies World in Melbourne’s Vermont South featured mazes, a water ride with a scary model crocodile, mini-golf, tram and chopper rides. It opened in 1970 but closed by 1999 and the land was eventually sold to make way for housing as the suburb expanded.

Magic Mountain at Nobby Beach on the Gold Coast was a drawcard between 1962 and 1987, but is now home to the Magic Mountain Resort Apartments, while Amazons Aquatic Adventureland in southwest Brisbane entertained guests from 1982 to 2001.

Dazzeland was a colourful amusement park atop the Myer Centre in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall from 1991 to 1998, Perth had Atlantis Marine Park from 1981 to 1990 and Tasmania enjoyed Serendipity Fun Park between 1987 and 1989 in Davenport.

And while two famous Luna Parks take centre stage in both Sydney and Melbourne, there was briefly parks of the same name in Adelaide from 1930 to 1934 and in Perth from 1939 to 1972.

Sydney’s infamous smiling attraction was bought by major hospitality business, Oscars Group, for more than $50 million in 2024 but remains operational in its landmark harbourfront location.