Untold History: When all the fun of the fair cast a spell over the city and our favourite beaches

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The Royal Show is a special event.

And as it winds down for yet another year there will no doubt be many memories stored away.

They might revolve around events in the arena, perhaps the show jumping or the monster trucks.

For many of the younger visitors or the young at heart it might be best remembered for some show bags or a heart-stopping ride in sideshow alley.

But there was a time when all the fun of the fair was available elsewhere in Perth — for a while in the city, and then later at the beach in Cottesloe and then at Scarborough.

The State Library recalls that one such entertainment venue was White City, also known as Coo-ee City or Uglieland, and it was originally established in the gardens behind the Supreme Court at the time of World War I.

“Complaints about noise and the cost and time involved in constructing and demolishing structures on a regular basis, saw the ground moved in 1922,” the library says.

The new site was an area bounded by Bazaar Terrace and William Street, near modern day Elizabeth Quay bus and train station.

Octopus Ride at Luna Park Scarborough, 1948; Colin Moore archive; Stirling History Collection; LH000779.4 Credit: Unknown/Colin Moore archive; Stirling History Collection; LH000779.4

The unusual name was inspired by the key organising body, the Ugly Men’s Voluntary Workers Association, often known as the “Uglies”, the library says.

“This charity and fundraising organisation formed in 1917 to help build houses for World War I widows, and soon became one of the biggest providers of social welfare in Perth,” the library says.

A Fremantle Uglieland was also held at Pioneer Park in Fremantle from 1922-1936.

“There was a real carnival atmosphere and amusements included wheels and swings, games of chance, boxing, log chopping, bands, canned music and dancing,” the library says.

But not everyone was happy.

The library says The West Australian, backed by groups including the Council of Churches, the National Council of Women and the Women’s Service Guilds vigorously opposed the fairground, which was seen to encourage gambling and immodest behaviour.

In an article published in The West Australian, White City was described as an “architectural eyesore and a moral disgrace” that was “a magnet for larrikins and loafers”, the library says.

“White City, also, contains a large open-air dance floor on which youths with their hats on their heads, perform intricate and sometimes immodest steps with young women whom, probably, they have never seen before.”

There was also opposition from the notorious so-called “Chief Protector of Aborigines”, AO Neville.

Among his complaints about the site was that “young black men were beating white men in boxing contests on the doorstep of the city”, the library says.

A “Scoota Car” track on Cottesloe beach. The Scoota cars were introduced in 1938 in the dunes just above Peter’s Pool alongside Bowlers’ Fun Fair. Town of Cottesloe Credit: Town of Cottesloe. The Grove Library

In 1927 a Prohibited Area declaration compelled Indigenous West Australians not on “lawful business” to leave the city.

The end for the city’s amusement ground came in 1929.

But down at the beach the fun fairs were just beginning, as Perth became home to its own versions of Luna Park.

Local historian Chris Holyday, in his book Old Scarborough, tells of the fun at Cottesloe.

“Cottesloe Beach was Perth’s favourite beach in the 1920s and a number of showmen had operated amusements there since the early 1920s at the foot of John Street,” Holyday wrote.

“Over the years, these had become second rate attractions. However, by the summer of 1928-29 various rides such as the ‘whizzy whirr’, ‘chair-o-plane’, ‘darto’, ‘knock-em’ and the ‘new solo game goolie-mo’ were being advertised ‘right on the beach’.

“Along with a popular Palais De Danse with its own orchestra, the beachfront amusements were described in the newspapers in late 1928 as Luna Park, Cottesloe and the advertisements were headed ‘just for fun’.

“The beach at night was soon converted into a fairyland with thousands of multi-coloured electric lights,” Holyday wrote.

The man behind these innovations, Lionel Morris, labelled it “the Coney Island of the West”.

“Morris also supported the local community, conducting balls and other events at his Luna Park to assist raise funds for the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club and the St John Ambulance,” Holyday wrote.

Jim “The flying greyhound” at White City Credit: State Library of WA

“However, just as Lionel Morris’ star was at its zenith, disaster struck, with police raids looking for games of chance.”

Two of the games were stopped and materials used were confiscated.

In March 1929 it was reported that Morris and his assistant were charged with presenting false cheques.

“Shortly after, a further charge was laid against Morris for running games of chance, and Luna Park was shut down,” Holyday wrote.

An attempt to revive Cottesloe amusements led to installation of a petrol powered mini-car racing circuit there in the mid-1930s, a precursor to later go-kart racing tracks,” Holyday wrote.

And the idea of amusement park had also emerged to the north at Scarborough.

In December 1932, The Daily News reported that “an ambitious scheme, along the lines of many of England’s seaside amusement, piers and imitating in some degree the famous Luna Park of St Kilda, Melbourne, is proposed by a company to be formed, to exploit Scarborough Beach.”

“The intention is to construct a pier of reinforced concrete, 500 feet out into the ocean.

“At the end, the pier will assume semi-circular shape, measuring over 200 feet at its greatest width. In this semicircle a shark-proof swimming pool, 100 feet by 50 feet, together with low and high diving boards, will cater for the people who prefer swimming to surfing.

“It is proposed to construct dressing-rooms on one side, and a bandstand on the ocean end. Then there would be a dance floor, tearooms, 25-foot-high joy-wheel, and stalls for many novelties.

“The most novel of all the proposed attractions will be a scenic railway, securely netted to prevent any tragedy, running right round the pier.”

But the grand scheme was to remain just that. A lack of funding meant it remained just a scheme.

An advertisement for Luna Park in Scarborough Credit: Chris Holyday

By 1939, even as the world began to spiral into the depths of World War II, The Sunday Times in October sang the praises of the opening of Scarborough’s Luna Park.

“It encouraged its readers to ‘forget the cares of a workaday world. Let’s forget there are such things as mad dogs, dictators and wars’,” Holyday wrote.

The next month The West Australian told readers “a new Luna Park at Scarborough will add considerably to the popularity of the seaside resort.”

“Approximately two acres of land have been fenced, and the enclosure will contain a multitude of sideshows and other avenues for amusement.

“The entrance to Luna Park will be something novel, being in the form of a huge face which will be illuminated at night, and the twinkling eyes will provide an unusual effect.”

Attractions included a dance floor, miniature motor car racing, merry-go-rounds, novel “flying boats”, archery, a shooting gallery, and “enough other novelties to make a busy and entertaining night.”

Holyday wrote that “the entrance gate was an instant hit with patrons.”

“Constructed on a timber frame covered with bird-wire and plaster, it was the face of a monkey with eyes crossed looking at a bee on the tip of its nose. The face was originally white, with a yellow bee.”

“Not everyone was captivated by Luna Park’s charms. Complaints continued from local residents regarding gambling, Sunday trading, noise, undesirables and open air dancing,” Holyday wrote.

White City amusement park in 1928. Credit: State Library of WA

The restrictions of the war years saw Luna Park operate on a restricted basis, supported greatly by the US service personnel based in Perth and Fremantle.

There was trouble over slot machines after complaints of gambling but the park continued operating, including with the installation of a ferris wheel in the early 1960s.

A boxing troupe and after-hours boxing matches that included wagering led to more issues.

“Some undesirable patronage followed over the 1960s and when the City of Stirling assumed control of Scarborough in 1971, the writing was on the wall,” Holyday wrote.

Luna Park in Scarborough was shut in 1972.

Old Scarborough by Chris Holyday is sold through Davey Real Estate at Scarborough and North Beach. $5 from the sale of each of the first 100 numbered copies goes to Friends of Trigg Bushland.

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