After the Second World War, Luna Park managers David Atkins and Ted Hopkins travelled the world to find new attractions to revitalise and increase attendance of their park. In 1951, they secured a patent for the Rotor after viewing the ride at the Festival of Britain. The ride was an immediate success at Luna Park and still operates today.[1]:89–90
After Atkins' passing in 1957, Hopkins visited the United States. He took interest in purchasing a Wild Mouse for Luna Park after seeing one operating in 1958, however no arrangements were made. In 1962, Hopkins visited the Seattle World's Fair with business partner Dick Pearce, where they observed a Mack Rides model.[2] The pair purchased plans and secured the rights to build and distribute clones of the ride in Australia, importing a car from America to be reproduced locally.[1]:97
Three Wild Mice were built on-site at Luna Park under the direction of Hopkins and Pearce. The first would operate at Luna Park, but would occasionally be removed during the off-season to operate at the Sydney Showgrounds for events such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The other two would operate at the Perth and Melbourne Showgrounds. [1]:98
Photographs and records of the construction of the Sydney installation are held by the State Library of New South Wales, dated 1962.[3] According to Luna Park, the ride did not open until 1963.[4]
In 1969, Hopkins sold the lease of Luna Park to new owners, who sold and replaced the Wild Mouse with a higher capacity Schwarzkopf Wild Cat.[4][1]:99 The Wild Cat operated at Luna Park until its closure in 1979 as a result of the Ghost Train fire.[5]
When Luna Park was redeveloped throughout the early 1990s, travelling ride operator Wittingslow Amusements was brought on as an operator of the new park, and to provide attractions.[1]:124 Wittingslow had been in possession of one of the Hopkins & Pearce Wild Mice, and it reopened with the park in January 1995. The ride was refurbished when the park was redeveloped again between 2001 and 2004.[6][7]
In 2022, the ride closed and was moved offsite for an extensive rebuild and refurbishment, reopening in 2025. The ride remains one of the park's most popular attractions.[10][2]
As of 2025, the three Hopkins & Pearce rides are the last wooden Wild Mice left operating in the World. Alongside the Luna Park installation, the other two currently operate in Indonesia, at Jawa Timur Park and Wisata Bahari Lamongan.[11]
Ride experience
Layout
Riders board the ride's cars at the load platform, before being manually pushed by an attendant to a holding brake before the chain lift hill. After being dispatched by the ride operator, riders' cars will ascend the lift hill to the ride's highest point before immediately entering a series of switchback turns. Following a sweeping downwards right-hand turn is a straight track, followed by two more right-hand turns which directly precede the ride's first drop. Riders ascend and descend a large camelback, before entering a long unbanked right-hand turn travelling over the ride's load platform and queue, directly followed by a sharp S-Bend. Ride vehicles then descend another drop, traverse a smaller camelback, followed by two more right-hand turns before the final brake run. Riders alight their cars at the unload platform.
One of the ride's cars, removed from the track.
Ride vehicles
The ride has 9 cars. Each car features a single seat which can hold up to two riders, seated single-file. Riders are secured by seatbelts on their laps.
References
1 2 3 4 5 Marshall, Sam (1995). Luna Park: Just for Fun (2nded.). Luna Park Reserve Trust (published 2005). ISBN0646448072.
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