If I had a ‘Time Machine’ I’d travel back to the 50s, 60s
and 70s just to capture some photos of Adelaide in those years when we were
growing up.
So many images are missing and it seems not many people had cameras
in those days and consequently so much has been lost.
People love to remember the
fun parks like the roof of Cox Foys in Rundle Street which opened in the mid
50s and closed in 1977. I’ve never found any photos of the rooftop fair except
for this image taken from a film produced by Screen Australia in 1964, showing a
glimpse of the huge Ferris wheel that was on the roof. When I posted this on
Facebook originally, there were many comments posted of memories of a yearly
trip to town, a visit to the magic cave to see Father Christmas, lunch in Coles
Cafeteria followed by a ride on the Ferris wheel with dad while mum did the
final bit of Christmas shopping. One poster remembered “mum and me getting all dressed
up to go into town, shopping in Cox Foys, lunch was a cheese sandwich and a pineapple juice, it was such a huge
treat. Kids today don’t know that feeling because they have so many more treats
than we did”.
Another remembered; “Dad took me for a few rides on the Ferris
wheel. He used to say he was giving me a treat but I recall being quite scared.
I think he enjoyed looking out over the city and I was the excuse".
Do you have any memories or photos to share of the Ferris wheel on the roof of Cox Foys?
oh, Cox Foys - the rooftop of dreams. We used to love going there, and every trip into 'town' included us pleading with our grandmother to go to the rooftop for the rides. I don't recall much shopping there, my grandmother thought Johnnies was the be all and end all when it came to shopping. Many years after Johnnies closed she say well you would have been able to get it there in the old days. We used to catch the Bluebird from Penola to Adelaide and she'd meet us at the station and we'd stay with her for a week or so. I think she was the only one who took us to Cox Foys, and we still talk about it when we get together.
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