Sydney once harboured ambitions of its own mini-Hollywood, complete with a theme park that, much like a fleeting summer romance, was over almost as soon as it began.
For a brief, dazzling period between November 1999 and 2001, Moore Park was home to the Fox Studios Australia Backlot, a theme park designed to bring a touch of Tinseltown magic to Sydney’s shores.
It was an ambitious venture, born from the optimistic fervour of 90s Sydney, a city brimming with confidence ahead of the 2000 Olympics.
Imagine a time when Sydney was an entertainment hive, boasting attractions like Wonderland, Sega World, and the Monorail.
In this landscape of grand ideas, the Fox Studios Backlot emerged, promising a unique experience for locals and tourists alike.
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Entertainers at the Backlot prepare for Fox Studios opening in Sydney in 1999. Picture: Michael Perini.
A street scene from the film Babe at Fox Studios Backlot.
The park’s centrepiece was undoubtedly “Titanic: The Experience,” a multimillion-dollar walk-through attraction that immersed visitors in the ill-fated voyage.
Patrons would “board” the ship as passengers, moving through its opulent interiors before being plunged into the dramatic sinking.
It was, by all accounts, a truly immersive and perhaps even “traumatising” experience, designed to rival the cinematic spectacle of James Cameron’s blockbuster.
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Director Dennis Watkins beside actual prop from film Titanic one of the attractions at Fox Film Studios Backlot. Picture: Jeff Darmanin.
Contractors Paul Dyer, Sam Ranieri and Phil Berry have their photo taken in The Simpsons area on the backlot at Sydney’s Fox Studios in 1999. Picture: Mark Williams.
Nicole Kidman arrives at Fox Studios Australia’s Moore Park complex for its opening ceremony. Picture: Bob Finlayson.
Beyond the Titanic, visitors could explore “The Simpsons Down Under,” a uniquely Australian take on the beloved animated family, and sets inspired by the Sydney-filmed “Babe: Pig in the City.”
The entire precinct was adorned with Art Deco motifs and Hollywood-inspired detailing, featuring whimsical touches like a kangaroo with a speaking trumpet and an emu operating a camera at the entrance, symbolising Australia’s confident stride onto the global film stage.
From Easter Show to Hollywood Hub
The genesis of the theme park lay in the relocation of the Royal Easter Show from Moore Park to Sydney Olympic Park in 1997, according to online media reports,
This freed up a significant parcel of land, with the proviso that a portion remain accessible to the public.
20th Century Fox secured a 99-year lease, agreeing to establish the world’s first and only Fox Studios amusement park on the site.
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A plan of Fox Studios Australia’s Backlot site.
Rebecca Verrier and May McClean check out “Jack” the pig at Fox Studios backlot in 1999. Jack was part of the animal actors’ petting zoo. Picture: Matthew Munro.
This was alongside the already established Fox Studios Australia, which opened in 1998 and quickly became a hub for major film productions.
From the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy to the vibrant spectacle of Moulin Rouge!, the epic scope of Star Wars Episodes II and III, the opulent world of The Great Gatsby, and the post-apocalyptic thrills of Mad Max: Fury Road, some of Hollywood’s biggest films have had the pleasure of shooting Down Under.
However, the dream was short-lived.
Malcolm Bigg and son Anthony during a tour of Fox Studios Australia Backlot at Sydney’s Moore Park.
Fox Studios Australia Backlot promised visitors the world.
The Fox Studios Backlot, with its “Just Imagine” tagline, operated for a mere two years.
Its closure in 2001 was attributed to low attendance and the significant downturn in global tourism following the September 11 attacks.
As one online observer wryly noted, “That’s not a theme park lifespan, that’s a Telstra contract.”
The fading echoes of Sydney’s optimism
The park’s demise marked a turning point for Sydney’s entertainment landscape.
Once the Olympic glow faded, and global interest in Australia waned, other iconic attractions also began to disappear.
Eric and Jake Brougham with Sam the camera during tour of Fox Studios Australia Backlot. Picture: Pip Blackwood.
Actor Charlie Sheen at Fox Studios Australia, Moore Park, at the official opening in 1999. Picture: Michael Perini.
Sega World closed in 2002, Wonderland in 2004, and the Sydney Monorail ceased operations in 2013.
As for the former Backlot site, it was reabsorbed into the professional studio production lot following its closure, with the retail area becoming The Entertainment Quarter.
Today, the site, now under Disney’s ownership after its acquisition of Fox in 2022.
While there are currently no plans to resurrect an amusement park at the site, the memory of the Fox Studios Backlot serves as a poignant reminder of Sydney’s past ambitions.