145-630: Dreamworld Studios was an auditorium with production facilities located at the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast , Australia . It is notable for being the location of Big Brother Australia ' s live shows. In 2019, the studio, along with the Big Brother house, was bulldozed to make way for Steel Taipan. Dreamworld Studios opened in 1986 as the Music Bowl . Around 1990,
290-507: A Volvo S40 run by Tom Walkinshaw Racing , with his son Steven second in a Nissan Primera run by British team Team Dynamics . As well as these races for two-litre cars, separate five-litre (V8 Supercars) races were held in 1997 and 1998, known as the "Australian 1000 Classic". Having received backlash after announcing they would not race at Bathurst, AVESCO hastily made a deal with the Bathurst Regional Council for
435-519: A 351 cubic inch V8 sourced from Ford America. Its 'HO' specification included upgraded suspension components such as front and rear stabiliser bars. At Bathurst it was fitted with race tyres. Holden upgraded the GTS 327 Monaro to the GTS 350, which included better race-style handling and a more powerful Chevrolet V8 engine of 350 cubic inches. The new GTS 350 Monaro, in the hands of Colin Bond and Tony Roberts ,
580-712: A Baldwin Locomotive (now known as the Dreamworld Express ), Model T Fords (now known as Vintage Cars), Rocky Hollow Log Ride, Australian Koala Theatre and the Captain Sturt Paddle-wheeler. The theme park was officially opened on 15 December 1981 by the Premier of Queensland of the time, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen . Since then Dreamworld has constantly evolved adding new rides, themed lands and characters. One year after opening, in 1982,
725-684: A Bathurst race for Ten to broadcast. A similar dispute affected the V8 Supercars Challenge support races at the Australian Grand Prix ; at various times different networks held the V8 Supercars and Formula One broadcast rights. There was no resolution to the dispute, and AVESCO announced that V8 Supercars would not compete in the traditional Bathurst 1000 held on the October long weekend in 1997. TOCA Australia
870-464: A Cortina GT. In 1964 the pair drove competing Cortina GTs; Jane won with George Reynolds as co-driver. Barry 'Bo' Seton was second with Herb Taylor. Harry Firth was third with John Reaburn. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport introduced new Group E Series Production Touring Car regulations in 1965 but the Armstrong 500 continued with its own regulations. 1965 brought victory for
1015-497: A GT-HO, race-prepared Hardtop GTs incorporated most of the stillborn Phase Four's components, including the four-bolt 351 V8 engine. The 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 started at 9:30 am. When the flag dropped the "no substitute for cubic inches" ethic prevailed as the Goss Falcon hardtop powered away from pole position. At the end of lap one Fords held the first four places with Toranas fifth, six and seventh. The highest placed Charger
1160-530: A TV deal for 1997 with Network Ten , which included expanded coverage of the championship. This was not an issue for the ATCC races, but for the Bathurst 1000, which was organized and promoted by a consortium that included Channel 7, it was a major issue. Channel 7 had televised the race since 1963 and had a contract that was binding into the 21st century. Seven was not prepared to drop the race, while AVESCO required
1305-455: A V8 Torana for two years. Ford abandoned the XA -based Phase Four GT-HO Falcon. Chrysler also followed by not going ahead with a competition version of its V8-powered Charger. Adding to that, the 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 was the first Bathurst 500 to be run in wet weather. Allan Moffat was unable to withstand the immense pressure placed on him by Brock in his XU-1. The Torana proved more than a match in
1450-609: A VR Commodore, cross the finish line ahead of the EF Falcon of Dick Johnson and John Bowe. Tony Longhurst and Steven Ellery were third in another EF Falcon. In 1996, the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA) (who had held the rights to market the ATCC since 1994) signed a deal with US sports agent Mark McCormack 's International Management Group (IMG) to market the ATCC, which they renamed to V8 Supercars. The new joint venture company (AVESCO) signed
1595-403: A collection of rides, animal exhibits, shows, food outlets and merchandise shops. In December 2006, Dreamworld expanded its offerings by opening WhiteWater World next door. On several occasions during the year, Dreamworld remains open after dark. This event, known as Park After Dark, includes all of the thrill rides and children's rides. Dreamworld was known for being the former location of
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#17327987621921740-523: A continuous solo driving period. The race was awarded to their BMW Motorsport Australia teammates David and Geoff Brabham . This event format continued for 1998 with the addition of a field of cars from the New Zealand Touring Car Championship , which ran to Schedule S regulations with a 2.5-litre engine limit, as well as Group E production cars . Alongside Rickard Rydell, Jim Richards won his sixth Bathurst 1000 in
1885-604: A cost of $ 10 million. The first phase was the temporary summer show, the DreamWorks Holiday Shrektacular . The second phase was the DreamWorks Experience precinct (the retheming of the existing Kid's World area) which opened on 31 March 2012. The final phase was the development of Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness . This area opened on 21 December 2012 with the park's eighth thrill ride, Pandamonium . In 2012, Dreamworld also saw
2030-632: A few years. For the 1990 race, they debuted the R32 four-wheel drive, four wheel steer, twin turbo Nissan Skyline GT-R . Though initially sufferring from problems related to complexity and reliability, the GT-R went on to dominate Group A racing worldwide. Gibson's lead drivers, Jim Richards and Mark Skaife , easily won the 1991 Bathurst 1000; Skaife had set a sensational time of 2:12.63 in the Top 10 Runoff for pole, 2/10th faster than George Fury's Group C 1984 pole time on
2175-540: A halt just before the entrance to the Pits. Chivas pushed the XU-1 up hill along pit lane. His pit crew could not lend assistance as this would have resulted in disqualification. By the time the XU-1 was refueled, Moffat was well in front. Brock set off in heroic pursuit of Moffat's Falcon GT but the XU-1 suffered a deflating tyre. Moffat claimed another Falcon victory, his third in only four years. Co-driven by Ian (Pete) Geoghegan,
2320-441: A large braking zone to exit at 130 km/h (81 mph). Murray's is the 23rd and final turn, and also the slowest part of the circuit, before cars return to the start-finish straight. The start-finish straight features an offset start, with the finish line towards the back of the starting grid closer to Murray's Corner. Spectator areas have spread along the track over the decades, but there are several private properties bordering
2465-570: A later date. On 22 June 2019, six children were arrested after they burnt down the Big Brother house . The children were found at Coomera railway station shortly after the arson. Two of the children were charged with vandalism. The house was completely destroyed and it was demolished along with the Dreamworld Studios shortly after. The wind that day blew the smoke away from the park so the park did not need to evacuate and nobody
2610-421: A minute, which was described as "impossible", and there had been no training of Dreamworld staff to cope with emergency situations. The coroner also noted that cuts to the park's repair and maintenance budget had been made seven months prior to the incident. On 9 November, Ardent Leisure chief executive, Deborah Thomas , announced that the ride would be permanently closed and demolished. In 2020, Ardent Leisure
2755-599: A month later, on 27 April 2020, supports for the new roller coaster, announced in August 2019, started arriving at the Dreamworld carpark. Roller coaster tracks started arriving on 2 June 2020, however no land works had been done during the parks closure. The Play School Art Room was removed from Dreamworld's website and the attraction was removed, with the exception of the online park map on 17 June. Bathurst 1000 The Bathurst 1000 (known for sponsorship reasons as
2900-556: A new generation of rides." Dreamworld also announced a refurbishment of the Hot Wheels SideWinder coaster (renamed to The Gold Coaster) and an upgrade to ABC Kids World which includes a new ride. On 22 March 2020, Dreamworld announced that they would temporarily cease operations for both Dreamworld and WhiteWater World due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . Two days later, Dreamworld announced it had donated 755 kilograms (1,664 lb) of food to OzHarvest. Over
3045-417: A new themed area, Country Fair was opened. The new themed area featured Thunderbolt which opened as the world's longest steel double loop roller coaster. A new themed area known as Gum Tree Gully also opened. In 1983, two themed areas were opened. Blue Lagoon water park opened with three water slides and several pools. The second themed area was Village Green. Dreamworld also introduced Belinda Brown as
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#17327987621923190-399: A new, reversed car. In 2009, a Bell 206 helicopter operating joy flights on behalf of Dreamworld crash-landed in the carpark near the park's main entry. The pilot and four Taiwanese visitors to the park suffered minor injuries in the crash. The pilot was initially praised for avoiding crowded areas of the park, but it was later revealed the crash was a result of mismanagement which led to
3335-433: A pack of arseholes" during the nationally televised trophy presentation. Group A as an international formula faded away in the late 1980s. The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) had planned to replace Group A at the end of 1991. This was postponed to the end of 1992 owing to the inability of FISA to specify a new International formula. As any new regulations were unlikely to suit large-engined cars, CAMS created
3480-422: A park technician because the park's electrical team was occupied with other problems. The young attendant had only been trained to operate the ride involved on the morning of the incident and did not know that there was an emergency stop button within her reach. She had been told "not to worry about that button, no-one uses it". As well, the report noted that ride operators had to conduct over 36 checks in less than
3625-609: A quarantine enclosure located in front of the Zombie Evilution attraction. On 29 February, Tiger Island closed for refurbishment, the tiger cubs were still viewable in a new Tiger Cub Kindy area, located in Ocean Parade. Tiger Island reopened on 18 September 2016 and Cub Kindy was moved back to Tiger Island. In April 2016, a man fell out of the log ride when he stood up mid-ride. He was then run over by two more logs, suffering cuts to his head and almost drowning. The ride
3770-589: A scare maze in April. On 12 May, Dreamworld announced that Wiggles World would become a shared kids' world based on the characters of the Australian children's television network, ABC Kids. ABC Kids World opened in June. Dreamworld also revealed plans for an extensive motorsport attraction, which was expected to be a new V8 Supercars attraction to either complement or replace V8 Supercars RedLine. On 26 July, Tiger Cub Kai
3915-605: A subsidiary of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), allowed more liberal, negotiated interpretations "back home". Some European teams, most prominently the Ford Europe –backed Eggenberger Motorsport , ran questionable vehicles. With the race complete, it was still unclear as to who was the legitimate winner. Eggenberger's cars finished first and second on the road but were disqualified months later due to bodywork irregularities. The race win
4060-593: A uniquely Australian touring car formula for 1993, Group 3A. This iteration evolved into the current Supercars category. Entry became limited to V8-powered Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores (with, in 1993 only, the exception of weight-limited normally aspirated Group A cars like the BMW M3s of LoGaMo Racing ). The new regulations created a separate class for 2-litre cars, based on the British Touring Car Championship 's (BTCC) regulations of
4205-560: A wide variety of new and refurbished children's rides. In 2003, Dreamworld further expanded its wildlife offerings by running after hours 'Sunset Safaris'. In August 2003, Thunderbolt was closed. It was demolished and sold for scrap metal in March 2004. Dreamworld has retained a section of track and at least one train in the park's back-of-house areas. Later that year in September 2004, The Claw opened in Ocean Parade. On 15 March 2005,
4350-409: A wrecked Nissan could beat a perfectly healthy Sierra that had passed it on the track. As the rain clouds dissipated many unhappy campers loudly voiced their opinions. Race winners Mark Skaife and Jim Richards were challenged by a rowdy, confused and alcohol-fuelled crowd. On the winners' podium the normally affable Richards responded to the boos of the crowd with, "this is bloody disgraceful" and "you're
4495-517: Is a ninety-degree left-hander. Mountain Straight, a gentle climb where cars reach speeds of 255 km/h (158 mph), leads into Griffin's Bend, an off-camber right-hander that leads into The Cutting, a sharp left-hander with a steep incline. A complex corner called Reid Park comes next, where a number of drivers have spun after not short shifting at the apex . The course continues down to Sulman Park and McPhillamy Park. Drivers are unable to see
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4640-526: Is now known as the Murrissipi River. No expense was spared when Longhurst employed some designers who worked on Disneyland and Walt Disney World to design the park. It was up to a collection of Australian architects to mimic Australian pioneer buildings during construction. With attractions, Longhurst aimed to satisfy all of the family. Opening day attractions included the IMAX Theatre,
4785-935: The Repco Bathurst 1000 ) is a 1,000-kilometre (621.4 mi) touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales , Australia . It is currently run as part of the Supercars Championship , the most recent incarnation of the Australian Touring Car Championship . In 1987 it was a round of the World Touring Car Championship . The Bathurst 1000 is colloquially known as The Great Race among motorsport fans and media. The race originated with
4930-579: The 1960 Armstrong 500 with a 500 mile race distance at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit ; it was relocated to Bathurst in 1963 also with the 500 mile distance and has continued there every year since, extending to a 1,000 kilometer race in 1973. The race was traditionally run on the New South Wales Labour-Day long weekend in early October. Since 2001, the race has been run on the weekend following
5075-609: The 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship the Torana GTR XU-1 was gradually superseded by the wider bodied SL/R 5000. The Holden Bathurst contingent for this year included 13 SL/R 5000s, 7 XU-1s and one HQ Monaro GTS. Ford was represented in the outright category by three Falcon Hardtop headed by Moffat's Brut 33 XB Falcon Hardtop GT . He was supported by John Goss and Kevin Bartlett in an XA Hardtop and Murray Carter in another XB Falcon Hardtop. The V8 Toranas ran away at
5220-583: The Dreamworld Express and Sky Voyager . Among the 40+ attractions includes the world's third tallest and fastest drop tower , The Giant Drop ; The Gold Coaster , the oldest operating steel roller coaster in Queensland; and Steel Taipan , a triple-launch high-thrills coaster. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kenny and Belinda's Dreamland, ABC Kids World (future RiverTown), Tiger Island, Main Street and Corroboree. These lands have
5365-482: The Marlboro -sponsored HDT. In 1978 and 1979 he and Jim Richards drove an A9X Torana to victory, while in 1980 the pair won in a VC Commodore . His second hat trick consisted of victories in 1982 , 1983 and 1984 , this time partnering with Larry Perkins in a VH Commodore for the first two years and in a VK Commodore in the third. In 1983, John Harvey also shared the win with Brock and Perkins. Dick Johnson
5510-561: The Mazda RX-7 that was campaigned effectively by Moffat and Kevin Bartlett's 350 V8-powered Chevrolet Camaro . The turbo-powered Nissan Bluebird piloted by George Fury also threatened the V8 'Big Bangers' and signalled a sign of things to come during the Group A era. Peter Brock cemented his reputation as the driver to beat during this period, including achieving two Bathurst hat-tricks with
5655-658: The Nine Network . During periods where Big Brother was not in production, Dreamworld Studios have been used for various temporary shows. In 2004, Dreamworld played host to the Believe in Dreams illusion show at Dreamworld Studios. The show starred John Taylor. In 2006, a new and improved 'games area' was built at dreamworld studios for Big Brother Friday Night Live and its spinoff show: 'Friday Night Games'. MTV Plugs Into Dreamworld (sometimes shortened to MTV Plugs In )
5800-571: The Nissan Skyline GT-R "Godzilla" took the chequered flag. It was also the birth of the Torana legend as this uniquely Australian performance car went on to become one of Australia's most successful touring cars, due in part to numerical supremacy on the track and the withdrawal of Ford and Chrysler from motor racing later in the seventies. 1972 was also the last year that drivers were permitted to drive without co-drivers. The 1972 race
5945-504: The "no substitute for cubic inches" adage. Brock had pushed the car to its limits in a spectacular display of car control. It was a significant victory for a number of reasons, the first of Brock's nine Bathurst wins which later led to him being nicknamed the "King of the Mountain" and "Peter Perfect". Brock's win also signalled the first Bathurst victory for a six-cylinder engined car, an achievement that would not be repeated until 1991 when
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6090-638: The 1000-kilometre race remained in November because the Sydney Olympics blocked out sport in October. When the long weekend again became available in 2001, the National Rugby League shifted its Grand Final to that Sunday, denying the Bathurst 1000 a return to its traditional weekend. The race moved to the weekend following the long weekend from 2001 onwards, and to an earlier spot in the championship calendar. The start of this new era
6235-435: The 1987 race by the incorporation of "The Chase" two-thirds of the way down Conrod Straight. This complex added 41 metres to the length of the track and was designed to reduce the approach speed to Murray's Corner by approximately 100 km/h (62 mph). As a result of "The Chase", lap times around the circuit increased by approximately 4–5 seconds (based on times in comparable cars from the 1986 and 1987 races). In 1987 ,
6380-657: The 2-litre class was the John Cotter/Peter Doulman BMW M3 which had reverted to 2 litres capacity. In the 1994 season , the 2-litre Super Touring championship was run separately from the ATCC, though both categories ran as two classes at Bathurst. The 1994 Tooheys 1000 was won by the EB Falcon of Dick Johnson and John Bowe. The top-placed 2-litre car was the works BMW of Paul Morris and Altfrid Heger which finished 10th outright, six laps behind Johnson and Bowe. In 1995 , owing to fears about
6525-469: The 308 cubic inch V8-powered Commodore. The HDT and the later Holden Racing Team (HRT) were at the forefront of Commodore development. With almost no support from Ford Australia, Group A Ford Falcons never eventuated. Dick Johnson Racing switched to a 1983 Zakspeed -developed Ford Mustang GT formerly raced in Europe by German ace Klaus Ludwig . Johnson and co-driver Larry Perkins were very competitive in
6670-619: The ARDC timing board. Third place in Class D fell to the venerable Studebaker Lark of Warren Weldon and John Hall. Class E was won by Doug Chivas and Max Stewart in an Alfa GTV. Classes B and C were won by variants of the Mini, and Class A was won by a Datsun 1000 piloted by John Roxburgh and Doug Whiteford . The popularity of the race grew rapidly during the 1960s. Most Australian manufacturers and assemblers became heavily involved. A good result in
6815-489: The ARDC who had run the event every year since 1963. Each of the four races in 1997 and 1998 are considered as legitimate Bathurst 1000s in the record books. For 1999, the Super Touring event devolved into a 300-kilometre race for mixed V8s, which was won by Peter Brock's step -son James Brock, and a 500-kilometre race for Super Touring won by Paul Morris. This would be the last major Super Touring race at Bathurst,
6960-644: The Armstrong 500 moved to the 6.2-kilometre (3.9 mi) Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst in New South Wales . The Bathurst 500 was organised and promoted by a consortium of the Seven Network , the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), and Bathurst Regional Council ; this arrangement continued until 1998. Its popularity grew rapidly, chiefly because it became a means for car manufacturers to showcase their products:
7105-725: The Australian Big Brother house filmed at the Dreamworld Studios , since the program began in Australia from 2001 to 2014. In 1974, John Longhurst, the father of the future Australian water-ski champion and two time Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst , put his dream of building a theme park into practice and purchased 85 hectares (210 acres) of land beside the Pacific Motorway in Coomera . Longhurst spent two years, working 12-hour days, to excavate what
7250-713: The Australian Wildlife Experience opened after the refurbishment and expansion of Koala Country. Later that year in April, Big Brother Australia commenced broadcasting following the redevelopment of Dreamworld's Amphitheatre. In December 2001, the Cyclone opened after its relocation from Luna Park Sydney where it was known as "The Big Dipper". Also in 2001, two new Bengal tigers, Kato and Kaasha, were born in Tiger Island. In 2002, Nickelodeon Central replaced Kennyland and Village Oval to include
7395-556: The Avis Vintage Cars. On 20 June 2008, SpongeBob FlyPants opened as part of Nickelodeon Central. On 9 June, Tiger Island welcomed the birth of three Sumatran Tiger cubs: Ndari, Jaya and Shanti. In the middle of 2008, the final series of Australian Big Brother for the Channel 10 Network was produced, leaving the house and studios standing upon completion. In Ocean Parade, V8 Supercars RedLine opened on 26 December near
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#17327987621927540-520: The Bathurst 1000 became a round of the shortlived World Touring Car Championship , resulting in European teams racing against local Australian teams in the 1000. The resulting culture clash caused considerable angst between officials and team management. Since the start of Group A in Australia, CAMS local scrutineers diligently applied the Group A regulations as written. The global organising body FISA ,
7685-534: The Bathurst 500/1000 was generally a stand-alone event, occasionally becoming a round of a national series such as the Australian Manufacturers' Championship , but never part of the most significant touring car series in Australia, the Australian Touring Car Championship . Since 1999, the race has been run exclusively as a championship-points round of the Supercars category. In 1999 and 2000, it
7830-482: The Bathurst straights. Rule changes for 1970 enabled a single driver to complete the entire race distance. To reduce the chances of another first lap calamity the starting grid was changed from 2-3-2 to a staggered 2-2-2 formation. This meant that the back markers had to start the race from around the corner on Conrod Straight. The race continued to be run to unique regulations which were more restrictive than those which were applied to Series Production racing. 1971
7975-662: The Brock Museum, Trackside Merchandise Outlet, Grid Burgers Food and Beverage as well as the Hot Wheels SideWinder opened as advertised. On 27 January 2016, Zombie Evilution closed to the public and would no longer operate as a laser tag arena, the attraction was still, however, utilised as a scare-maze for special events, such as Screamworld. On 9 February, Dreamworld welcomed two female white tiger cubs from Kagoshima City, in Japan. These two cubs were viewable in
8120-427: The FlowRider and Cyclone entrance. A few months later, the Vortex was closed and removed to make way for AVPX (Alien vs. Predator vs. You) an indoor laser skirmish attraction which opened on 10 April 2009. Almost exactly one year later in April 2010, the Illuminate Light & Laser Spectacular began seasonal operation in Main Street. In September, the Tower of Terror relaunched as the Tower of Terror II featuring
8265-402: The GT-HO to Phase Two specification with an even more powerful and better-breathing 351 V8. With tyres that were able to endure the power and torque, the GT-HO reinforced the adage that "there is no substitute for cubic inches". Allan Moffat 's GT-HO received the chequered flag followed by Bruce McPhee's identical car. The Torana could not compensate for the power advantage that the Falcons had on
8410-414: The Giant Drop, the world's tallest freefall ride, was added to the Dreamworld Tower. Also in 1998, four Bengal Tiger cubs were born: Rama, Taj, Sultan and Sita. In December 1999, Dreamworld added a variety of kids rides in a new themed area called Kennyland. They took up the northern portion of Village Oval and Creature Cruise was converted from a boat ride into a walk-through attraction. In January 2001,
8555-619: The Goss/Bartlett car was able to gain a slight lead as the Torana challenge faded amidst oil smoke and torrential rain. Bartlett completed the 163 laps in first place. The only other car on the same lap was the Forbes/Negus SL/R 5000. The smaller classes were won by a Morris Cooper S, an Alfa GTV and a Mazda RX3 . Car number 34, a lone Morris Marina , finished 6th in Class C having completed 125 laps. Holden's 308 cubic inch V8-powered Toranas scored Bathurst victories in 1975 , 1976 , 1978 and 1979 in L34 and A9X configuration. Ford's 351 XC Falcon famously finished first and second in 1977 . On
8700-481: The HRT Commodore of Allan Grice and Win Percy prevailed. Their Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV was able to set a fast pace early in the race which the Sierras could match but not sustain due to reliability issues, mostly with tyre wear. The HRT claimed a popular Bathurst victory for Holden after three seasons of Sierra domination. A fierce new opponent was waiting in the wings. Nissan and team manager Fred Gibson had campaigned Skylines in Australian competition for
8845-439: The Holden Racing Team, teamed with 1988 winner Tony Longhurst to win the Bathurst 1000 in a Holden VX Commodore . Despite late cooling problems from plastic bags in the air intake, Skaife and HRT again won the Bathurst 1000 in 2002, this time teamed with Jim Richards. Ten years after being heckled off the podium after winning in 1992, this time Richards jokingly said that the crowd was "a lovely bunch of people". Greg Murphy received
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#17327987621928990-442: The Motorsport Museum (Featuring the 30 Peter Brock V8's) as well as six racing simulators, a new F&B (Food and Beverage) Outlet named Grid Burgers and Sports Bar, as well as a new retail outlet. The Precinct is sponsored by Dunlop , RACQ and Hot Wheels and opened on 26 December 2015. On 29 November 2015, Two Female Tiger Cubs were born. Later named Akasha and Adira. On 26 December 2015, The Motorsports Experience, including
9135-448: The Sky Voyager "flying theatre" simulator ride would open to the public that day. The $ 17-million Sky Voyager was built in partnership with Brogent Technologies on the site of the former Dreamworld Cinema . It was originally scheduled to open in late 2018, but was delayed due to issues with design registration. During the conference, Ardent further committed to a $ 50-million investment in their Dreamworld and WhiteWater World properties over
9280-435: The Skylink Chairlift opened. In 1991, to promote the Australian premiere of The Simpsons on Network Ten from 10 February, Dreamworld welcomed the characters of the American TV series. Guests could meet and greet with them as well as see them in the live stage show The Simpsons: Live on Stage , but the characters only appeared twice daily until 30 June. In 1993, a Waikiki Wave Super Flip named Wipeout opened as part of
9425-462: The Skylink Chairlift, which provided a link between Gold Rush Country and the Australian Wildlife Experience, closed. It remained standing for several months before the wires were removed. The support poles remain standing to this day. Gum Tree Gully closed to make way for the world's first Wiggles World which opened on 10 September 2005. In 2006, Ardent Leisure shifted its focus to improving its offerings of water attractions. In April, Blue Lagoon
9570-420: The Tower of Terror II track being removed from the Dreamworld Tower structure over time. The press release also included confirmation that a new thrill ride would be announced sometime in the next year as the park continued forward with their multi-million dollar expansion. On 25 October 2016 at 2:20 pm AEST, four people were killed in an accident on the Thunder River Rapids Ride. A vacant raft had become stuck on
9715-404: The ability to win Bathurst, it had a 327 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 (as the "GTS 327" name implies). This engine enabled the Monaro GTS 327 to outperform the updated, yet smaller-engined, 302 cubic inch Falcon GTs and win in 1968. This was Holden's first Bathurst 500 win. The 1969 Hardie-Ferodo 500 saw the first of the Ford Falcon GT-HOs. This Phase One GT-HO Bathurst special Falcon was powered by
9860-421: The agile Mustang but it lacked top-end power. Ford teams went on to adopt the more powerful, though less reliable, Ford Sierra Turbo Cosworth. These were available race-ready from Europe and were campaigned by many teams including Allan Moffat Racing , Dick Johnson Racing and eventually a team run by Holden stalwart Peter Brock. 1985 was the first year that the Bathurst 1000 was run under Group A rules. The race
10005-409: The atrocious conditions. After being challenged by Brock's furiously driven XU-1, Moffat was unable to exploit the V8's power advantage and spun early in the race. He also incurred two one-minute penalties for starting the engine while refuelling. Brock, meanwhile, was able to hold off the Phase Three GT-HO of John French and the E49 Charger of Doug Chivas to win the 1972 race, thus temporarily refuting
10150-406: The auditorium's name was changed to Dreamworld Amphitheatre before being renamed Dreamworld Studios in 2001 when Big Brother Australia began production. In August 2019, the venue was demolished to make way for a future attraction for the theme park. In the months prior to its demise, vision of the abandoned house spread across social media. This resulted in numerous trespassers and vandals visiting
10295-447: The better-resourced teams, as a great deal of testing was now needed to optimize the performance of the race cars. Factory teams had the best access to improved components that were often not readily available to private competitors. In 1973 Holden campaigned upgraded XU-1s. Privateers entered improved Chargers. Ford unleashed its new XA model "hard top" coupe Ford Falcon GT which had been pioneered by John Goss . While not designated as
10440-456: The build-up to the race. Late in the 1992 race, severe rainstorms swept the track, causing several accidents as dry-weather tyres caused extreme aquaplaning . During the ensuing mayhem the leading Skyline of Jim Richards and Mark Skaife slid into two wrecked cars. Simultaneously officials red-flagged the race due to the perilous condition of the wet track. The surviving cars were marshalled in single file on Pit Straight. Regulations decreed that, as
10585-510: The class structure changed to one based on price. Jane and Firth switched to a Ford Falcon and once again completed the 500 miles first. Class honours went to Studebaker, Ford, Renault and Volkswagen . In those days the Phillip Island track was surfaced with a "cold mix" bitumen which could not stand up to the pounding of dozens of race cars going flat out for 500 miles. The track surface broke up and became unsafe during races. In 1963
10730-438: The coming three to five years. A $ 30-million launched roller coaster built by Mack Rides was scheduled to begin construction in early 2020. The coaster's layout would be based on Europa-Park 's Blue Fire coaster. A semi-shuttle multi-launch system would be used; a transfer-track will transport riders to the launch track, where the train is launched forwards, then backwards up a vertical spike, then forwards again to complete
10875-468: The compound. Later, four children were charged with arson after they were seen running from the abandoned house at the time that a fire broke out. Dreamworld Studios are mostly used during the production of Big Brother Australia . The Big Brother house was located a short walk away from the studios. This allowed live shows to take place in the auditorium. Big Brother was produced at Dreamworld from 2001 until 2008 for Network Ten and from 2012 until 2014 for
11020-552: The coroner into the deaths, issued in February 2020, noted a number of failings by the Dreamworld management and staff which contributed to the tragedy. The report said a failed water pump meant that water levels on the Thunder River Rapids Ride had reduced significantly, causing one of the rafts to become stuck on its rails. The water pump had failed twice earlier on the day of the incident and had been reset by
11165-466: The debris was cleared. The race was a disaster for Ford as many Falcon tyres failed because of the speed and weight of the Falcons. Ford even a ran a post-race advertising campaign using the slogan "we were a little deflated". The 1969 race also saw the début of Peter Brock . Brock and Bond were drivers for the semi-official Holden Dealer Team (HDT), which had been formed earlier in the year to counter
11310-439: The descending road and enter Skyline and the first of The Esses at 220 km/h (140 mph) before The Dipper, one of the most famous corners in Australian motorsport. Cars then negotiate Forrest's Elbow before powering down Conrod Straight, the fastest section of the track where cars can reach 300 km/h (190 mph). The Chase is a long sweeping chicane where cars are on the rev limiter turning at 300 km/h before
11455-411: The entire race on a single tank of petrol, but the larger-engined cars were faster in a straight line. Ford's development of the 289 cubic inch V8 Ford Falcon GT signalled the end of small cars as outright contenders. 1967 was also the first year that starting grid positions were allocated according to practice lap times rather than by class groupings. This was also the first year that an official trophy
11600-549: The event in Bathurst. However, the race is best known for the presence of the traditional rivals of Australian motorsport, Ford and Holden , which have won all but six races. Owing to the magnitude of the Ford-versus-Holden rivalry, for the Bathurst 1000 races from 1995 to 2012 the rules of Group 3A and later V8 Supercars mandated that only Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores were allowed to compete. In 2013, V8 Supercars' rules changed and other marques began to enter
11745-454: The final lap, the two Moffat Ford Dealers entries of Allan Moffat and Colin Bond ran in formation down Conrod Straight, with the helicopter footage of the formation becoming one of the most famous images in Bathurst 1000 history. This was Moffat's last Bathurst 1000 victory. Group C carried over into the 1980s. Holden and Ford were the only manufacturers to win under these regulations, despite facing increased imported competition, notably from
11890-524: The first 100 miles without stopping for fuel, oil, or a driver change. Any mechanical problems in that time had to be resolved unassisted by the driver, using only the tools that came with the car. There was no official outright winner, only class winners. Frank Coad and John Roxburgh , in a Vauxhall Cresta , were the first to complete the 500-mile race distance. It was the only Vauxhall in the field of 45 cars including N.S.U.s , Simcas , Peugeots , Morris, Austins , Fords and Standard Vanguards . The race
12035-504: The first overt "Bathurst Special", the Cortina GT 500. Bo Seton and Midge Bosworth completed the 130 laps first. Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland were second in an identical car. Third outright and first in Class C were Brian Foley and Peter Manton in a Morris Cooper S. The Geoghegan brothers, Ian and Leo , famously drove the race wearing business suits supplied by McDowells. In 1966 and 1967 an Irish tobacco company sponsored
12180-492: The growing speed difference between the V8s and the 2-litre cars, the Bathurst 1000 became a one-class race for the first time. Just 32 Ford and Holden V8s faced the starter in what was, at the time, the smallest grid in the history of the race. The 1995 champions were Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall in a Holden VR Commodore , followed by Alan Jones and Allan Grice in an EF Falcon . 1996 saw Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy , in
12325-656: The helicopter running out of fuel. Dreamworld has not offered helicopter flights since the accident. In late 2010, Dreamworld announced that they would begin celebrating their 30th birthday by holding the Summer Funomenon over the summer school holidays. The IMAX Theatre was renovated to become the Dreamworld Cinema . A roof was constructed over Main Street between the entrances for Ocean Parade and Nickelodeon Central. The Marketplace in Main Street
12470-413: The honours. Grice had honed his skills in Europe, competing alongside compatriot Commodore driver Peter Brock and his newly recruited HDT teammate, Allan Moffat. 1986 saw the race's first fatality. Sydney driver Mike Burgmann died when his VK Commodore hit the concrete base of the bridge over Conrod Straight at 260 km/h (160 mph). Consequent to Burgmann's death the circuit was altered prior to
12615-416: The last organised by the ARDC and the last held on the traditional Labour Day holiday weekend. The demise of Super Touring and the ARDC event allowed V8 Supercars and IMG to take over the promotion and organisation of the Bathurst 1000 brand from that year onwards. From 1999 onwards, the race also counted for championship points for the first time, taking a position as the final round on the calendar. In 2000,
12760-439: The leaders had completed more than 75% of race distance, the race was not to be restarted. Under these regulations, red-flag race results were based on positions held at the end of the last completed lap as there was no official record of the lap not completed. As Richards had been leading the race on that lap, his team was declared the winner. This was an unpopular decision with some race fans, many of whom could not understand how
12905-602: The long and tough race added credibility to the car and its brand, especially in terms of performance, durability and reliability. An outright or class victory was a significant opportunity to increase sales and market share. It was during this period that the famous Holden–Ford– Chrysler rivalry originated. The production-car battle between the "Big Three" was fought at Bathurst. This rivalry spawned Australia's most famous muscle cars, reverentially known as "Bathurst Specials". Ford's Falcon GT and later GT-HO , Holden's Monaro and Torana , and Chrysler's Pacer and Charger models were
13050-487: The long straights. Thus was forged the adage that "there is no substitute for cubic inches", which became synonymous with racing at Bathurst. Initially the Geoghegan brothers' Falcon was awarded victory but some hours later Harry Firth and Fred Gibson were declared winners. During the race the Geoghegan car had entered the pit area through the rear access lane off Mountain Straight and erroneously accumulated an extra lap on
13195-470: The long weekend, generally the second weekend of October. Race winners are presented with the Peter Brock Trophy , introduced at the 2006 race after the sudden death of Peter Brock in an accident. Brock was the most successful driver in the race's history, winning the event nine times. He was also known as one of the most popular and fan-friendly drivers during his long career, and was given
13340-625: The makes, weight penalties (140 kg) and turbo-restricting pop-off valves were applied to the Nissan. With the pop-off valves in place, the Nissans were reported to now be only producing around 450 bhp (336 kW; 456 PS), though team boss Fred Gibson would (in later years) confess that the Winfield -sponsored cars were actually producing around 600 bhp (447 kW; 608 PS) after his team had managed to fool CAMS officials during
13485-490: The moniker "King of the Mountain" for these reasons. The Mount Panorama Circuit was first used on 16 April 1938 for the Australian Tourist Trophy meeting for motorcycles, followed two days later by the Australian Grand Prix for cars. The track uses temporarily-closed-public roads and is known for the 174-metre (571 ft) elevation between its highest and lowest points. The first turn, Hell Corner,
13630-768: The new Steel Taipan roller coaster. The original Baldwin steam locomotive of the Dreamworld Express is currently stored there. All live shows are now held in Ocean Parade either at the Dreamworld Exhibition Centre or at the old Thunderbolt site. Dreamworld (Australia) Dreamworld is a theme park and zoo situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland . It is Australia's biggest theme park with over 40 rides and attractions. Attractions ranges from thrill rides such as The Claw and Serpent Slayer to family and kids attractions such as
13775-619: The new Ocean Parade themed area. In 1995 Tiger Island opened with the Riverwalk Restaurant (now known as the Billabong BBQ and Buffet) opened. In 1997, Dreamworld opened a slow boat ride named Creature Cruise which they manufactured themselves in Village Oval. Creature Cruise was operation for only a short time. The park also opened the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster Tower of Terror opened. One year later
13920-488: The next two Bathurst 1000s. 1988 saw Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera win in their Frank Gardner –prepared RS500. In the 1989 race, Peter Brock claimed his record-setting 6th pole at Bathurst, his first in anything but a Holden. Dick Johnson and John Bowe won a hard-fought race ahead of Allan Moffat Racing 's all-German combination of Klaus Niedzwiedz and Frank Biela . In 1990 the Sierras again proved strong, but
14065-563: The official Ford Special Vehicles division that was churning out ever-evolving GT-HO Falcons. The "Old Fox", Harry Firth, who had been in charge of the Ford racing effort until he was abruptly replaced by an American, Al Turner, took charge of the HDT. 1970 saw a change of strategy as Holden chose to race the smaller Torana GTR XU-1 rather than the Monaro. The XU-1 was a special "Bathurst" version of
14210-614: The park would re-open as normal the next day. On 28 April 2014, the Reef Diver closed and was subsequently removed. On 20 September, it was replaced by Tail Spin, a Gerstlauer Sky Fly. In early 2015, Dreamworld teased that two new big attractions would be coming to the park in 2015. Throughout the early months of the year, rumours circulated as to the reopening of the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride, however these did not eventuate. Zombie Evilution once again reopened as
14355-634: The park's third mascot. In 1984 the park began seven-day trading after two years of only being open Thursday through to Tuesday. In 1986, a new themed area called Gold Rush Country opened featuring Eureka Mountain Mine Ride and Thunder River Rapids Ride . Gold Rush Country was themed around the Australian gold rushes . The same year, Dreamworld opened the Music Bowl (later became Dreamworld Studios ). In 1987, Koala Country opened and in 1989
14500-525: The race cars had to be identical to those on the showroom floor. The first years on the Mount Panorama circuit were dominated by swift and agile small cars, such as the Ford Cortina and Mini Cooper . Although the class structure was retained — with many "races within the race" — the emphasis on achieving first outright increased. In 1963 , Bob Jane and Harry Firth again triumphed, this time in
14645-420: The race was 'the world's premier production saloon car race'. The intention was to determine which cars, across five classes based on engine capacity, had the best combination of performance and reliability. It was also a showcase for the Armstrong company's shock absorbers and related products. Entry was limited to standard, unmodified production saloons built or assembled in Australia. All cars had to complete
14790-566: The race, including the return of past winners Nissan. Holden has the most overall victories at 34, followed by Ford with 21; Nissan is the only other multiple winner with 2 wins. Originally known as the Armstrong 500, the race was first held on 20 November 1960 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Phillip Island , Victoria , over a 500-mile (800 km) distance. The organisers, the Light Car Club of Australia, claimed
14935-409: The race, which became known as the " Gallaher 500". 1966 was the last four-cylinder victory for more than two decades. Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden drove their Mini Cooper S to a hard-fought win against stiff competition mainly comprising other Coopers. Mini Coopers filled the first nine places in Class C and outright. Class D was won by a Chrysler VC Valiant V8 that completed 124 laps. Class A
15080-503: The rails which guided the rafts, and the following raft, carrying four adults and two children, collided with it. Four of the passengers in the second raft were caught in machinery and killed. The deceased were two women, aged 32 and 42, and two men, aged 35 and 38. Once the raft conveyor had been shut down by park staff, a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, who were on the second raft, were able to climb out of it and onto platforms nearby. They did not sustain injuries. The report of
15225-643: The result of constant development of race-worthy cars that the general public could buy. In 1968 , sponsorship changed again and the race became known as the Hardie-Ferodo 500. It was also the year that advertising was first allowed to be displayed on the cars. In response to Ford's 1967 Bathurst victory, Holden entered the Monaro GTS 327. This was a coupe based on the HK model four-door Kingswood family sedan. Engineered as an affordable personal luxury car with
15370-473: The return of Big Brother as well as the addition of the Big Red Boat Ride to Wiggles World. AVPX closed on 31 March 2013. It was replaced with Zombie Evilution on 13 September 2013. Zombie Evilution originally ran as a temporary scare maze until 14 October. On 18 October, the attraction reopened as a laser skirmish attraction with the same theme and backstory. On 8 November 2013, the park
15515-552: The rides in Nickelodeon Central were renamed to a generic kids theme: Kid's World . On 17 September 2011, Dreamworld opened BuzzSaw – a Maurer Söhne SkyLoop roller coaster . The opening of the ride was timed with the renaming of Gold Rush Country to the Town of Gold Rush. On 10 November 2011, Dreamworld announced a three-stage plan to incorporate DreamWorks Animation films and characters into its theme park at
15660-505: The shorter pre-Chase circuit. Richards and Skaife repeated the win in controversial circumstances in 1992 . The car gained the nickname 'Godzilla'. With four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer, and a powerful turbo 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine producing around 640 bhp (477 kW; 649 PS), the Skyline's superior handling and power output was unmatched by the rear-wheel-drive Sierras and Commodores. In an attempt to achieve parity between
15805-411: The six-cylinder LC Torana. As the embryonic HQ Holden required too much development to be competitive, Holden created an alternative to the V8 muscle car. The XU-1 was more agile, cheaper and more economical. Triple carburettors on the "Red" motor provided an excellent power-to-weight ratio . The XU-1 was easier on brakes and tyres, thereby minimizing the number of required pit stops. However, Ford refined
15950-486: The start of the 1974 race and Holden victory seemed assured. By lap 11 Brock had already lapped 7 of the outright Class D cars. On lap 12 Moffat pitted and lost several laps as a new coil was fitted. By lap 20 the HDT Toranas of Brock and Bond were over a minute in front of Goss in the only competitive Falcon. By lap 85 the two HDT Toranas were four laps clear of the field. Around the 90 lap mark rain started to fall at
16095-546: The threat to public safety, homologation rules were relaxed to permit certain modifications to the race cars. Ostensibly this removed the need to build batches of high speed road cars and improved the durability of the actual race cars. The Group E Series Production Touring Car regulations, which had applied to the 1972 race, were replaced by the new Group C Touring Car regulations for 1973. Upgrades were allowed to seats, lubrication systems, camshafts, carburettors, suspension, brakes and wheel rim sizes. These changes advantaged
16240-517: The time. This class excluded turbochargers and four wheel drive, effectively ending the Nissan's GT-R's eligibility. In response Nissan withdrew from Australian motorsport. The two classes of touring cars competed in the same races for two championships in 1993 . The 1993 Tooheys 1000 was won by Larry Perkins and Gregg Hansford after a race-long duel with the Mark Skaife/Jim Richards Commodore VP . The winner of
16385-471: The top of the mountain. The HDT Toranas soon pitted for wet weather tyres after which the Bond Torana started smoking from an oil leak. The car was eventually black flagged. While the mechanics were trying to fix the problem Brock pitted with a broken piston caused by a failed oil pump. Bond returned to the track but lost more time with a spin. Despite determined driving from Jim Richards and Wayne Negus,
16530-445: The track's layout. The coaster features 1,200 m (3,937 ft) of track, a top speed of 105 km/h (65 mph), maximum height of 38 m (124 ft), and four inversions . In addition, the last row of each train would feature backwards-facing spinning cars. The park also confirmed that ABC Kids World would receive a multi-million dollar revamp, with confirmation of a new ride to come and further details to be announced at
16675-602: The track; spectators are therefore unable to access every trackside vantage point. Spectator vantage points have also become less intimate to the track over recent years because of debris fencing and increased run-off dimensions installed to meet upgraded international FIA standards. During its history, the race has been conducted for production saloon cars , Group E Series Production Touring Cars , Group C Touring Cars , Group A Touring Cars , Group 3A Touring Cars , Super Touring , and currently Supercars. Until 1995 more than one class competed in each event. In its early years,
16820-446: The use of the circuit. The 1997 Primus 1000 Classic , as it was known, was held two weeks after the traditional race, while the 1998 FAI 1000 was held in mid-November. The 1997 race saw Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall repeat their 1995 triumph, ahead of the father and son combination of Jim and Steven Richards. In 1998, Steven Richards did one better, winning the race with Jason Bright for Stone Brothers Racing . Their Ford EL Falcon
16965-465: The winning Ford was the only Falcon classified as a finisher. 1973 was the last competitive appearance for Chrysler, with the marque disappearing from the Group C category almost entirely. Class wins were achieved by a Datsun 1200, an Alfa GTV, a Mazda RX2 and, of course, the Falcon GT. At the end of the year Ford Australia gave the Falcon GT race cars to their drivers and withdrew from racing. During
17110-420: The year. The Skyline's 1992 victory was particularly controversial. The parochial Bathurst crowd, and touring-car fans in general, had been conditioned to view the Bathurst 1000 as a perpetual struggle between Holden and Ford. Although the Group A racing Commodores and Sierras were far removed from road-going examples, the Nissans were seen as being unfairly advantaged and received considerable negative comment in
17255-465: Was a round of the 1972 Australian Manufacturers' Championship , which was open to Group E Series Production Touring Cars . The race was extended from 500 miles to 1000 kilometres in 1973. The increased pace of the cars had resulted in the 500-mile race distance being achieved earlier each year, and since Australia had converted to the metric system the increased distance was considered more appropriate than 800 km for an endurance race. To reduce
17400-496: Was a temporary live show held in the Dreamworld Studios amphitheatre for the 2009—2010 summer school holidays. The show was run from 26 December 2009 to 22 January 2010. The 30 minute performance was shown 3 times a day and included a variety of music, dancing and stunts in a game show -like format. Today, most of the site is now mostly used for storage. Part of the site is currently being used for construction of
17545-422: Was able to hold out Ford to claim the second victory for Holden. In 1969 there was a multi-car accident on lap one. After the first 10 cars passed through The Esses, contact between two Falcons caused one to roll over. Several cars coming around the blind corner crashed into the stationary car. The track was almost blocked with wreckage but expert flag marshalling enabled the cars to pass through in single file until
17690-596: Was also upgraded. Also a new tiger cub named Pi (pronounced pie) was born. In 2011, two separate incidents were reported of handlers at Dreamworld's Tiger Island attraction being bitten by a nine-year-old Bengal Tiger and requiring hospitalisation. The park's life sciences manager said that both incidents would be investigated, and the park reviewed its animal handling procedures. On 16 February 2011, Ardent Leisure announced plans to have an Easter promotion where lions would be on temporary exhibition from National Zoo & Aquarium who are renovating their facilities; this
17835-630: Was another Ford victory with Moffat at the wheel. It was won by the ultimate GT-HO, the XY-model Falcon GT-HO Phase Three . This featured upgrades to engine power and aerodynamics, which made it one of the world's fastest four-door mass-produced production cars. Chrysler replaced its Pacers with its new two-door, the Charger. This was powered by a 265 cu in (4.34 L) in-line HEMI six-cylinder engine with triple Weber carburettors. However, by noon on race day, Moffat
17980-467: Was awarded to the first team to cover the 500 miles. The 1967 victory of the XR Falcon GT over the smaller Alfa Romeo 1600 GTVs and Mini Coopers surprised many pundits as the Falcon GT was unproven. The highly regarded, and more expensive, Alfa GTV had been seen as the emerging force in touring cars. However, the Falcon GT's V8 power was well suited to the Mount Panorama circuit, particularly on
18125-414: Was badly damaged in a practice crash and required lengthy repairs before the race. Both the Super Touring and V8 Supercar races claimed to be the legitimate Bathurst 1000. The V8 Supercars' case was that they were the truly Australian class of racing and, through contractual binding, had the "star" Australian drivers. The Super Touring claim to legitimacy was based on it being held on the traditional date by
18270-601: Was born. On 12 October, The Cyclone was closed for refurbishment as part of the Motorsport Precinct, labelled to open 26 December 2015. On 25 October, Dreamworld posted new information on its website regarding the Motorsport Precinct, noting that the Cyclone would be renamed "Hot Wheels SideWinder" after Dreamworld entered into a partnership with Hot Wheels. Dreamworld also revealed that the Precinct will feature
18415-562: Was charged under the Queensland Work Health and Safety Act 2011 with failing to comply with its health and safety duty, and exposing individuals to a risk of serious injury or death. The company pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined $ 3.6 million. On 7 February 2020, Dreamworld Management announced that the Rocky Hollow Log Ride had been retired from service after 38 years of operation. The following
18560-461: Was closed due to its planned replacement by WhiteWater World as a separate gated complex. On 24 June, the FlowRider opened in Ocean Parade. On 7 November, the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride closed and it remained standing until 2018 In 2007, two Sumatran Tiger cubs, Indah and Rahni, were born at Tiger Island. Later that year in September, Mick Doohan's Motocoaster opened after the relocation of
18705-472: Was closed for two days after while it was investigated by Queensland authorities. In October 2016, Kelly's Showdown and Jack's Watering Hole were permanently closed after most of the Gold Rush Country was blocked off to the public due to a fatal accident. In October 2016, a malfunction of the Thunder River Rapids Ride resulted in the deaths of four park patrons. Because of that tragedy, the ride
18850-561: Was dominated by Tom Walkinshaw Racing 's three-car Jaguar XJ-S team, the big V12 -powered Jaguars having a clear power and speed advantage over the still-developing Australian Group A teams and cars. 1974 winner John Goss and West German driver Armin Hahne claimed Jaguar's only Bathurst 1000 win. The following year, 1986 , the Holden VK Commodore SS Group A of privateer racer Allan Grice and Graeme Bailey took
18995-523: Was dominated by Holden, which won every Bathurst 1000 from 1999 to 2005. In 1999 , Steven Richards repeated his 1998 triumph, winning with Greg Murphy in their Gibson Motorsport Holden VT Commodore . Richards became the first driver to win consecutively in a Ford and a Holden. This was also the first win for Gibson Motorsport since their wins with Nissan in 1991 and 1992. Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna became Bathurst champions in 2000 with Garry Rogers Motorsport . In 2001 , Mark Skaife, driving for
19140-419: Was evacuated when a bushfire came within close proximity. Everyone in the park was evacuated within an hour. Dreamworld announced via Facebook that the park was not under any immediate threat and that back burning to protect it from any damage had started just outside the Big Brother complex. Later that day, Dreamworld again announced via Facebook that the blaze was under control thanks to firefighters and that
19285-446: Was far enough in front to pit without losing the lead. Moffat completed the 500 miles first, followed by other GT-HOs in second and third places and filling six of the top seven places. Class wins were achieved by Mazda 1300 , Datsun 1600, Mazda RX-2 , Torana XU1 and Falcon GT-HO. 1972 saw controversy, following a media-driven " Supercar Scare ", which had accumulated enough political momentum to force Holden to postpone introduction of
19430-581: Was held twice more at Phillip Island. In 1961 Bob Jane and Harry Firth , sharing an Australian assembled Mercedes-Benz 220 SE , were the first drivers to complete the 167 laps. They were over a lap ahead of the Studebaker Lark driven by David McKay and Brian Foley, which in turn was a lap clear of the Vauxhall Velox of Frank Coad and John Roxburgh. Class wins were achieved by Studebaker , Mercedes-Benz , Peugeot and Renault . In 1962
19575-482: Was in eighth position. Brock inherited the lead when the Fords started pitting for fuel. Brock and co-driver Chivas had contrived a good lead when a miscalculation caused the Torana to run out of fuel at the top of the Mountain. Intending to perform one less pit stop than the Ford teams, HDT team manager Harry Firth had instructed Chivas to "Get Max Laps" via a hand-held sign. The XU-1 coasted down Conrod Straight and came to
19720-471: Was injured. Just months after the closure of Wipeout , the park announced on 25 October 2019, that the Tower of Terror ll would cease operation on 3 November of the same year. The park cited "focusing our investment on the future and delivering new, world-class attractions for you to enjoy" as the reason for closing the attraction. The park confirmed that The Giant Drop will continue to operate as normal, with
19865-470: Was invited to fill the void with a 2-litre Super Touring field, featuring a number of British Touring Car Championship drivers and teams, including Alain Menu , John Cleland and Rickard Rydell , joining Australian Super Touring Championship regulars. This 1997 race was won by Paul Morris and Craig Baird in a BMW 320i , but they were later disqualified as Baird had exceeded the mandated time limit for
20010-489: Was later revealed by Dreamworld to be " The Lair ". On 7 April 2011, Dreamworld announced that they would be adding a family thrill ride in June and a major thrill ride in September 2011. On 18 May 2011, the family thrill ride was officially announced to be a Zamperla Disk'O called Shockwave within Ocean Parade. The ride opened on 25 June 2011. By the start of the winter holidays on 25 June 2011, Dreamworld's contract with Nickelodeon had been terminated, thus all of
20155-427: Was permanently closed and demolished. Ardent Leisure was fined $ 3.6 million for its breaches of health and safety laws. In March 2019, Dreamworld announced that Wipeout , the park's oldest thrill ride, would be retired and dismantled, and will not re-open from its maintenance period. It was replaced with a shaded seating space for guests. At a shareholders conference on 23 August 2019, Ardent Leisure confirmed that
20300-551: Was put out by Dreamworld: "In order to continue Dreamworld's journey as Australia's biggest and best theme park, the Dreamworld team has made the decision to retire the Rocky Hollow Log Ride, which opened 38 years ago on 15 December 1981. Dreamworld guests should be assured that this decision to not reopen the ride following its recent scheduled maintenance has been made to allow us to continue developing new experiences for guests while taking proactive steps to deliver
20445-944: Was replaced by the International Group A Touring car rules in 1985, with selected cars preparing for this change and competing in a separate "Group A" class in 1984. From 1985 to 1992, the Bathurst 1000 was run to international Group A regulations. Imported turbocharged cars, initially Ford Sierra RS Cosworths and then Nissan Skyline GT-Rs , achieved dominance during this period while Holden Commodores managed to claim three hard-fought wins. The JPS Team BMW run 635 CSis and M3s were also highly competitive during this era. Group A enabled Australian teams to develop cars that could be raced overseas. Locally built cars were driven in Europe by Allan Grice , Peter Brock, John Harvey, Allan Moffat, Dick Johnson and John Bowe . Tom Walkinshaw also briefly campaigned VL Commodores in Europe. Holden-based race teams continued development of
20590-461: Was the final round of the championship and on both occasions decided the championship winner. The race was once again the final round of the season in 2020, with the re-organised season having been cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though the championship had already been decided on points. Many marques — including Morris , Jaguar , Nissan , BMW and Volvo — have competed in and won
20735-486: Was the only winner for Ford during the 1980s under Group C, with a victory in 1981 whilst at the wheel of the XD Falcon . It was a famous win, coming twelve months after writing his car off in an incident with a rock in 1980. It also followed a large public fundraising campaign to provide him with the finances to build a new car, which eventually raised AU$ 144,000, half of which came from Ford Australia itself. Group C
20880-429: Was therefore awarded to third-placed Peter Brock, who drove two of his Holden VL Commodore SS Group A cars during the race. Brock broke his '05' HDT Commodore early in the event so he and co-driver David Parsons took over the team's second car, the #10 Commodore of Peter McLeod , to cross the line third behind the two Sierras. It was to be Brock's ninth and final Bathurst 1000 win. Local Sierra teams dominated and won
21025-542: Was won by the Nissan Factory backed Datsun 1300 of Moto Kitamo and Kunimitsu Takahashi. Class B was taken out by an 1100cc version of the Mini Cooper. 1967 rule changes mandated a minimum number of pit-stops to negate the advantage economical smaller cars had of requiring fewer stops. This change favoured the larger, thirstier Fords and Holdens. The Minis handled the corners well and could, theoretically, run
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