Atlantis Marine Park's slogan was "for the enrichment of mankind". Located in Two Rocks, Western Australia, it opened on Boxing Day, 1981. Touted as Seaworld meets Dreamworld, the much loved and controversial theme park was the vision of late WA businessman Alan Bond in partnership with Japan-based Tokyu Corporation. Atlantis was a part of the Sun City Precinct, which included a marina, yacht club, accommodation and shopping centre.
The park gates opened at 10 am, and more than 13 500 people visited in the first few days. Entrance to the park was $6 for Adults, $2.50 for Children, and $3 for Pensioners. The theme park included performing dolphins, seal shows, water slides, aqua playgrounds, roller coasters, paddle boats, and a souvenir shop.
Crowds flocked to see dolphins perform breathtaking leaps and seals clowning around. In the Oceanarium, visitors could see a close-up view of fish, rays, turtles, and sharks.
For hungry tummies, the Jolly Roger offered mouth-watering takeaways. The Aloha Polynesian Smorgasbord served tropical delights, and the Challenger Restaurant offered a fine-wine list and a la carte menu.
A giant 10-metre-tall limestone statue of King Neptune, Roman God of the Sea, was built by artist Mark Le Buse along with other quirky, ocean-themed sculptures, including the disembodied head of Jacques Cousteau. King Neptune still stands as a beloved local landmark and was restored in 2022 for the local community.
Six months before the park opened, seven bottlenose dolphins were captured from the wild and trained as performance animals. They were the major drawcard to the theme park for the next ten years. Three calves were born in captivity.
Atlantis Marine Park closed in 1990 due to financial difficulty and changing legislation that would require the construction of significantly larger dolphin enclosures. The surrounding residential and commercial areas became abandoned.
A long project to rehabilitate the dolphins for release into the wild followed. Three of the nine dolphins were eventually re-homed at Underwater World aquarium (now AQWA) after failing to live successfully in the wild. Marine biologist Kelly Waples worked on the project team and documented her experience. Many lessons learnt are still applicable to marine mammal releases today.
In January 2023, the Sun City Precinct in Two Rocks was added to the State Register of Heritage Places. Sun City Precinct includes Two Rocks Marina, Shopping Centre, the former Atlantis Marine Park site, and the King Neptune statue. Any future development on the site must be deemed sensitive and compatible with the heritage value. Local Butler MP John Quigley described a decision as a "win for heritage".
In 1972, developers launched the Yanchep Sun City "leisure city" with the Two Rocks Marina to be built as a training base for the 1974 challenge for the America's Cup yacht race. Many of the streets in Two Rocks were named after yachts competing in America's Cup. The listing recognises the significant contribution the seaside precinct has made to our State's heritage as the first residential, commercial and recreational investment project undertaken by a private company in the 1970s.
This story contains images from different photo series in the catalogue. To view more, please search the catalogue for Atlantis.
Topic