Post-War Boom

At the end of the Japanese Occupation, the British came back, and people were encouraged to resume life to rebuild the economy. The relief from the dark days of war led the nation into a new period of peace and stability. Families were reunited and many found new means of living, starting afresh. It was no longer just men who patronised the amusement parks but it became a popular weekend hangout spot for couples and families alike.

Following the new-found prosperity from the rubber boom in the early 50s, the Shaw Brothers pumped in millions of dollars to upgrade the infrastructure of the park. Wooden stalls were replaced with brick and mortar stores; rides were upgraded from temporary carnival rides to well-built safer rides; Sports Arenas and stadiums were built and refurbished. There were interesting things at every corner, with the iconic Ferris Wheel sitting at the centre of the park, the Great World Amusement park boasted carnival rides, cabarets, restaurants, haunted houses, cinemas, colourful exhibitions and circus troupes among others.

As the park moved away from gambling, there were more cultural shows that attracted people from all demographics. Chinese Wayang, Malay Ronggeng, Cabarets, Talkies (cinema), and other acts attracted the young, old, and the curious. The admission fee was affordable—a man could enter the Talkie theatre with his entire family for just 10 cents, and some shows were even free of charge [1]. The park was also easily accessible via motor buses that shuttled between the junction of Hill Street and the amusement park [2].

In 1958, the amusement park had a grand opening, which coincided with Sky’s (a cinema in the park) premiere and the park welcomed Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor [3]—that remains until now, the most significant day in the park’s history. Following that, the park became more popular and drew in more crowds for the trade fairs and at its peak, it was recorded that there were more than 250,000 people gathered in the park in one night [4].