Wonderland had a toboggan, a helter-skelter, a waterslide, boating lake, and band rotunda, much of which was bought from the Christchurch International Exhibition the year prior.
Mr Chase-Morris designed the park with the intention for “the citizens of Wellington to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded them, for getting away for a spell from the cares and worries of business and domestic work.” Unfortunately his dream was short-lived as the park went into liquidation in 1911.
Something with a bit more longevity is Miramar’s film industry which started back in 1928 when the Miramar Film Studios were set up to produce tourism films promoting New Zealand. The Government bought the independent film company in Darlington Road to produce New Zealand’s efforts in World War II, and the National Film Unit (NFU) was born.
The NFU moved to Avalon in 1979, and Sir Peter Jackson bought the Miramar facilities in the 1990s, using them to make his cult classic Braindead in 1992.