The business that operated Canberra's very own theme park, Canberry Fair, went into receivership on this day in 1983 - a little more than two years after the theme park opened.
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A story on the front page of The Canberra Times said the continued use of Canberry Fair as a "major leisure centre" was being discussed. Canberra Holdings Pty Ltd ran the theme park.
"Canberra Holdings has never lodged an annual return with the Companies Office," the Times' story said.
"The company was incorporated in December 1980."
The brainchild of local restaurateur Alby Sedaitis, Canberry Fair was part historical village, part zoo, part theatre, and part dining precinct.
When it opened in December 1981, the $3.4 million, nine-hectare theme park was Canberra's biggest private-enterprise tourist and entertainment project. It was built for kids as well as adults, and was inhabited by a herd of camels and a clown troupe.
Within 10 years, the site was all but abandoned. In a Times story in 2011, Mr Sedaitis said he was left stranded when his business partner withdrew the bulk of the funds supporting the theme park and went AWOL.
