The decision was not without its detractors and there was some opposition from locals in Melbourne to the carousel leaving their city.

The carousel went up for auction on September 28, 1973. It was not working at the time but was still located where it had always operated at the Fun Parlour on the St Kilda Esplanade in Melbourne.

ACT Advisory Council chairman James Pead, Department of Capital Territory's City Services Branch assistant director John Brigg and Traffic Branch engineer M Cantalli inspected the merry-go-round on the preceding Tuesday. Their report considered that the merry-go-round was in fairly good condition and could be brought back to good working order with some restoration.

They noted that ''its appearance, age and historical association would, when transplanted into the Canberra scene, provide some of the element of gaiety, variety and nostalgia needed in the planned but nevertheless sterile atmosphere of the city''.

The vitality and attraction of the city precinct had been on the mind of planners and business owners for many years previous. The ACT Advisory Council and National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) were making plans for pedestrian concourses in Civic to be developed into ''an area with life in it, with coffee shops or boutiques and this sort of thing''.

The Canberra Times reported in October 1971 that "Canberra's main Civic shopping area will become a pedestrian plaza for a four-month trial period" and "could become a permanent feature of the city area". The pedestrian concourses remained and two years later James Pead found himself in Melbourne bidding at auction to purchase a merry-go-round for the people of Canberra and visitors to enjoy in Civic.

The carousel was originally known as "Weniger's Steam Riding Gallery", first erected in St Kilda in 1914. It included an organ and hand carved horses and elephants that were imported from Germany and brass uprights from Scotland. When the auction was held in 1973, the carousel was also thought to hold historical significance due to the builder of the steam engine that originally powered it, Herbert Thomson, who designed and built one of the first steam-powered cars in Australia.

Another advantage of the merry-go-round was that its design allowed for it to be easily dismantled and ready to be transported in eight hours. James Pead submitted the winning bid at auction of $40,000 on behalf of the people of Canberra.

However, the purchase didn't go unnoticed and generated quite a bit of commentary in the Melbourne newspapers. The day after the auction the Melbourne Sun newspaper reported that ''efforts will be made to keep the St Kilda merry-go-round in Victoria''. The Regional Museum in the Shire of Knox was the main opposing bidder and its chairman commented, ''We think the merry-go-round is part of Melbourne's history and should stay in the city. Even if it did not go to the Regional Museum, it should stay where it belongs.''

Four days later The Age quoted a spokesman for the Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club requesting, on behalf of its members who had hoped to restore the merry-go-round, that the federal government surrender its claim to the roundabout. Having conceded that the new owners showed 'remarkable perception' in buying the merry-go-round, he said, ''It is part of Melbourne's cultural and historical heritage, having been on its present site on the Esplanade for 60 years ... more than a million people have enjoyed a ride on it.''

While some newspapers' tongue-in-cheek reports suggested the merry-go-round should go in front of, or on top of, Parliament House, the plan had always been to use it in Civic. By January 1974 the NCDC and the Department of the Capital Territory were making plans for a suitable location.

This involved the closure to motor vehicles of Petrie Street between Alinga Street and London Circuit and Alinga Street between Petrie Street and Ainslie Avenue. In conjunction with the closure of these streets some temporary landscaping similar to that in Garema Place was carried out and it was also proposed to locate the recently acquired merry-go-round at the intersection of Petrie and Alinga Streets.

This was all planned to be completed before the Canberra Week celebrations in March of the next year. The merry-go-round also needed repairs and maintenance for it to be operational for its official opening on March 13, 1974. This was achieved due largely to efforts by many volunteers, and many Canberrans enjoyed their first ride on the new attraction on Canberra Day.

The merry-go-round was shut down later that year for further repairs and restoration work and was then covered to protect the machinery. Unfortunately, the historic steam engine is no longer in use but remains on site with the merry-go-round in Petrie Plaza.