Alice in Wonderland City –

A lost elephant story

- Researched and compiled by Liz Clark 13 February 2011

The story of Alice, the resident elephant at the former ‘Wonderland City’ located
in Tamamara Sydney NSW Australia.

'Princess' Alice (1876 -1941)

at 'Wonderland City' Tamamara,Bondi,Sydney NSW Australia
Image sourced from The Elephant Database website

Alice began her life around the year 1876. She was in the possession of Bostock &
Wombwell's Circus and Menagerie, as far as I can ascertain, until she was sold at
auction in December of 1906. The Otago Witness reported the proceedings of the
auction in an article reprinted from The Argus

The sale did not begin until shortly after noon, and in the meantime the elephant
Alice, oblivious of the fact that within two hours she would have a new master, good
naturedly helped to remove the heavy tent poles and philosophically ate grass
between engagements.

The highest sum paid was £337 10s, which was realised by the elephant
Alice, who was purchased by Mr William Anderson, the proprietor of the
pleasure resort 'Wonderland City', at Bondi, Sydney, is 30 years of age. She
is described as a splendid worker, perfectly docile and trained to ride. Her
equipment consists of a howdah, seating six adults or eight children,
elaborate gold-worked trappings, and a set of working harness. It is further
announced that an experienced keeper is at liberty to accept a situation at a
moderate salary
 - Otago Witness 26 December 1906

The Bondi Aquarium later Wonderland City

at Tamarama, Bondi, Sydney NSW Australia where
Alice gave children rides on the beach
Image sourced from The Elephant Database

After the auction Alice went off to spend her days, it seemed, giving rides at
Wonderland City for children on the beach. Below is a brief history of Tamarama
where Wonderland City was located.

In 1887 Sydney's first coastal amusement park, and one of the earliest in Australia,
opened at Tamarama. Named The Bondi Aquarium its greatest attraction was a
plunging roller coaster that dived and twisted over the beach. People flocked to the
attraction, not only for the rides, but for vaudeville acts and aquarium creatures,
including seals and a tiger shark. On the evening of July 11, 1891, fire destroyed the
aquarium and pavilion, but it rose from the ashes in September the same year, and
continued to entertain Sydney's populace. The last identified concert at the Aquarium
was a fund raiser for the Waverley Benevolent Society in July 1906.

Ownership and management changed several times throughout its existence, until the
site was finally sold by Mrs Margaret J. Lachaume in 1906 to William Anderson who
transformed the amusement park, renaming it Wonderland City. In 1906 Wonderland
City opened and replaced the Bondi Aquarium as the latest attraction at Tamarama.
Powered by its own steam plant, the amusement park featured an airship suspended
over the bay and an elephant named Alice available for rides on the beach. There was
also a miniature railway operating on a two-mile track over the cliff tops. Frequent
battles with local residents over beach access, charges of animal cruelty and an
incident with the airship saw a decline in numbers. After a few years of low crowds
and poor revenue Wonderland City closed in 1911. In 1920, the NSW Government
bought the area and proclaimed it Tamarama Park. There is still a Wonderland
Avenue at Tamarama.

- Tamarama, New South Wales article on Wikipedia

In February 1907 Alice was used as part of a wedding ceremony

WEDDING IN A THEATRE.

ORIENTAL COSTUMES AND AN ELEPHANT.

Sydney, February 17.

Mr. Anderson's Wonderland ,City at Bondi was the scene of a unique wedding on
Saturday evening. A young couple, Mr. A. V. Donehue and Miss Derbridge, both of
North Sydney, attired in Oriental costume, were married in the King's Theatre, the
service being conducted by the Rev. F. B. Cowling. After the service the couple,
mounted on the elephant Alice, and preceded by a number of young ladies in Oriental
costume, travelled through the paths of Wonderland City amid cheers and showers of
confetti. Over thirty thousand people witnessed this remarkable wedding.

- The Advertiser 18 February 1907

In June 1907 Alice arrived by boat in Cairns as part of Wonderland City's travelling
entertainment in the state of Queensland. The arrival at Cairns of the Innamincka , a
crowd had gathered there, had hoped for some entertainment, when Alice's trunk
came in close proximity to a passenger's hat.

ARRIVAL AT CAIRNS
The news of the arrival of the show, kept a number of people, and especially the
juveniles, on the qui vive all yesterday morning, and when tho vessel drew up
alongside the wharf, despite the rain, there was a large crowd to meet it. The sight of
Alice, the elephant, standing out in a prominent position on the vessel, swinging from
side to side in the restless manner peculiar to her kind, caused great interest and as
she playfully raised her trunk, and held it quivering in dangerous proximity to a
passenger's hat, great hopes were raised that a free show was to begin. However,
Alice remembered her manners in time, and the owner of the hat was left in industrial
possession.
The vessel presented a very peculiar appearance, her decks, crowded with menagerie
vans and conveyances of various hinds with all the paraphernalia of a giant circus,
whilst along one side, in improvised stalls, stood tho horses of all sizes and colors.
The work' of "shipping the show ' occupied all day out Saturday at Townsville, and
delayed the Innamincka several hours in her departure.
The interest was first of all centered on Alice, but the way that bulksome female
stepped off the gangway prepared for her showed her to be an experienced traveller.
Thc beasts in the cages were next lifted over thc side and safely housed in one of the
big Adelaide Co.'s sheds, where Alice was also located. Just here may bc stated that
'Alice is still in her teens, being in fact "sweet fifteen,'' but as to the truth of the rest of
the adage, the keeper declined to be pumped.

- Morning Post 10 June 1907

Whilst it was reported that Alice was supposedly a 'sweet fifteen', she had been given
the age of 30 at the dispersal sale in 1906 by Bostock & Wombwell's Circus and
Menagerie.

In December 1907 Alice was part of a weight guessing competition which led to an
interesting event

WONDERLAND CITY.
This afternoon and evening the many open air attractions, with recitals of music by
De Groen's band, will be available at Wonderland city, where the free circus,
entertainments at the vaudeville theatre, and numerous side-shows will be patronised
by visitors. For this evening Mr William Anderson announces a military spectacle;
showing Dargai Heights and the storming thereof with rifle-fire, artillery bands of
music and many picturesque and dramatic effects.

Today at noon Alice the elephant will be publicly weighed on the Sussex-street
machine, in connection with the weight-guessing competition.

- Sydney Morning Herald 19 December 1907

The Cairns Post reported Alice being on the street in the company of her keeper
without a permit due to the weight guessing competition

STORY OF ALICE
Many people in Cairns will remember Alice, the elephant, that formed part of
Anderson's Wonderland show. Here is a story of Alice from Sydney :-In order to
decide the weight guessing competition in connection with Wonderland, Alice the
elephant strolled into the city behind her keeper, much to the delight of an army of
small boys collected on the way. lt transpired, however, that no permit had been given
by the council for Alice to traverse the streets, and a constable drew the keeper's
attention to the fact.. The latter waggishly replied : " I am not leading her arrest the
elephant." Apparently no arrest was affected for shortly afterwards from a Sussex-
street weighbridge ' Alice’s weight was announced as 2 ton, 15cwt 2gr 3plb, a figure
which, by the way, a Wollahra young lady had exceeded in her guess by' only half a
pound. . She got upset," explained tho keeper, 'but she would have struck the exact
weight if I had not pedicured Alice this morning'.

- Cairns Morning Post 28 December 1907

Alice is mentioned again in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1908 as still being at
Wonderland City

WONDERLAND CITY
Wonderland City will reopen for the Empire Day holiday from 11 till 5.30 p.m.,
when the beauties of the Bondi seaside gardens and a score of attractions,
including Alice the elephant, will attract both juvenile and adult visitors.

-Sydney Morning Herald 25 May 1908

In the reading the history of the Wonderland City venture, there was a notation, that
by March of 1908 William Anderson, the owner, was running into financial trouble.
By 1911 Wonderland City and all its attractions were shut down for good.

Alice, however, by November of 1908 was back to her previous life as a circus
elephant, when she was purchased by George and Philip Wirth of Melbourne based
Wirth's Circus, and was later renamed 'Princess' Alice .

"......the performing elephant 'Alice' who goes through a number of remarkable tricks.
She ends by abruptly by apparently lying and standing on her trainer, but so carefully
her great bulk is disposed that his clothes are not even rumpled' .........'The children
are specially catered for by the elephant Alice, who carries laughing loads about the
grounds under the guidance of her trainer."

- Excerpt from a report on Wirth's Circus from the Argus 24 November 1908

One of the stars of Wirth’s circus is the huge elephant ‘Princess Alice’ The Princess is
getting on in years, for Messrs George and Philip Wirth aquired her from Mr William
Anderson, a well know theatrical manager about thirty years ago, and he purchased
her from Bostock and Wombwell Circus and Menagerie….

-The Advertiser 30 June 1927

Between the years 1908 and 1941 Alice travelled extensively with Wirth's Circus. In
1916, while on tour at New Plymouth in New Zealand Alice had a close call when she
went down to a creek to drink, then slipped and fell. Finding herself stuck, Alice
attempted to free herself but was unable to do so. Keepers using the other elephants
extracted her several hours later as reported in the Poverty Bay Herald below.
 - Article from the Poverty Bay Herald 3 March 1916
Sourced: Papers Past National Library of NZ Website

At the grand age of around 57 years old Alice rendered assistance when a train
derailed at the Wagin Railway yards in Western Australia

STOCK TRAIN DERAILED.

Elephant Renders Assistance.

WAGIN, Aug. 23.— The engine of an important stock train from Katanning en route
to sales at Midland Junction was derailed in the Wagin railway yards about 5 p.m.
yesterday during shunting operations. A relief engine was immediately requisitioned
from Narrogin to take the stock to its destination. The relief train left Wagin about two
hours behind the scheduled time, but arrived at Midland Junction in time for the
sales, as a fast engine was utilised. No damage resulted to the live stock. A special
break-down train was sent from Narrogin to Wagin last night, and the original engine
of 'the stock train was re-railed about 9 o'clock. It was then hauled to Narrogin. The
cause of the derailment is not known, nor the extent of the damage to the engine.

As Wirth's circus was showing here last night, the services of Alice, the elephant, were
requisitioned to remove the trucks from the derailed engine. There was no engine
under steam in the Wagin railway yards, and the elephant's timely help was fully
appreciated. A crowd of sightseers was interested and amazed in watching the work of
the elephant, which appeared to remove the trucks without effort and revel in the task.
Other valuable assistance was rendered by the electrical staff of the Wagin Municipal
Council, its members erecting a lead from the street lighting poles to the scene of the
derailment thus enabling the break down gang to work at ease during the evening.
 - The West Australian 24 August 1933

Later in 1933, Alice also got up to mischief while aboard the steamer Lutana when
she loosened a winch.

WILD ANIMALS ON STEAMER

CAUSE EXCITEMENT

(Reprinted from Yesterday's Latest Edition.)

ADELAIDE, Tuesday.

Music may soothe the savage breast of many jungle denizens, but the clatter of a
ship's steam winch is more to the liking of Alice, Wirth Bros. 140 year-old circus
elephant.

How this elephant enjoyed herself immensely by setting a steam winch in motion was
told by officer of the Tasmanian steamer Lutana, which transported Wirths' Circus
from Melbourne to Burnie. The vessel is now at Port Adelaide discharging timber
from Tasmania.

The Lutana was a veritable Noah's Ark on the trip, the animals including bears, lions,
tigers, seven elephants, monkeys, zebras, a hippopotamus, and 38 horses.

Bored with standing tied by the legs to a stanchion, Alice, the elephant, foraged
around with her trunk until she came to a tap controlling the supply of steam to one of
the winches. She persevered until a terrific clamor brought alarmed deck hands
rushing to the scene, to find the winch drum spinning merrily.

They turned the tap off, but as soon as they went away Alice turned it on again, and
the wicked gleam in her eyes suggested that she was enjoying the commotion.

After this had happened several times an engineer spoiled the fun by turning the
steam off down below. Later the chief engineer (Mr. Robertson) was dozing in his
cabin, when a snake-like object floated through the door and passed within a ,few
inches of him.

Mr. Robertson leaped out of his bunk and discovered that another elephant had been
sending its trunk out on a foraging expedition.

To add to the variety of the trip a savage honey-bear got loose below and led his
hunters a merry dance before he was recaptured. Snarling angrily, the animal was
about to leap at Captain Bull, master of the Lutana, but luckily its dragging chain got
caught in an obstruction and pulled the bear up abruptly.

- Barrier Miner 13 December 1933

1936, Alice was again in the news. At the grand age of 60 years old she was aging
gracefully as well as showing her flamboyant and rather colourful character as
reported in the articles below:

- Evening Post 11 April 1936

Sourced:Papers Past National Library of NZ Website

ALICE THE ELEPHANT

Stories About the Famous Circus Animal

Alice, the old elephant In Wirth's Circus, is a favourite with children all over the
world. During a recent tour of Australasia, while she was being carried with two
other elephants on trucks along the railway between Taronga and Wain(?) in New
Zealand, she came to a spot which she remembered well. Two years before she had
grabbed with her trunk a tree growing near the line. Alice hung on, but the tree could
not be budged, and the truck ran off the rails. This year the same thing happened, but
this time Alice got her two companions to help her, and this time two trucks were
pulled off the line.
Mr. C. W. L. Bride, of Mareeba, North Queensland, tells how he first made the
acquaintance of Alice 23 years ago. Twenty-three years is nothing in the life of Alice,
who is one of the longest lived animals in the world. When he met Alice, she was
shunting wagons at Port Pirie. He decided to buy her five dozen ripe bananas. Alice
watched him keenly while he asked her keeper if he could do so, and when consent
had been obtained, Alice made joyful little squealing noises and all but said "Thank
you" in words. She pushed the keeper out of the way and made for the bananas, which
disappeared in less than two gulps. Back she came for more, but her friend 'showed
her that the fruit was all gone, and Alice sadly went back to work.

Alice in More Trouble.

Later in the day he saw her in, a less praiseworthy moment. She and a companion
were being led along a side street to the empty, show ground to take a last load. On
their way they passed a pair of fragrant fig trees planted on tile side walk in front of a
shop. Alice sniffed the fragrance on the breeze, and in a flash broke away from her
keeper and charged across to the trees. Her mate followed, and the two stripped both
trees of their leaves before any one could stop them. Alice's tail twisted. with Joy as
she was at her luscious meal.

The owner of the trees was in despair, but Mr. Bride tells us that six months later they
were flourishing as well as ever.

- Western Mail 6 August 1936

The Great Wirth's Circus Hoax of Princess Alice's 'great age'

Across Australasia throughout the 1920's onwards, a new myth emerged that Alice
was the oldest elephant in captivity. Wirth's claimed Alice was over 100 years old.
Doris Wirth in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in 1937 claimed the
elephant was 150 years old.

"For a number of years now, Alice, our old elephant, has been employed in carting
our trappings to trains and elsewhere. Molly has been in the habit of assisting her.
One day Alice set off with a load and a little later, was dismayed to see that not Molly,
but another elephant was assisting her. Alice did not pause to think. She broke her
harness and almost galloped to Molly's quarters

"Molly was sick and Alice comforted her in elephant fashion. It was the most amazing
display of affection I have seen among animals. “

Princess 150 Years Old.

"Do you see old Princess over there? Well, she is 150 years old, and at one time was
in the London Zoo. She is tired and wrinkled, and is allowed to do much as she
pleases. Some years ago Molly was a terror. She was always fighting and breaking
away, and we used to chase her on a pony we called Maori. Molly could never get
completely away, because Maori could jump fences while Molly had to push them
over."
 -Interview of Doris Wirth Sydney Morning Herald 6 April 1937

Through out the papers of the times, Alice's age varied from 97 years old to 150 years
old. The story so carefully tended by the Wirth Brothers blossomed into claims, in
some newspaper reports, that Alice was actually the former companion of P.T.
Barnum's African Elephant Jumbo. However, I can't find any record of her being alive
in the time frame that this Alice's story covers according to the Elephant Data Base
the Alice in the possession of Barnum & Bailey's Circus was an African Bush
Elephant, not an Asian elephant so it is not her- there was another Elephant at
Barnums also named Alice who was an Asiatic elephant, however, she was killed in a
fire during the 1880's.

Wirth Circus Elephant loading a train in Sydney around 1932

In 1941 Alice made one of her last public appearances

CIRCUS PARADE FOR LORD MAYOR'S FUND.

Tomorrow, in aid of the Lord Mayor's Comforts Fund, Wirth Bros' Circus will parade
in the city streets for the first time for nearly half a century.

Alice, the elephant, who is said to be more than 147 years old, will lead the parade,
which will begin at 12.30 p.m. The route will Include -Oxford, Elizabeth,
Hunter,George, Liverpool, and Riley Streets.

The Wirth family has given the proceeds of the last 11 days or the circus's Sydney
season to the Lord Mayor's Fund.

- Sydney Morning Herald 30 April 1941

The Death of 'Princess Alice' 24 November 1941
On November 25th 1941 Alice finally ended her days as being one of the oldest
known elephants in captivity. She passed away at the grand age of 65 years old at
Wirth's Circus in Melbourne.

Death Of Oldest Elephant In Captivity

MELBOURNE. November 24.

"Princess Alice." claimed to be the oldest elephant in captivity in the world, died at
Wirth's Circus early tonight. She was 157.

Princess Alice was a popular at traction at Regents Park Zoo. London, for many
event's, and was a contemporary of Jumbo She was 'brought to Australia more than
35 years ago.

- Advertiser 24 November 1941

For the last nearly 100 years, speculation over what happened to Alice of Wonderland
City came up with two theories. The first that she had been shot and buried on the
beach the other was that she had ended up at Moore Park in Sydney. The entire time
Alice had been under everyone's noses right there in the papers, performing in the
Wirth's Brother Circus under the show name of 'Princess Alice'.

‘PRINCESS’ ALICE 1876 - 1941

In 2008 Alice was celebrated in contemporary sculpture in an exhibition by Artist and

Sculptor Rod McRae.

Images of the collection Sculpture by the Sea' can be viewed on the Sydney Daily
Photo Blog

FURTHER READING:

Australian Travelling Entertainers

Multimedia:

Wirth's Circus Film Circa 1925 on Australian Screen

Wirth's Circus on Youtube