Theme Parks all around the world have rides, it is one of the reasons that people visit these entertainment venues, but a good theme park also understands that you need a mix of entertainment for everyone. Dreamworld is no exception to this. Over the years Dreamworld has had a wide range of entertainment offerings, from the Barbershop Singers and Magicians, to the most famous trio of Kenny, Belinda and Cooee the Gumnut Fairy. However there was another breed of entertainer that called Dreamworld home for a very long time.
Enter Goldie The Clown, who I believe is Australia’s most famous clown. Goldie started at Dreamworld in 1992 for the summer school holidays, and from there Goldie had a relationship with the park that lasted 20 years. During those 20 years, Goldie became the secondary ambassador for Dreamworld (next to Kenny ofcourse), the park was his oyster. We sat down with Goldie, who is still clowning around today, to hear his story.
DW Golden Years: Goldie, thank you for joining us. How did it all start for Goldie?
Goldie The Clown: My family joined a circus when I was 12 and that’s where I started clowning and created Goldie in the circus. Such a cool thing for a kid to come home from school and your parents to say “we’re selling the house and running away with the circus”.
We left the circus in 1992 and I thought I’d just get a normal job like a plumber or astronaut or something, I would have loved to have been a doctor but I’m a moron.
After I got that first Dreamworld gig I realized I could keep clowning outside of circus life so I started getting gigs everywhere around Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but Dreamworld was always my main focus, I built the look of Goldie to be as world class as possible to fit in with Dreamworlds high standards.
DWGY: So Goldie was a character you created, how did you get involved in Dreamworld?
Goldie: I did my first gig at Dreamworld in the 1992/93 summer holidays. They did a circus themed promotion and they needed clowns, that’s me!! I was one of 8 clowns for that promotion. After that Dreamworld would ask me back for other school holidays over the next 3 years until Kenny Koala offered me to be the full time mascot clown in 1996.
DWGY: Was Goldie the only character that you performed?
Goldie: I performed as Goldie, Goldie and also I was Goldie, I’m very versatile.
In the 90’s there were many performers that were contracted to just do one thing, like the Wizz or bands. I was one of those.
I guess I also did baby Goldie, fireman Goldie and Bride Goldie, so I did have other characters I performed, however they are all Goldie
I’ve only ever been a clown. I’ve made a whole career from being an idiot! Lots of people are idiots but I turned it into a nice little money spinner!!!!
DWGY: Did you have much input into the various versions of Goldie that you presented, and likewise did you have any restrictions as to what you could do, or were you instructed by the entertainment department with what you could do?
Goldie: I was very rarely told what I had to do by Dreamworld, that was one of the best parts about it and why I spent so long there, I was literally left to do what I wanted. The park was my playground. I used to call it my car park, “WELCOME TO GOLDIEWORLD” I’d say this is my home, and I really felt that way, like it was mine!!!
Now I have a season pass and I have to ask to come in
DWGY: You were the only in house character in the park that had a fibreglass statue on display. It became an iconic photo spot for many people, so what happened to that statue?
Goldie: That statue would get more photos than I would, people loved that statue. DW gave it to me when I left, It now sits on my couch at home and I cuddle up to it at night while we eat popcorn and watch my YouTube channel and laugh and laugh.
Maybe one day it’ll reappear. Maybe I should put it on the Dreamworld CEO’s office as a hint!!!!!
DWGY: Starting in 1992, you would have missed the John Longhurst Era, but did you ever meet the man?
Goldie: No, I didn’t meet him. I love all the stories from those first 10 years before I came on board, though I’ve heard many of them over the years from my friends. My man was Fred Maybury, he was the brains behind the Wipeout, Tiger island, and hiring me, so he was obviously a genius. (Editor Note - Fred was Dreamworld CEO in the 1990’s).
DWGY: What do you think it was about Dreamworld that made people fall in love with the place, and to this day still reminisce about their “Golden Years”?
Goldie: Dreamworld’s product is fun and happiness, that’s what it sells. It’s such a special thing, in a world with so much bad stuff what a noble thing to sell, FUN!!!! ..... what a noble thing to sell.... FUN!!!!
That’s what I love about it, and it was the perfect match for what I do with my life, a clown is about fun and happiness too. I can’t speak for anyone else but I know that my kids love Dreamworld completely they want to go there more than anywhere.
DWGY: Your long run at Dreamworld finished in 2012, and you did what your parents did when you were 12 and joined the circus, so how did this happen? How did your Dreamworld run come to the end of the line?
Goldie: I became CEO of Dreamworld in 2012. My first decision was to cut all personnel that weren’t good at their positions, but after a thorough examination of all the staff I found everyone was excellent at their roles, apart from me, as a clown I was great but I was useless as a CEO, so I had to go. Doh!
DWGY: Clowns have been given a negative stigma in the last few years, thanks to the likes of horror films and pranksters. Do you think clowns are still a relevant form of family entertainment today, and do you think that Clowns have a place at a theme park such as Dreamworld?
Goldie: I think it depends on the character. I cure people of their clown fears all the time, and I show people that I’m not like the scary clowns, if they are scared I pretty quickly change their minds.
I have a lot of people saying “I’m not scared of clowns anymore because of you Goldie” it’s wonderful.
DWGY: Dreamworld has changed significantly since Goldie first walked into the park, what do you think of the change away from in house characters to licensed characters being in the park?
Goldie: People love the new stuff, but people loved the old stuff too, I think it is good to have both. That’s why they’ve brought back the bushrangers because people loved them. People want something new but they also want to have that same experience they had last time. I was there for over 10 years alongside the Nickelodeon characters and wiggles characters so there’s no reason to have only one or the other.
Making happy memories is what it’s all about.
DWGY: Having lived at Dreamworld for almost 20 years, a lot of people remember you and your antics, you must have some memories of your own that you hold close to your heart?
Goldie: For me, I would greet people in the morning and welcome them to the park, entertain them during the day and then say my goodbyes at the end.
I could literally be the first thing a child saw at the start and the last thing at the end of a wonderful day, and that happened 5 days a week for nearly 20 years, so as you can imagine there would be thousands and thousands of individual stories, what I remember the most is laughter, joy, connection, it was beautiful.
DWGY: Goldie, Thank you so much for giving us your time.
Goldie: Thanks for the questions. Who knows maybe even Goldie will pop up again one day in the future, to remember the Goldie... I mean the golden years!
Happy days. Love and hugs. Goldie
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