The Carousel

The Carousel, on the Semaphore Foreshore, was built in 1928 by Len Northey who also owned it. There was an earlier carousel and it was brought from the United States by Mr. Jimmy Barr who was an Adelaide Carnival operator. This carousel was steam driven and it was sold in 1933 and replaced by the current Merry-Go-Round.

The current carousel is the oldest in Australia and was moved from Henley Beach to Semaphore by Mr. Len Northey. The carousel was very popular and important to Semaphore especially when there were beach carnivals and in the summer months.

It was designed and built for a German showman named Weniger by engineer Herbert Thompson of Armadale, designer of Australia 's first successful motor car.

The horses were carved by Melbourne craftsmen with simple decoration. Whereas the old Merry-Go-Round was driven by steam, the current carousel is electrically powered.

The two carousels have given pleasure to generations of people in Semaphore for nearly 100 years, connecting us with the past in a fun way.