Uncover the fascinating story behind Sydney’s Luna Park as award-winning author and journalist Helen Pitt launches her intriguing new book on the iconic venue in conversation with acclaimed investigative reporter Kate McClymont.

Together, they’ll traverse an extraordinary history filled with con men and criminals, crooked cops, failed politicians and movie moguls. From the engineering feats of its construction in the dark days of the Depression to the tragic deaths of six boys and a father in the 1979 Ghost Train fire - one of Sydney's most heartbreaking unsolved mysteries - and despite financial disasters, legal battles and closures, Luna Park survives, glittering by the water.

Presented by Waverley Council and Gertrude & Alice Bookstore.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin.

Helen Pitt is an award-winning journalist and author. Her first book, The House: The dramatic story of the Sydney Opera House and the people who made it, won the 2018 Walkley Book Award. She has over four decades of experience in the media, reporting from three different continents (Australia, Europe and the United States). She has worked as the Sydney Morning Herald's opinion editor, Spectrum deputy editor and as a staff news and feature writer there, and at The Bulletin, HQ magazine and New York Times Digital. This is Helen’s second book.

Kate McClymont is chief investigative reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald, a ten-time Walkley Award winner, including the Gold Walkley, and the author of two books. One of Australia’s most decorated and respected journalists, McClymont was named the NSW Journalist of the Year for 2012 and inducted into the Media Hall of Fame for her contribution to the industry in 2017. In 2020, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her services to the print media and to investigative journalism.

Nab a book bundle and save!
Prepurchase your copy of Luna Park when booking your ticket and save a bundle on the cover price. Orders will be available for collection at the venue from the team at Gertrude & Alice Bookstore. 

Event information 
Refreshments will be available from the Theatre Bar from 5.30 pm. 
Tickets are General Admission. Seats are not allocated. 

To book accessible seating, please complete the Accessibility Requirements section when registering for your ticket.