Melbourne's Star Ferris Wheel Spins Again After 5 Years

Melbourne's iconic ferris wheel is turning again, and this time its owners say the spinning represents more than just a tourist attraction returning to life.

The Melbourne Star observation wheel welcomed passengers this week after sitting dormant for five years. COVID-era tourism collapse forced the Docklands landmark into closure in 2021, but new owners Jane and Jay Jones see its reopening as proof that Melbourne has truly moved past the pandemic.

"This is a big icon that the COVID past of Melbourne is gone," said Jay Jones. The couple bought the troubled attraction knowing its rocky history but believing in its future.

That history includes plenty of stumbles. The wheel first opened in 2008 but closed just 40 days later due to structural concerns. It stayed motionless for nearly five years, becoming such a source of embarrassment that it featured in state election debates.

After being dismantled and rebuilt, the wheel reopened in late 2013 and operated successfully for seven years. Then the pandemic hit, its owners went into liquidation, and the City of Melbourne even considered selling it for parts in 2024.

Jay Jones acknowledges the wheel became "the laughing stock" of Melbourne. But he and Jane are "wheel people" who believe tourism's post-pandemic growth will finally give the attraction its moment to shine.

The Ripple Effect

The reopening means more than just another tourist stop. Jonathan Codman, chief executive of the Docklands entertainment precinct, says visitors have asked him about the wheel constantly for five years. He expects an additional 300,000 people annually to visit the area, benefiting surrounding businesses and breathing new life into the precinct.

For Melanie Olsen and her daughter Charli-Koko Vance, the wheel's return holds deeply personal meaning. Melanie has terminal cancer and Charli-Koko lives with a rare disease. The pair regularly visited before the 2021 closure and often gazed at the stationary wheel from Charli-Koko's window during lengthy hospital stays at the nearby Royal Children's Hospital.

They were invited to turn the wheel's lights back on in July and returned for the official reopening. "To cut the ribbon and push the button at the start for Charli-Koko, it's brought us so much joy," Melanie said.

The Melbourne Star now stands 120 meters high over the Docklands, its lights shining brightly as a symbol of resilience and fresh starts for a city ready to celebrate again.