Originally publishe January 29, 1997

ONE of Sunraysia's longest operating tourist attractions, Humpty's World will close this Friday.

Operators Lloyd and Glenna Beasy said they were "retiring" the attraction which grew from the Glenoyd Poultry Farm to Humpty's World 18 years ago.

They first took over the Cureton Avenue property 45 years ago.

It will now be sold as a whole or broken up for real estate, with the core attractions, particularly Humpty Dumpty, likely to be sold off to another tourist region.

"Friday will be a sad day for us after putting a lifetime into this property," Lloyd Beasy said.

"The past 18 years as a tourist attraction has been an interesting lifestyle for our family and grandchildren because we have met a wide cross-section of people.

"The satisfying part is that more than 25 percent of our visitors are return visits -- many year after year or when a new child arrives in the family.

"Humpty Dumpty is the best lived nursery rhyme and will always retain its popularity."

Mr Beasy said in recent years, young mothers, who themselves visited as children, were now bringing their own children.

Visitors in the past few weeks have learned to their dismay, of the park's imminent closure.

Mr Beasy said the property had been on the market for several months in the hope a local buyer might come forward.

"This tourist-zoned property is ideally-situated for either expanding the theme on the additional land available, or to use the extra land to build a Humpty Dumpty Holiday Village complex," he said.

Mr Beasy said visitors were quite shocked when told that unless a local buyer could be found, Humpty Dumpty, the miniature train and the equipment at the park might be sold out of the district to set up a theme park elsewhere.