It’s just a giant, skeletal ghost now. If you drive over the Bolte Bridge at night, you’ll see it—a massive, silent ring of steel looming over the Docklands. No lights. No movement. Just a 120-metre-tall reminder of a dream that didn't quite work out. The Melbourne Star Ferris Wheel was supposed to be our version of the London Eye, a gleaming crown for a revitalized waterfront. Instead, it became one of the most expensive and legally tangled engineering headaches in Australian history.
Honestly, the whole thing feels a bit surreal when you look back at the timeline. It wasn't just a "ferris wheel." It was a "Giant Observation Wheel," one of only four in the world at that scale when it was first conceived. But between the structural cracks, the heatwaves, and a global pandemic, the Melbourne Star lived a life that was more soap opera than tourist attraction.
The Design Flaw That Started It All
You might remember the 2009 incident. It had only been open for about 40 days. Suddenly, during a brutal Melbourne heatwave where temperatures soared past 40 degrees, the steel literally started to buckle. It didn't just creak; it developed massive structural cracks.
Engineers from Arup and other firms had to step in. It turned out the original design—a complex "star-within-a-star" geometry—wasn't handling the thermal expansion of the Victorian climate very well. They had to dismantle the entire thing. Imagine that. You build a multi-million dollar landmark, and then you have to take it apart piece by piece because the sun was too hot.
The wheel sat there as a stump for years. It became a local joke, a punchline about Docklands being a windy, soul-less "white elephant." When it finally reopened in late 2013 as the "Melbourne Star" (dropping the "Southern Star" moniker), people were skeptical. But, for a while, it actually worked.
What It Was Like Up There
If you actually went on it during those years it was operational, the experience was... interesting. It wasn't fast. It took about 30 minutes for one full rotation. You’d step into these huge, floor-to-ceiling glass cabins that could hold about 20 people.
On a clear day? The view was genuinely stunning.
You could see all the way to the Dandenong Ranges and out across Port Phillip Bay. You got a bird’s-eye view of the shipping containers at the Port of Melbourne, which, surprisingly, looks like a giant Lego set from that high up. But then you’d look down at the Docklands itself, and the criticism would start to make sense. You were looking at a lot of concrete rooftops and half-finished apartment blocks. It lacked the historical "wow" factor of seeing Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower from the air.
The Melbourne Star Ferris Wheel struggled with a fundamental problem of geography. It was tucked away behind a shopping mall, separated from the CBD by a tangle of rail lines and highways. It never felt "connected" to the heart of the city.
The Business Reality and the 2021 Collapse
MB Star Properties Pty Ltd, the company behind the wheel, fought a hard battle. They tried everything to bring people in. They did "flights" with sparkling wine. They did yoga in the sky. They even did private dining experiences where you could eat a multi-course meal while slowly circling the sky.
But the overheads were astronomical.
Maintaining a 120-metre moving structure made of 800 tonnes of steel is not cheap. When COVID-19 hit and international tourism evaporated, the math just stopped working. In September 2021, the announcement came: the Melbourne Star was closing permanently.
"The giant observation wheel has been a part of the city’s skyline for more than 15 years, but the impact of the pandemic and the loss of international tourism made it impossible to continue." - Official statement from the operator.
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Since then, it’s been in a weird state of limbo. Liquidators have been trying to figure out what to do with it. You can't exactly put a 120-metre wheel on eBay. It would cost millions just to safely dismantle it, and even more to move it somewhere else.
Why We Can't Just "Fix It"
A lot of people ask why the state government doesn't just buy it.
Politics.
The Docklands has always been a sensitive subject in Melbourne urban planning. Critics argue that pouring more taxpayer money into a private venture that already failed twice would be a disaster. Plus, the site is privately leased. It’s a mess of legal jurisdictions.
There was talk in 2023 and 2024 about potential buyers from overseas—maybe moving the cabins to another park or turning the structure into a static light installation. But so far, it’s just sat there. The cabins are still attached, slowly weathering the Bass Strait winds.
Is Docklands Better Without It?
Strangely, the area around the wheel—District Docklands—has started to find its own feet without the Star being the main draw. There’s a cinema, "ArtVo" (that 3D trick-art gallery), and a bunch of decent eateries. The wheel has become a landmark for navigation rather than a destination.
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"Meet me under the wheel" is something people say, even if they have no intention of going near it.
It’s a bit of a tragedy, really. Despite the jokes, the Melbourne Star was an ambitious piece of engineering. It gave the city a different profile. It was brave. Sometimes bravery in architecture leads to an icon, and sometimes it leads to a giant metal circle that doesn't move.
What You Should Do Instead
If you're visiting Melbourne and you were hoping for that "high-altitude" experience, you have to pivot. Don't go to Docklands expecting a ride.
- The Edge at Melbourne Skydeck: Located in the Eureka Tower, it's 285 metres up. It's much higher than the Star ever was. It’s in Southbank, so you're right in the middle of the action.
- Hot Air Ballooning over the CBD: Melbourne is one of the few major cities in the world you can actually fly a hot air balloon over. It’s pricey, but if you want the "slow drift" feeling the Star offered, this is the superior version.
- Rooftop Bars: We have the best rooftop bar culture in Australia. Go to Transit Rooftop Bar or The Rooftop at QT. You get the view, the breeze, and a drink for a fraction of the price of a Ferris wheel ticket.
The Melbourne Star Ferris Wheel will likely be dismantled eventually. The steel is valuable, and the land is even more so. Until then, it remains a silent monument to a very specific era of Melbourne’s ambition—a time when we thought we could just build a giant wheel and the world would come running.
Next time you're on the Footscray Road or the M1, take a look at it. It’s still quite beautiful in its own lonely way, especially when the sunset hits the steel. Just don't expect to go for a spin.
Actionable Insights for Visitors
- Check Status Regularly: If you see "Melbourne Star" on old travel blogs, ignore them; it is closed and fenced off.
- Photography Tip: The best place to photograph the dormant wheel is from the North Melbourne side near the rail yards for a "gritty urban" look, or from the NewQuay promenade for the classic reflection shot.
- Support the Area: Even though the wheel is dead, the District Docklands precinct still houses local businesses and the O'Brien Icehouse, which are worth the trip.