SPIRITLAND.net - The Snake Pit, Scarborough, WA. Rock & Roll dance & music venue on the beach.

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The original Snake Pit - History
Scarborough Beach, Western Australia

One day I discovered by chance that my pages about Rock & Roll dances at Scarborough Beach were listed on Wikipedia as a source for information

and photos of the old Snake Pit dance venue. Since I had only mentioned it it passing and actually new very little about the original site, I decided to

do some digging around for info and pictures. Hence this page on my site. So if you have any more info and pictures I could add here, please send

them through to me for inclusion here, with reference to you as the source. Send to MaxJeff@exemail.com.au (please copy address into your email page),

but no more than 2mb per email please and reduce your images to around 800x600 if you can.

If you remember milk bars, FJ Holdens, bodgies, widgies, Six O'clock Rock or the Scarborough Snake Pit, then you will love the City of Stirling's

Rock 'n' Roll Revival! Festival held annually in February. Be there next year! There is also a small 'Show 'N' Shine' auto display.

The City of Joondalup also has a very similar event at Sorrento Beach called the Retro Beach Party in March.

More tourist information on Western Australia

All photos in this gallery taken by other persons are indicated and are copyrighted by them. Please go to their website to see more

of their work and a larger copy, and access their image usage policy on copyright by clicking the underlined link below the photo.

My thanks to Pam Phelan, Librarian: Information Services, State Library of Western Australia

for her assistance with references concerning the Scarborough Snake Pit.

Site Visitor Tracker launched 16th May 2012

Image sourced from http://maps.google.com.au/

Photos of the historical 'Snake Pit' at Scarborough Beach, Western Australia.

The above photos can be purchased from the City of Stirling Local Studies Library.

The original Snake Pit at Scarborough Beach, Western Australia. Circa 1955.

In the mid 1930's Lunar Park, a fairground, was opened and by 1939 it was in full swing. Bathing Beauty Contests were the highlight of the summer season, much to delight of the residents and visitors. A platform was erected for the contests in the centre of Luna Park. Every Tuesday, the Anglican Church held dances at the Delphi Tea rooms. In the mid 1950's, 1000 young people were regularly gathering and dancing at their favourite place, the "Snake Pit". In 1972 the historic Scarborough Luna Park was demolished.

( From "The History of Scarborough" on the Scarborough Beach Scene site created by MG Graphics )

Reader contribution to this page - thanks for your input!

Snake Pit Memories - by Christina Graham (nee Cvitan)

"We moved to Scarborough into the Adelphi tearooms on the esplanade in 1955 - mum dad and four children. We were very quiet unassuming kids, ‘squares’ you would have called us then. We were about to have our lives changed by rock and roll. It was loudly played day and night from Luna Park mini golf, the shop next door and of course the ‘snake pit’. It started small and became huge, the place to be, and from all over Perth bus loads came. There was the beach roller skating, choice of milk bars, hamburgers, bodgies and widgies, leatheries, mods and rockers all mixed together without many hassles. Everyone always ended up at the snake pit either to watch or dance and just be cool - it was the best time."

The 'Snake Pit' grew out of the La Spiaggia Cafe on the Scarborough beach foreshore, just north of the

popular Luna Park entertainment area. The cafe was founded by Don & Rosina Errichetti.

Don was born in America and died in Perth on 9th October 2008.