It was purchased second-hand and required extensive refurbishment, including the replacement of the planks between the horses with a continuous platform.

Around 1910 Kale employed Herbert Thompson, an Australian engineer, to design and install a system to enable the horses to "gallop".

Kale operated the carousel in 1912 outside the Customs House at Circular Quay as part of the official celebrations for the arrival of the American Naval "White" Fleet.

[1] Under David Cale's ownership the Carousel travelled around NSW and was a regular fixture at most major agricultural shows, fairs and special events.

It was stored for two years, then put into operation in 1988, until 1990, when Allen Kale was engaged to manage and oversee its restoration which continued until 1993.

Allen Kale's son Bruce, a sign writer, was involved in the restoration of the paintings and paintwork of the carousel.

Decoration includes timber panelling, mirrors, and painted scenes including: Venetian gondolas, Aboriginal Australians hunting kangaroos, Native Americans pursuing a western covered wagon, sea shells, various animals, nursery rhyme scenes, a lighthouse, tall ships and a Manly ferry steamship.

Its rich decorations are entertainingly attractive and form both an expression of traditional fairground architecture and an exposition of the popular idiom, appropriately demonstrating on-going adaptation to times and places.

It continues to entertain children and adults alike in its present location as part of a major tourist locality in Sydney.

[1] The development of fairgrounds and travelling shows has a range of historic associations relating to the impact of the industrial revolution and the accompanying social changes during the nineteenth century.

Fairgrounds and travelling shows occupied, in their time, a position of much more importance than amusement parks have today, when there is a wide diversity of recreational activities and opportunities.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

All the elements combine to create a single entity which is impressive both for the total aesthetic effect and the fine details.

[1] The Darling Harbour Carousel demonstrates a high degree of aesthetic skill in the details of its decorations, and particularly in the carved timber elements such as the horses and centre shutters.

[1] The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

[1] The Darling Harbour Carousel provides an opportunity in NSW to experience a traditional amusement park "joy ride" on a permanent, daily basis.