Haunted Places in Australia

DISCLAIMER: Some content in this blog post may be distressing. TW: mistreatment of mental health patients in the 19th and 20th century, criminals, ghosts, theme park incidents, and death. Reader discretion advised. I have tried to censor as much as possible and make it as tame to read for you. If you would like something more light-hearted, I suggest checking out my "lifestyle" section.

Hi friends! A lot of my haunted places blog posts seem to be doing well, and I don't think I've done a haunted places in Australia blog, so here it is. I was inspired by "this map" made by a Redditor with many different haunted locations. However, for this blog, we're going to focus on what Wikipedia says. Enjoy!

#hauntedlocations #paranormal #ghosts

Other Haunted Posts You May Enjoy

• Haunted Places in New Zealand (15 min read)

• Freaky Friday Files: Journeying Through the Most Haunted Forests on Earth (7 min read)

• 13 of the MOST Haunted Hotels Around the World (9 min read)

• Freaky Friday Files: The Psychology of Haunted Houses (4 min read)

• Freaky Friday Files: A list of Haunted Places in Christchurch, New Zealand (3 min read)

• Exploring Some of the MOST Haunted Restaurants Around the World (4 min read)

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Haunted Places in Australia

Aradale Mental Hospital (originally Ararat Lunatic Asylum), Victoria

This hospital and its two sister hospitals - Kew and Beechworth were commissioned for the growing number of mental health patients in Victoria. Construction began in 1865, and the hospital was open in 1867. It closed its doors in 1993 but is still operational for paranormal tours and as a Melbourne Polytechnic campus. This hospital is said to be haunted because of the high number of deaths (13,000) that took place there (as well as really harsh conditions that no one should have to go through). The design of the hospital also included "ha-ha" walls, which are walls that are high on the inside but low on the outside (for observation, it's giving panopticon vibes).

This hospital also developed what was known as "J Ward" - a ward that was essentially a gaol - where they would house criminals who appeared to be insane. One example is Gary Webb. Gary Webb was imprisoned for attempted m*rder in 1982 after a robbery of a pizza shop in Rye had gone wrong.

So what about the hauntings? These are all "alleged" as we don't really know for sure if ghosts are real and can't always rely on eyewitness testimony. According to "Little House of Horrors", a blog about all things spooky, they claim that people have reported feeling unwell, fainting, and feeling sudden pain that comes out of nowhere. The ghosts of Aradale are said to be Garry Webb, Governor Fiddimont, who died of a heart attack coming down the stairs, the superintendent, who un-alived himself in 1912; people have felt a bitter taste in their mouth as they walk past his office, and Nurse Kerry who watches over the tour guides and haunts the women's ward. I'm not sure how accurate that blog is, as it does claim Chopper Read was in that prison, but he was always in Pentridge. I definitely need to go on a ghost tour here.

Beechworth Hospital (originally Beechworth Asylum), Victoria

Beechworth Hospital was built in 1867, with at least 67 buildings, and housed more than 1200 male and female patients with 500 staff members at its peak. It was built on Mayday Hills as it was believed that the altitude would "cleanse" the patients of their ill mental health. WTF? Allegedly, 1/3 of patients never made it out of the hospital alive, and deceased patients were buried on the grounds. They didn't receive their own graves or headstones until the 1980s. It was decommissioned in 1995 and sold off to La Trobe University.

As the patients were subject to shock treatments (mass ones), this is where most of the paranormal activity seems to be. People have seen a little girl kneeling in the darkness, heard doors slamming and footsteps coming from where no one was, and sightings of Matron Sharpe sitting with patients while they receive treatment - people say she seems to be some kind of comfort to the patients. There was also a fire here in 1951 that caused major damage but it's not clear if anyone died in the fire, just that a few patients escaped.

Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Queensland

Dreamworld is a theme park in Queensland that has over 40 rides and attractions. It is considered Australia's largest. I worry about theme parks when I hear about the accidents that happen at them, because everyone is supposed to be kept safe. As Big Brother Australia was filmed here in 2001 (the first season), there were reports from production staff about seeing a little girl wandering around as well as hearing a child's voice late at night. Dreamworld staff have also reported seeing a ghost known as "Jack Darke," who was a gold prospector from the 1800s who was k*lled by a buzzsaw. There was a ride called the Buzzsaw where he was seen to be lurking around, but this ride was shut down in 2021. I can't find any more information on this alleged ghost, Jack Darke.

Dreamworld has also had a few awful, terrifying incidents. These are:

• January 2001 - Prior to the park opening, four empty rafts flipped over on the "Thunder River Rapids Ride" - no one was injured.

• October 2004 - A woman fell into the water off the Thunder River Rapids Ride and passed away. I think they should have shut the ride down following this incident.

• October 2016 - 4 people were k*lled in an incident on the Thunder River Rapids Ride. It was permanently closed.

• Late 2020 - An 8-year-old girl received injuries to her groin area while riding a new waterslide.

• September 2024 - A trained animal handler was bitten by a tiger. She was released from the hospital later that day after receiving treatment.

Absolutely awful, and none of these should have happened, but I do wonder if there is some residual haunting from any of these incidents. I'll forever be scared of theme parks because of all the scary sh*t that goes on. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go on a theme park ride. They really need to make sure everything is up to safety and maintained well.

The Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra, ACT

Hotel Kurrajong is a heritage-listed hotel located in the suburb of Barton, Canberra, ACT. It is very close to Parliament House. The Hotel has an association with a previous Prime Minister of Australia - Ben Chifley, who was in office for a term from 1945 to 1949. He resided at the hotel, and in 1951, he had a heart attack in Room 205 and passed away. The hotel is said to be haunted by him. People have reportedly seen him (or a man in a grey suit) walking around the hotel, usually on balconies or by the windows.

Monte Cristo Homestead, Junee, NSW

The Monte Cristo Homestead is a historic homestead constructed by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley in 1885. It is described as "a double-storey late-Victorian-style manor" that overlooks the town from the hills. The Crawley family resided there until 1948, and after their passing, the home remained empty, just being looked after by the caretakers. Eventually, in 1963, the home was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored the homestead. It used to be a museum and ghost tours operated there; however, it closed in January of this year, as Olive Ryan passed away. RIP Olive.

In regards to alleged hauntings, people who have gone on to the homestead have reported seeing apparitions, random mists, sudden temperature drops, lights flickering on and off, and feelings of sadness. It is believed that Elizabeth Crawley haunts the homestead and is known as the "Lady in Grey". There was also a maid who fell to her death off a balcony who may haunt the homestead, and the Crawley's suffered a great loss of a 10-month-old baby when her nanny accidentally dropped her down the stairs - some claim it wasn't an accident at all.

North Head Quarantine Station, Manly, NSW

The North Head Quarantine Station operated from 1832 to 1994 and housed victims of diseases such as smallpox and the Spanish flu. It is now heritage-listed and home to a hotel, conference centre, and restaurant known as "Q Station". During its time, more than 500 people passed away at the station. Ghost hunters have reported feeling dizzy and nauseous, the feeling of being grabbed by another person, and some have captured EVP (although to me that's pseudoscience). Even if it isn't haunted, this place probably has a very eerie feeling.

Port Arthur, Tasmania

I am pretty sure I've written a few articles that mention Port Arthur, and it's very scary. Anyway, Port Arthur is a town and former convict settlement in Tasmania, kinda near Hobart. It was a penal colony and even had a separate prison - a prison that shifted from physical torture to psychological including the Silent System.

In 1996, the town was subject to one of the worst massacres in history. If you don't wanna read about this, skip to the next section. On the 28th of April 1996, there was a m*ss sh**ting, where Martin Bryant k*lled 35 people and injured 23 others, which led to changes in Australia's gun laws (hey America, wanna do the same?). Bryant is currently serving 35 consecutive life sentences in prison.

As so many people passed away here, it is said to be a very haunted place. People have reported seeing a "Blue Lady" - a woman who wears a blue dress, and the legend about her says she and her baby both died during childbirth, so she frequents the area looking for her unborn child. Some have reported seeing a little girl who had fallen down the stairs at the commandment's house, and others have heard children's laughter and whispers.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland

The Princess Alexandra Hospital is a teaching hospital for the University of Queensland. It is located on Ipswich Road in Woolloongabba, Brisbane. The hospital is allegedly haunted by a "ghost" bus/phantom bus, BUT I think that may have just been a technical error on the signs, as one of the electrical bus stop signs said "113 City Garden 9:52" for 6 months before it was fixed. There are also reports of previous patients haunting the hospital, and some people have seen a young girl who they believe to be a ghost. Skeptical Ashy doesn't know for sure if this place really is haunted.

The Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria

I also think I've mentioned this theatre in a blog before, too. The Princess Theatre is a 1452-seat theatre in Melbourne's CBD. It was established in 1854 and then rebuilt in 1886 by William Pitt. I have yet to go to a show here, but I'd love to go see a musical and find out if I have any weird feelings while being there.

The theatre is said to be haunted by Frederick Baker, who was performing in an opera called Faust on the 3rd of March, 1888. The opera ended with his character falling through a trapdoor, and unfortunately, when he went down, he suffered a heart attack and passed away. He never came back onstage to take a bow, but when the company was told what happened, they were adamant that he had been on stage to do so. Many people have reported seeing a ghostly figure at the theatre. Other people have reported seeing shadow figures, hearing strange noises, and having strange/uncomfortable feelings.

As I mentioned at the start of this article, there are SOOO many more haunted locations in Australia, so I want to know what's a place you've been where you've felt like it could have been haunted? Or if you've had a "paranormal" experience somewhere.

Thank you for reading!

Ash