Brisbane’s scariest haunts
In the mood for a scare? Here's a guide to Brisbane's most haunted locations so you can do some ghost hunting of your own.
By Amber Lowther
It’s that time of the year where you dust off your costume and celebrate the scariest date of the year… Halloween. To kick off your weekend in the spookiest way possible, we have spoken to local expert of Brisbane’s ghosts and the Director of Boggo Road Gaol Jack Sim to compile a list of Brisbane’s scariest haunts.
Did you know that the National Geographic Traveler magazine found Brisbane the second most haunted city in the world? Happy Halloween…
The Plough Inn, South Bank
Saved from being demolished for the World Expo 88, the story is that the ghost of the young girl strangled in the hotel in the 1920s can still be heard by patrons and employees.
Old Government House, QUT Gardens Point
There has been a story that this location has been haunted for decades. This building has a historic atmosphere, but who the ghost actually is, is in question.
Goodna Cemetery
A damaged gravestone of an angel is here. The statue is headless but legend says that if you visit the grave, the head reappears.
Boggo Road Gaol
This old prison site has held some of Australia’s most dangerous men and women, and with a history of riots and executions it is no wonder than the site is open for ghost tours.
Radio 4BC building
The ghost of this building is said to be a former 4BC announcer who has returned to play tricks on his colleagues.
Brisbane Arcade
The ghost that haunts this location is unknown. Some say it’s the wife of businessman Patrick Mayne who was accused of murder or that it is a female shopkeeper who threw herself off the gallery level. Watchmen have said they have seen shadows move in the glass shop front windows, and numerous retailers have reported sightings of a woman wearing a bonnet walking past their shop.
City Hall
The ghost in the Clock Tower has been seen by workers restoring the building. It is said a lift-operator fell to his death more than 70 years ago.
Toowong Cemetery
There are many ghosts said to haunt the cemetery, including boxer Peter Jackson who is said to return to fight one last round. Also, the mysterious Spook Hill is a section of road in the cemetery where if you put your car into neutral, your car will roll – or be pulled – up the hill.
Dutton Park Cemetery
The old graveyard that stretches down to the Brisbane River is said to be an eerie place at night. Stories circulate of former executed criminals returning to haunt the living and graves falling into the river. The grave of the Plough Inn child-ghost is said to be here.
The Tower Mill, Wickham Tce
The Mill towers built by convicts has 150 years’ worth of ghost stories. The old building was originally intended as a windmill, but instead was a place of punishment and execution.
If you’re brave enough to go on an authentic ghost tour, Brisbane Ghost Tours have a few great options. Do you have any ghostly stories to share, let us know!
