Whether you’re a conspiracy theorist or a straight-up skeptic, there’s no denying Australia is packed full of wild urban legends that can, at times, be hard to believe yet are too intriguing to entirely dismiss.
From panthers roaming the Blue Mountains to the notorious Luna Park ghost train fire, these spooky Australian stories are guaranteed to give you the heebie-jeebies.
Check out below for just some of the spooky stories that have done the rounds over the years.
Luna Park Ghost Train Fire
On June 9, 1979, a devastating fire in Luna Park’s Ghost Train ride — said to be the result of an electrical fault — claimed the lives of seven people.
Three of the victims were Damien Godson, along with his father and four-year-old brother. In what may have made for an eerie foreshadowing to the tragedy, prior to their demise, the Godson family had been waiting for a ferry from Circular Quay to Sydney’s Luna Park when they were approached by a Satanic-looking figure dressed in a loincloth, mask and horned headdress.
The man reportedly came up to the family, placed his hand on six-year-old Damien’s shoulder and a photo was taken.
To this day, no one knows the identity of the man dressed as the demonic figure, but some believe that the horned man resembled the god Moloch, who asked for children to be sacrificed through fire or war, while others believe the man had been linked to a local satanic cult.
Picton Tunnels
The most famous of the Picton tunnels in NSW — The Mushroom Tunnel — was the first railway tunnel used by NSW Railways. During WWII the tunnel had been used to store weapons and ammo. It’s also said to be a hub of paranormal activity after
seeing its share of suicide, murder and accidental deaths.
Many who have braved the tunnel have reported strange lights, cold spots, strange voices and dark figures. There’s also whispers that a mysterious ‘lady in white’, roams the tunnel instilling fear into anyone who is unlucky enough to see her.
Crown Casino Morgue
Despite the Casino repeatedly denying its existence, rumours have persisted for years that Melbourne’s Crown Casino has it’s own morgue to cater for elderly gamblers who pass away or those who have died by suicide after gambling within their establishment.
According to the legend, there are several secret passageways throughout the casino and hotel in order to allow for the discreet removal of deceased patrons without alerting other guests.
Despite Crown constantly shutting the rumours down, many continue to believe the whispers.
Wakehurst Parkway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgl0cze2dlo
A stretch of road spanning from Narrabeen in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the Wakehurst Parkway is well known to locals as a hot spot for paranormal activity.
With many vehicular deaths occurring along the 14.6 km stretch of road, spooky anecdotes range from seeing strange humanoids on the roadside to the unsettling urban legend of “Kelly”.
According to the legend, Kelly appears as a younger girl who either stands in the middle of the road or appears in the back seat of cars. Apparently, if you don’t demand she leaves the car, the motorist will crash.
The road has also been associated with gruesome crimes over the years, such as in 1994 when 34-year-old Stephen Dempsey was shot in the heart with a crossbow at Deep Creek Reserve on the Wakehurst Parkway. His killer dumped his body in the creek but later returned to dismembered it, taking it and putting it in a freezer.
One year later, the body of 21-year-old Frances Tizzone was found just metres from the Wakehurst Parkway in Frenchs Forest, where her body had been dumped after being strangled by her ex-boyfriend.
Lithgow Panther
With over 500 sightings over 20 years across Lithgow, Hawkesbury and the Blue Mountains, the legend of the Lithgow panther is one that many unreservedly believe is based on truth — including that of Hawkesbury former mayor Bart Basset.
“There have been too many sightings by too many reputable people for it not to be true,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “We’re talking about a dentist, a retired magistrate and actual Department of Primary Industries staff.”
Even 10’s own Grant Denyer believes he’s seen the big cat in question, describing it as”10 times bigger than a normal domestic cat”.
“I was doing the dishes, looking down the paddock and I saw it and I said, ‘The panther’s back’,” referring to wife Chezzi’s claims that she had seen the famed black panther on their property more than three years ago when she was pregnant.
“I don’t care if you believe or not. We have seen it … This is a famous story that has haunted Sydney for years about the mysterious black panther of the Blue Mountains,” he said.
The most famous of the Picton tunnels in NSW — The Mushroom Tunnel — was the first railway tunnel used by NSW Railways. During WWII the tunnel had been used to store weapons and ammo. It’s also said to be a hub of paranormal activity after
seeing its share of suicide, murder and accidental deaths.
Many who have braved the tunnel have reported strange lights, cold spots, strange voices and dark figures. There’s also whispers that a mysterious ‘lady in white’, roams the tunnel instilling fear into anyone who is unlucky enough to see her.
Hawkesbury River Monster
Described as Australia’s own Loch Ness Monster, the Hawkesbury River Monster has said to have been first sighted thousands of years ago by the Dharuk people, who reportedly depicted rock art that showed an unknown beast with a long neck, large body and two sets of flippers.
According to Australian naturalist Rex Gilroy, who has been researching the creature for several decades, it is believed alive and well with he and wife Heather collecting eyewitness accounts.
“In recent years there have been sightings of creatures surfacing as far up as Windsor,” Rex said. “The latest was in the St Albans where there was a report of a 25-30 foot creature spotted swimming in the river. Some people who had been out fishing saw it swimming past the jetty where they were standing, with a snake-like head about a metre or so above water.”
Rex believes the creature could be a prehistoric plesiosaur, an aquatic dinosaur, which has been extinct for 70 million years… Allegedly.
