It’s that time of year when we celebrate the mysterious, weird and often misunderstood stories and urban legends from around our City. With an excess of historical sites, there are many stories and places that spark the spooky imagination around our neighbourhoods. While some stories are tragic, others are simply strange.

So, if you’re a lover of special spectres, visceral visions, bellowing buildings or howling houses, keep reading for some of our local stories and places to keep your spine nice and chilled.

THE FRIENDLY GHOST OF POINT ORMOND

Urban legend has it that at the exceptionally beautiful lookout at Point Ormond, lives (Or haunts) a ghost who helps to keep children safe. The tale told is that this friendly ghost (let’s call him Casper) once appeared to a sleeping mother, dressed in a ye olde style outfit. Casper woke the woman and told her to call her children back to her, who were playing by a bayside cliff. She took his notice and called to her children, just in time to see the cliff edge crumble away as they arrived safely back by her side. She turned to thank the child that had warned her, to find he had vanished.

THE JOKER GHOST OF LUNA PARK

One of our more popular poltergeists is the Joker Ghost of Luna Park, who has been known to appear n the Scenic Railway and the Ferris Wheel, to spook riders before disappearing into thin air. But who is this mysterious figure? There are a number of different theories. One is that he is a snake charmer who was bitten on the neck by one of his tiger snakes during a performance. Another is that it is the spirit of a man who, while riding the Scenic Railway, turned to speak to someone behind him and in doing so, leaned out of the cart and hit his head on an oncoming support pole. The list of possible identities is possibly the most frightening thing about this particular story but don’t be surprised if you see this trickster (and for goodness’ sake, keep your arms, legs and head inside the rides!)

PREDICTING THE METROPOLIT

AN GAS COMPANY EXPLOSION

On 4 April, 1920, the Port Phillip location of the Metropolitan Gas Company exploded with a boom that was heard 60km away, reducing it to a pile of steel and rubble. Incredibly, there were no resulting injuries. What is a bit creepy, is the letter that the secretary of the company received on 31 March saying:

‘I am a student of occult science, and it has come to my knowledge that on or about April 25 there will be an attempt to blow up the company‘s gasometer at South (sic) Melbourne, perhaps more. Feeling the responsibility heavy upon me, I am writing to warn you, so that means may be taken to prevent, if possible, this awful thing. It is purely and simply through the Divine will this came to me. Other knowledge which came to me through the same channel has proved correct’.

The cause of the fire was thought to be a pipe leak, with corrosion to metal structures also contributing - no evidence of human or occult interference was found.

_{Image Credit: Gasworks Arts inc. Archives}

THE WOMAN OF THE GRAHAM HOTEL

The two brothers who own The Graham Hotel in Port Melbourne have reported sightings of a mysterious woman, dressed in a bonnet and white night clothes. She appeared to walk through the restaurant to look out the window, then turned and walked back through the restaurant then slowly up the stairs. After rumours began to spread, a regular patron told the brothers that long ago a woman had been murdered upstairs.

_{Image Credit: Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society.}

THE GHOST OF ALFRED FELTON

Ok, so technically there are no reports of an Alfred Felton ghost sighting (yet). However, in the former dwelling and place of death of the well-known philanthropist, is the chic, cosy bar named the Ghost of Alfred Felton. Located in the historic Esplanade Hotel, the venue does have other ethereal residents, with a number of floating women sighted in the upper storey windows of rooms that were unoccupied and boarded up at the time. Spirits in this venue are not just behind the bar… (Sorry I had to).

SECRETS OF THE PALAIS

Theatres are magical places, full of tales told both on stage and by the many people that visit them. The iconic Palais theatre in St Kilda has its fair share of stories to make you shiver. Staff of this great beauty have reporting hearing doors opening when they have been alone in the building (an idea that sends a chill down my spine on its own). There have also been reports of shadows flitting across the upstairs mirrors and not long ago a hidden door was uncovered that used to be the old ladies cloakroom – But why was it covered up!?

There have also been sightings of a woman standing in the upstairs seating, staring out towards the stage. A former usher from the 1960s recently visited the venue and turned to the venue manager to simply say “Have you seen her yet?”.

HISTORICAL REFLECTION AT ST KILDA CEMETERY

St Kilda Cemetery is a beautiful monument to many of Melbourne’s most known residents and much-loved family members with over 51,000 burials. The tranquil grounds are divided into sections by denomination, with areas for Church of England, Catholic, Independent, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Baptist, Other Denominations, and Hebrew. Walk through the historic tombstones and garden beds, discovering the resting places of names both known and unknown. There are tours available if you want to learn more about this historic site.

_{All images, unless otherwise stated, courtesy of the Port Phillip City Collection.}