Every week, ghost tours take place in Toowong Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Queensland. Each ghost tour is accompanied by licensed operators such as Brisbane Ghost Tours. However, recently a report about unlicensed operators holding ghost tours here and in other areas in Brisbane has resurfaced, angering existing operators.
It all started on Facebook when a group started advertising that they hold “tours” to the deserted Wolston Park asylum. This asylum has long been abandoned. It is not open for tours because the place is falling apart, making it unsafe for tour participants and even the operators themselves.
In fact, trespassers will be fined if caught within the park premises. The group later on took back its announcement and said that they were still getting permission to conduct ghost tours in the asylum.
The illicit ghost tour was planning on charging each person $50. People who had inquired said that the operator talked about not having any official permission at all for tours which include the Toowong Cemetery, the cemetery in Goodna and the Wolston asylum.
Licensed operators were astounded saying that a legitimate operator of ghost tours would need a license, proper permissions and insurances.
The Brisbane City Council will take action against unauthorized operators by charging infringement notices of up to $630 to unlicensed ghost tours.
As one of Brisbane’s oldest cemeteries, Toowong Cemetery holds a lot of myths and legends, enough to spook you out. One of the most popular urban legends in the area is located at Twelfth Avenue, which is more popularly known as “Spook Hill.”
This sloping road within the cemetery grounds has a very special property. There have been a lot of reports that parking your car facing uphill and letting it roll will have the car rolling uphill instead of downhill. Freaky, right?
When some people experience an unnatural occurrence, they naturally want to find out what’s causing it. One traditional tale tells of the graves of two young sisters who were killed in a car accident lie on top of Spook Hill. According to the legend, the two girls drag unsuspecting cars uphill so that the people in the car will meet the same fate.
This legend became very popular. People would flock to the spot in the cemetery to see and experience it for themselves. The incident became so intriguing that it caught the attention of paranormal investigator and author Jack Sim, who went to Spook Hill to know the real reason behind the supernatural tale. Unfortunately, he didn’t find any evidence to support the story.
Some say that there is really no ghost or mystery behind the occurrence, if indeed it occurs. It may just be that the lay of the land produces an optical illusion, which makes a downhill slope look like an uphill slope instead.
Whether or not supernatural forces are at work behind the mystery of Spook Hill, the car rolling on its own is enough to make you run.
