The Harbour City is known for its daytime delights: with Sydney's stunning beaches and glittering harbour famous across the world. But when the lights go out, the city can become a very different place. And no, we’re not talking about what goes down on Sydney's dance floors. According to a recent study, Sydney is the most haunted place in all of Australia.
Back in June, a group of influencers spotted what appeared to be a ghost lurking in the window of Sydney’s oldest pub. It turned out that the ghoulish figure was in fact a teaser for the upcoming Ghost Festival: an immersive spook-fest taking over The Rocks this Halloween. And although the spooky figures you’ll see wandering the suburb’s historic streets next week are likely to be actors (Ghost Festival is not doing things by halves for its four fright-filled days), they could be closer to the truth than we’d like to think.
In the lead up to spooky season, Affordable Urns did some research into Australia’s most-haunted locations, and Sydney came out as number one. Analysing reports of paranormal sightings and haunted locations across the country, the research identified the most haunted states and cities in Australia. With 91 paranormal activity reports – accounting for a third of all reported ghostly encounters in the city – NSW was ranked as the country’s most haunted state. The researchers cited the state’s “long history of colonial settlement, convict transportation, and urban development” for the high rate of paranormal activity, suggesting that the state’s troubled past has “left a lasting supernatural imprint.”
With 17 of the state’s paranormal sightings concentrated right here in Sydney, the state’s capital takes the top spot as the country’s most-haunted destination. A few hours north, the coastal city of Newcastle is reportedly the state’s second-most haunted destination (with seven reported ghost sightings) followed by Picton (three reported sightings) and Bathurst (two reported sightings).
For anyone who’s ever visited Manly’s Quarantine Station, it’s no surprise that this eerie site is the most-cited haunted site in Sydney. If you’re brave enough, you can book a ghost-tour around the buildings, or stay the night in a haunted bedroom overlooking the harbour (speaking from experience, this is best managed with a few glasses of wine before bed). Another oft-mentioned haunted site is Cockatoo Island, the former convict penal establishment in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
According to the study, Australia's most-haunted places are:
1. Sydney
2. Brisbane
3. Adelaide
4. Melbourne
5. Perth
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