Willoughby Heritage festival
Ghouls Night Out Heritage Tour
On this Darker History Tour, you will visit a world where you can laugh, and maybe even start seeing things you have looked at forever - particularly around medicine - in a whole new way. You may hear things that will run chills down your spine – and leave you with the adrenaline rush of a good, fun, scare!
On this Historic tour, we will travel back in time to the building of the North Shore Line, the harsh realities of life in William Gore’s Convict farm, the often blood curdling realities of 19th Century medicine, and the brutal truths of life and death, in Willoughby’s past – and the touching ways people dealt with it
Like all of our walking tours, this tour is a Historic Ghost tour.
We have to talk about what happened while people were still alive, so that what happened afterwards make sense . ( This won't be the dry, stuffy history as you remember from school. This stuff is gritty, real and fascinating!) . About 70% of what we talk about is taken from peoples letters, diaries and public records. 10% of the tour will be my own opinion and "connecting the dots" from years of dedicated research. The 20% Paranormal part of the tour is a completely "make your own mind up" exercise....!
We do not operate in dangerous weather such as heavy rain, or thunderstorms. Parts of this tour visits locations that a are prone to poor drainage, and lightning strikes. In the situation that we have to postpone, we will issue you with a gift certificate valid for 18 months, for twice what you have paid for. This way, you will get to come at a later time, and bring friends with you, on us. For more information on our terms of trade, click here. When you purchase tickets, you are agreeing to these terms
Starting from St Leonards, the original starting point of the North Shore Line, this tour reveals how the politics of envy in the 19th century meant that there were Steam trains going over the Blue Mountains to central NSW before people living on the North Shore, who were all presumed to have personal carriages, horses and servants, could catch one like everyone else in Sydney! It also reveals the toll of lives and hardships that the men and women of the 19th century had to face.
Leaving the railway, we enter what used to be the grounds of William Gore's farm, one of the first orchards and citrus farms in Sydney. A farm where the Provost Marshal, or head of military police under Governor Bligh lived in his home, Artarmon cottage, (named after the Gore family's ancestral home in Ardthelmon, in Ireland). The tragedy that befell him and his family as part of the Rum rebellion, scarred him and his family for life - and represent an untold side of the story of the Rum rebellion. We will also go into the gruesome details of daily convict life - and the chilling recent local discoveries, of convict era remains...
Moving from premises on Willoughby Road, Crows Nest in the late 19th Century, RNSH was deliberately built next to a cemetery..." for the purposes of good public health" ( not having to move dead bodies very far.) So if you see RNSH in the news - remember, expectations weren't set very high to start with!!!. Sydney Ghost Tours tell the stories of the turn of the late 19th to early 20th century buildings, and the often heroic efforts of staff and patients of yesteryear, some of whom current staff suspect and feel are still doing their rounds, over a century later.
On this Historic tour, we will travel back in time to the building of the North Shore Line, the harsh realities of life in William Gore’s Convict farm, the often blood curdling realities of 19th Century medicine, and the brutal truths of life and death, in Willoughby’s past – and the touching ways people dealt with it
Like all of our walking tours, this tour is a Historic Ghost tour.
We have to talk about what happened while people were still alive, so that what happened afterwards make sense . ( This won't be the dry, stuffy history as you remember from school. This stuff is gritty, real and fascinating!) . About 70% of what we talk about is taken from peoples letters, diaries and public records. 10% of the tour will be my own opinion and "connecting the dots" from years of dedicated research. The 20% Paranormal part of the tour is a completely "make your own mind up" exercise....!
We do not operate in dangerous weather such as heavy rain, or thunderstorms. Parts of this tour visits locations that a are prone to poor drainage, and lightning strikes. In the situation that we have to postpone, we will issue you with a gift certificate valid for 18 months, for twice what you have paid for. This way, you will get to come at a later time, and bring friends with you, on us. For more information on our terms of trade, click here. When you purchase tickets, you are agreeing to these terms
Starting from St Leonards, the original starting point of the North Shore Line, this tour reveals how the politics of envy in the 19th century meant that there were Steam trains going over the Blue Mountains to central NSW before people living on the North Shore, who were all presumed to have personal carriages, horses and servants, could catch one like everyone else in Sydney! It also reveals the toll of lives and hardships that the men and women of the 19th century had to face.
Leaving the railway, we enter what used to be the grounds of William Gore's farm, one of the first orchards and citrus farms in Sydney. A farm where the Provost Marshal, or head of military police under Governor Bligh lived in his home, Artarmon cottage, (named after the Gore family's ancestral home in Ardthelmon, in Ireland). The tragedy that befell him and his family as part of the Rum rebellion, scarred him and his family for life - and represent an untold side of the story of the Rum rebellion. We will also go into the gruesome details of daily convict life - and the chilling recent local discoveries, of convict era remains...
Moving from premises on Willoughby Road, Crows Nest in the late 19th Century, RNSH was deliberately built next to a cemetery..." for the purposes of good public health" ( not having to move dead bodies very far.) So if you see RNSH in the news - remember, expectations weren't set very high to start with!!!. Sydney Ghost Tours tell the stories of the turn of the late 19th to early 20th century buildings, and the often heroic efforts of staff and patients of yesteryear, some of whom current staff suspect and feel are still doing their rounds, over a century later.
Can you imagine a time when mixing with people of different religions or races in life was practically forbidden - let alone getting buried in the same place?
Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery, where a veritable "Who's Who" were buried alongside the humble, is the first general cemetery on the north shore of Sydney. Ringed by skyscrapers, this place is piece of the 19th century that is now surrounded by the 21st.
Sectarianism used to be a fact of life in Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a very loose rule of thumb, Anglicans tended to run things, Catholics often did the heavy lifting, both sides viewed each other with real and imagined gripes, and other faiths with suspicion, and all tended to discriminate in subtle and not so subtle ways against people of other faiths. As for how different races were treated - by 21st century standards, that was just plain appalling.
Prior to this cemetery being built- people from the different faiths were ONLY buried in a family plot on their property, or next to their church...Here, in an act of being very ecumenical for the time, Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans and other faiths are at least in the same graveyard - albeit in separate sections!
This cemetery is famous as the original burial ground of Australia's first Saint, Mother Mary McKillop - and you won't believe why she had to be moved!
Hidden amongst the family crypts and tombstones, are stories that would make a Sidney Sheldon novel look very tame.... and the spirits of those taken before their time, have reportedly made their presence felt....
We have a lot of fun and good belly laughs on Sydney Ghost Tours. Most people just come in comfortable, casual evening clothes. If you decide that you want to really make a night out of it, , and dress up as your favourite spooky figure, or as a doctor or nurse - knock yourself out. Just remember to bring something warm, an umbrella and some good walking shoes..
These special tours are being run on 21st April, 5th May and 19th May 2018 as part of the Willoughby Heritage Festival. The new registration time for this tour is 8.15 pm, and the tour starts at 8.30 pm AEDST sharp . Our tours depart on time.
If you would like come along, hit the blue "add to cart" button below! It will take you through to a menu that will allow you to choose the number of people you want to buy tickets for.
Once you have done this you will receive an email to confirm your time for your tour!
Willoughby Heritage Festival "Ghouls night out" Heritage tour 21st April 2018
A$
45.00
Willoughby Heritage Festival "Ghouls night out" Heritage tour Concession ticket 21st April
Proof of concession entitlement ( pensioner or concession card holders only) required
A$
35.00
Willoughby Heritage Festival "Ghouls Night Out" Heritage tour - 5th May
A$
45.00
Willoughby Heritage Festival "Ghouls night out" Heritage tour 5th May - Concession ticket
Proof of concession entitlement required ( Pensioner or concession card holders only).
A$
35.00
Willoughby Heritage Festival "Ghouls Night Out" Heritage tour 19th May
A$
45.00
Willoughby Heritage Festival "Ghouls Night Out" 19th May - Concession ticket
Proof of concession entitlement required ( Pensioner or concession card holders only).
A$
35.00