Toowong Cemetery Ghost Tour – The Other Side

Could Jack the Ripper be buried in Brisbane? This Toowong Cemetery walk takes you to a possible grave and lets you judge the story for yourself. That is the hook, but the tour also reaches hungry Chinese ghosts, a strange rise called Spook Hill, a creepy crypt, and the place linked to Governor Blackall’s bones.

I like the mix of local history and ghost lore, rather than a walk built only around jump scares. I also like the practical value: the $39.45 price includes a copy of Jack Sim’s book, Ghosts of Toowong Cemetery, worth $25, plus a donation to a heritage fund. The main drawback is the walking. You will tackle steep hills in the dark, and you must bring a torch and wear enclosed, flat-soled shoes.

Key points before you book

• Jack the Ripper’s possible grave: The tour visits a burial site tied to one of the walk’s most unusual mysteries.
• A different side of Toowong Cemetery: This route focuses on stories and places beyond the standard historic cemetery visit.
• A 2-hour, 15-minute evening walk: The advertised tour length gives you time for several stories, but you will be on your feet.
• Your own torch is required: A phone torch app is acceptable, though a proper small torch may be easier on uneven ground.
• A book is included: You receive Ghosts of Toowong Cemetery by Jack Sim, whose tours date back to 1998.
• Not suitable for young children: Children under 10 are not permitted, and anyone aged 15 or younger must stay with an adult.

Why the Jack the Ripper story gets the evening started

The most striking part of this tour is the claim that Jack the Ripper may have ended up in Toowong Cemetery. You are not handed a simple answer. Instead, the walk takes you to the possible grave and asks you to weigh the tale yourself.

That approach suits a cemetery tour. The setting gives the story a physical focus, while the lack of a neat conclusion leaves room for doubt. If you enjoy old mysteries, disputed identities, and stories that sit somewhere between fact and legend, this is likely to be the strongest part of the evening.

The story also gives the tour a wider reach than a standard Brisbane history walk. Toowong Cemetery is not treated only as a collection of graves. It becomes a place where local events, old beliefs, strange claims, and national folklore meet.

You should still keep your expectations in check. This is a guided historic ghost tour, not a promise of paranormal proof. The value comes from the storytelling, the setting, and the chance to consider the evidence behind each tale.

Following hungry ghosts and old burial customs

Another section focuses on hungry Chinese ghosts. This adds a different cultural thread to the walk and moves the evening beyond familiar British and Australian ghost stories.

The term refers to spirits connected with unmet needs and unfinished business. The tour uses that idea as part of its Toowong Cemetery stories, giving you a chance to hear how beliefs about death and remembrance can differ across cultures.

For me, this is an important part of the route because it adds context. A cemetery is not simply a spooky backdrop. It reflects the customs, fears, and hopes of the people buried there, as well as the communities that remember them.

The available details do not promise a performance or a supernatural demonstration at this stop. Expect a spoken story in a dark cemetery, with the guide explaining the tale as you walk. That makes the guide’s delivery matter. One guide, Andrew, is praised for bringing strong stories and encouraging people to learn more, while another guide was described as entertaining, helpful, and very good at involving the group.

Spook Hill gives the walk a strange physical twist

Spook Hill is one of the tour’s more curious stops. Even the name suggests a place where the ground itself becomes part of the story.

The experience does not provide a scientific explanation of the hill, so you should think of this as a local mystery and a point of curiosity rather than a confirmed supernatural event. Still, odd physical places work well on a night walk. You are not only listening to a story. You are standing in the location that gave the story its shape.

This is also where the physical side of the tour becomes clear. The walk includes steep hills, so Spook Hill may be more memorable if you arrive ready for uneven ground and a moderate amount of exertion. Flat, enclosed shoes are compulsory. Sandals, thongs, and high heels can lead to refusal at check-in, with no refund.

Bring a torch. Your phone’s torch app is allowed, but a separate torch keeps your hands free for balance and makes it easier to follow the group. The cemetery will be dark, and the operator does not provide one.

A crypt, Governor Blackall, and the cemetery’s darker corners

The route also reaches a creepy crypt and the place associated with the bones of Governor Blackall. These stops give the tour a stronger historical base.

A crypt offers atmosphere by its very nature. It is a built space connected with death, burial, and memory, and it feels different from an open graveyard. The tour uses that contrast to shift between physical evidence and the stories attached to it.

The Governor Blackall section adds a named historical figure to the evening. Rather than treating the cemetery as a collection of anonymous resting places, the walk points you toward a specific person and a specific story about where his remains lie.

You should expect the stops to be presented as part of one continuous guided walk, not as separate attractions with long breaks. The only listed stop is Toowong Cemetery, and the tour returns to the meeting point at the end.

That format is useful because you do not need to arrange transport between sites. It also means the experience depends heavily on pacing. The strongest guide will keep the group moving while allowing enough time for questions and atmosphere.

The guide makes or breaks a ghost walk

A ghost tour lives or dies by its guide. The stories need clear facts, a good sense of timing, and enough restraint to avoid sounding like a stage routine.

The best feedback points to guides who are entertaining, helpful, informed, and willing to involve the group. One person described the walk as a fun and informative experience with a lovely guide, while another praised the host’s storytelling and the interactive parts of the evening.

That interaction matters. Being invited to consider a claim or take part in a moment at one of the sites can make a cemetery story feel more immediate. It also gives you something to do besides walk and listen.

There is a less positive side. Some people found the delivery too theatrical, with a put-on voice that distracted from the material. That reaction is worth considering if you prefer calm historical interpretation over dramatic ghost-tour performance.

The company behind the tour was founded in 1998 by haunted historian Jack Sim, author of Ghosts of Toowong Cemetery. The included book gives you a way to read more about the stories after the walk, and it may help separate documented history from local legend.

Meeting at 7:30 pm in Richer Street

The tour begins at 7:30 pm at 26 Richer Street, Toowong, and finishes at the same meeting point. It is near public transport, but you are responsible for getting there and returning afterward.

Give yourself extra time to find the exact start point. One person had trouble locating the meeting area, and another described confusion involving a guide waiting outside in dark clothing near a tree. Since the tour begins after sunset, a clear meeting plan matters.

Check your booking details before leaving and arrive early enough to look for the group without rushing. The meeting point is in a side street, and the surroundings may not be brightly marked.

The group can include up to 26 people. That is large enough to create a social evening but small enough for a guide to speak to the group while walking. At busy points, you may need to stay close so you do not miss the story.

How hard is the walking?

The tour lasts about two hours and 15 minutes, although the cemetery itinerary is described as roughly two hours. Either way, plan to be outside and on your feet for the full evening.

A moderate fitness level is recommended. The steep hills are the main issue, not the total distance alone. If you have difficulty walking uphill or moving over uneven ground in low light, this may not be a comfortable choice.

Wear flat-soled enclosed shoes. This is more than a suggestion. The operator can decline entry to anyone wearing thongs, sandals, or high heels, and there is no refund in that situation.

The tour is also unsuitable for children under 10. Children aged 15 and younger must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Service animals are allowed.

Is $39.45 good value?

At $39.45 per person, the price is reasonable if you want a guided evening activity with a strong local focus. The experience lasts around two hours, and the ticket includes GST, a donation to the Ghost Tours’ Haunted Heritage Fund, and Jack Sim’s book, which has a stated retail price of $25.

That book changes the value calculation. You are not paying only for a walk and a performance. You leave with a reference to the cemetery’s stories, which is useful if you like to follow up on the history after your visit.

The price does not include transport or a torch. Most people can solve the torch issue with a phone, but you still need to budget for getting to Toowong and back.

The current rating is 4 out of 5 from 26 ratings. The praise centers on the guides’ storytelling, the historical material, and the interactive style. The weaker comments focus on finding the meeting point, a guide’s manner at the cemetery entrance, and an overly theatrical speaking style.

That mix suggests a tour with good material but some variation in how the evening feels. If you enjoy dramatic ghost stories, the performance may work in your favor. If you prefer a quiet, measured history walk, you may find parts of it too acted.

Who will enjoy The Other Side?

I would choose this tour if you want an unusual Brisbane evening that combines history with folklore. It suits adults, older children aged 10 and over, couples, friends, and visitors who enjoy hearing a local story in the place where it is set.

It is especially useful for anyone who has already seen Brisbane’s main sights and wants something different after dark. The Jack the Ripper connection, hungry Chinese ghosts, Spook Hill, the crypt, and Governor Blackall give the walk several distinct themes.

You should skip it if you dislike hills, darkness, theatrical narration, or stories that do not end with a firm answer. It is also a poor choice if you arrive in open footwear or forget a torch.

The tour requires all attendees to be fully vaccinated unless they have a valid exemption or are under 16, based on the stated conditions. Proof must be shown at check-in, and refusal on that ground does not qualify for a refund.

Weather and cancellation details

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you can choose another date or receive a full refund.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the tour are not accepted for a refund.

The tour also requires a minimum number of participants. If that minimum is not reached, the operator will offer another date or experience, or provide a full refund.

Should you book The Other Side?

Book it if you want a compact, story-led night walk with real historical names, local legends, and a book included in the price. The possible Jack the Ripper grave is a strong hook, but the wider mix of Chinese ghost lore, Spook Hill, the crypt, and Governor Blackall gives the evening more substance.

I would be careful about two things: find Richer Street before 7:30 pm, and bring a torch with proper enclosed shoes. If you can manage the hills and enjoy a guide who may use a dramatic voice, $39.45 is fair value. If you want a quiet, purely factual cemetery tour, choose another Brisbane history experience.

FAQ

Where does the Toowong Cemetery Ghost Tour begin?

The tour begins at 26 Richer Street, Toowong, Queensland 4066, Australia.

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 7:30 pm.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours and 15 minutes. The cemetery walking portion is described as about two hours.

Does the tour return to the starting point?

Yes. The activity ends back at the meeting point.

What does the tour cost?

The listed price is $39.45 per person.

Is a torch provided?

No. Each person must bring a torch. A torch app on a smartphone is suitable.

What should I wear?

You must wear flat-soled, enclosed shoes. Thongs, sandals, and high heels are not accepted.

Can children join the tour?

Children under 10 are not permitted. Children aged 15 or younger must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.

What is included in the ticket?

The ticket includes GST, a donation to the Ghost Tours’ Haunted Heritage Fund, and a copy of Ghosts of Toowong Cemetery by Jack Sim.