Haunting and Tragedy of the Luna Parks

Unique in the history of Australia’s culture, the Luna Parks blend the elements of enjoyment with mystery, tragedy, and folklore. There are two prominent locations, Luna Park Sydney and Luna Park Melbourne, now hot spots for paranormal activity in Australia. They were also built as the largest in Australia, which makes them similar to Coney Island in New York. The most infamous event tied to these parks is the tragedy, which claimed seven lives and gave birth to theories of conspiracy, supernatural phenomena, and arson, with no crimes ever perpetrated. We must now look deep into the tragedy to know its actual cause, which is said to be a Ghost Train Fire in 1979. The many pieces of history and conspiracy theories entwined inside the pre-fire photograph came from the fire and strong leads disappearing with time, which later gave rise to the Organized Crime and Moloch theories.

Sydney’s Luna Park is located at Milsons Point and was opened on October 24, 1935, near Sydney Harbor. Luna Park in Melbourne had already opened in St. Kilda, Victoria, in 1912 and inspired the opening of Luna Park in Sydney. The park features stunning rides, colorful facades, and a signature grinning entrance face. Both Australian parks adopted the name Luna, which means moon and evokes a sense of joy, like their American ancestors.

The connection to Coney Island’s Luna Park is more than its name suggests. The American park, built by Frederic Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy, was the first amusement park in America and the world with its stunning electric lights, rides, and carnival-like atmosphere. This inspired Australian entrepreneurs, including Herman Phillips and the Phillips brothers, who established Luna Park Melbourne, to adjust their business models based on their otherworldly travels. They exported a shared ethos of architecture, spectacle, escapism, and performance. Mr. Moon Face and other whimsical characters welcome guests at the entrance, and along with a midway and roller coaster, David Atkins and Ted Hopkins later integrated this vision into Luna Park Sydney.

This shared heritage is often cited for all three parks’ paranormal claims and activity. Coney Island’s Luna Park is known for shadowy figures, disembodied voices, flickering lights, and other chilling, unexplained occurrences. Since the park is filled with joy and occasional tragedy, some believe it is due to supernatural phenomena. The name “Luna,” paired with the moon’s mystical associations or the parks’ roles as emotional amplifiers or spaces of intense human experience, only invites these assumptions. Both Australian parks have earned ghostly reputations, especially with Luna Park Sydney amplified by the infamous Ghost Train Fire.

The Ghost Train Fire is the most tragic event ever at Luna Park, Sydney. On June 9, 1979, a fire erupted inside the park’s Ghost Train ride, which was an attraction that featured scary animatronics and other effects. While this terrible event was happening, families were at the park enjoying everything it had to offer. The Ghost Train was also working without any issues. Later on, some witnesses claimed they saw groups of young men hanging around the ride, and some even claimed to smell kerosene, which is what ignited the later allegations of arson. 

At roughly 10:15 PM, guests onboard the ride saw flames starting to consume the wooden structure. The Train became wild within minutes because of all the flammable materials, such as paint and decorations. While the riders were on the Train, staff and bystanders tried to help them, but the intense fire made it impossible. Smoke started filling the tunnel, making breathing hard and most of the staff and bystanders helpless. The excessive damage was already done by the time the firefighters showed up. Seven people, six of them children, along with one adult, died while the ride was turned into ashes. The park will forever have a scar after this tragic event.

The people who lost their lives were John Godson, 29, and six boys from two families: Damian and Craig Godson (both sons of John, aged 6 years and 4 years, respectively) and Jonathan Billings, Richard Carroll, Michael Johnson, and Seamus Rahilly (all aged 12 – 13) who were schoolmates on a field trip. The news of their death was hugely shocking for their families and the local community, which resulted in tragedy. An electrical fault caused the fire, but this theory was heavily disputed, resulting in a coronial inquest. Many suspected the circumstances that led to this event were very suspicious. Kerosene was found in the area, and multiple eyewitnesses claimed to have seen shady and strange people hanging around before the fire. Many people in the general public felt inconsistencies within the investigation, which fueled the assumption of dark intentions behind the ordeal.

In 1982, along with the new management for Luna Park Sydney, it also brought some new policies under which it had to be closed for a while, but it brought it back with new security requirements. Other attractions replaced the Ghost train. The Wild Mouse roller coaster and Big Top were two notable attractions. Although the great tragedy stood as a reminder and formed many conspiracy theories, the park was said to house many paranormal activities.

A photograph taken hours before the blaze compounds the fire’s mystique. The image depicts one of the victims, thought to be John Godson, with his children alongside a person with a mask that had horns. The photo, which was developed after the fire and, was regarded as unsettling by the public, especially in conjunction with its timing. Some people remember seeing a person resembling the stranger in the photo near the Ghost Train, but he disappeared shortly after the incident. 

This photograph spawned the Moloch Theory, which claims that the fire was part of a ritualistic sacrifice meant to worship the ancient Canaanite deity Moloch, known for fire and child sacrifices. Supporters argue that the horned figure was a cultist whose intention was to set the town on fire while using the victims as a sacrificial offering. The theory, however, lacks solid proof and has been dismissed by many as a folk story. Still, the emergence of the theory from the occult imagery of the photo and the deadly impact on children makes its followers link the tragedy to a more sinister supernatural intent.

Another prominent theory points towards the Australian mafia. Sydney was filled with corruption in organized crime during the 1970s, which made the beautiful harbor side of Luna Park a centerpiece for development schemes. Abe Saffron, also known as Mr. Sin, a well-known crime boss, allegedly burned down the park to close it off and make it easier for him to rent out the development site. Suspicious persons reported close to Saffron’s networks were spotted near the Ghost Train, and many suspected that Mr. Sin was the mastermind behind the destruction of the Ghost Train.

In 2021, the ABC channel released a documentary, Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire, which renewed this theory by providing evidence from former police officers and park employees who thought Saffron was guilty. A police report that is said to be confidential, dated from 2024, and was given to the families of the victims allegedly backs the arson theory. However, there is no concrete evidence that connects Saffron. Although there continues to be an absence of evidence, it remains an enticing story connecting the fire to Sydney’s criminal world. 

Luna Park Sydney has reported numerous paranormal activities since the Ghost Train Fire. These reports concern The Big Top, a large indoor venue, and the Magnificent Merry-Go-Round, which replaced the ill-fated Big Dipper. These carnival rides have become popular places for viewers to report ghoulish sightings such as sudden temperature drops, laughter from unknown sources, and shadowy figures racing around. Staff reports that the remaining carnival rides, the Wild Mouse roller coaster, and the Dark Mousy Race, have also attracted spectors of their own. 

This connection with Coney Island’s Luna Park deepens the paranormal story. Visitors to both parks report seeing apparitional figures and other eerie phenomena, which suggests there is more to these parks than just their design. At Melbourne’s Luna Park, ghost sightings—especially around the Scenic Railway and carousel—strengthen the case that the “Luna” title is of supernatural significance. 

The legends of Luna Park Sydney and Luna Park Melbourne bear stunningly rich accounts of recurring ghostly figures strikingly different in looks and behaviors. Here, we document these spirits along with their reports, the locations they are believed to haunt, and the people who have encountered them. 

Mr. Moon is inspired by the park’s signature grinning entrance face. He is an immensely tall and pale character with an overly broad smile and sunken eyes. Encounters usually happen around the main gates of Luna Park Sydney or the midway that funnels into the park – especially around sunset and after the park closes. Those who have seen him describe feeling an abrupt chill, then hearing a deep laugh that seems to come from everywhere, and in some cases, they see him fading away while inviting them with a bony hand. Staff cleaning the entrance towers felt a watching presence and sometimes heard “welcome” when no one was around, and the doors were locked.

This spirit appears to be a man in a faded 1930s-era uniform, cap included, with a fainted jacket as if on a phantom pilot’s mantle, guiding engines with the grace and precision of a seasoned surgeon. Most of the sightings are near the Wild Mouse or Big Top, two regions erected over the remnants of the Ghost Train. When the visitors encounter it, a certain omnipresent calmness precedes creaking sounds from machinery or what seems like a distant whistle. Modern-day operators of rides have noted watching him shift knobs on modern gear, only for him to disappear before they get close. A single worker reported that their radio popped and fizzed like static before switching to a repeating “all aboard” from a voice that wasn’t theirs. 

The ghostly joker clad in a harlequin costume, the chaos with a painted smile and delights in wrought mayhem, amplifying bewilderment through high-pitched audio in the heart of Sydney. These Jokester encounters are frequent near the midway games or gallivant over the rotor ride, often causing misplaced prizes, sudden amps, jolts, or balls that roll uphill through magic. Mirrors become portals where visitors recount seeing a face painted with laughter in a behind-whistled tug on their clothes. A specific family detailed their child’s balloon transforming mid-air into a sickening shape before popping silently.

A little girl at the carousel has been sighted in Melbourne and Sydney. She is a small figure wearing what appears to be a vintage white dress, albeit with faded lace. This incorporeal girl looks miserable, her eyes filled with sorrow and gazing into the distance at the horses on the carousel. She is most frequently spotted around the old carousel in Melbourne, where she watches it from one place as it revolves. In Sydney, she can be spotted near the fair’s perimeter, not far from the location of the defunct Ghost Train. Her appearance always starts with a gentle, almost child-like humming, sometimes resembling a lullaby, followed by her looking at you. Those who try to initiate a conversation with her feel disoriented and overwhelmed by sadness, and she disappears when chased, leaving only a delicate hint of lavender fragrance. 

The Fog Entity (Sydney) is an indistinct cloud-like being that is the ghostly apparition of smoke. This entity appears to wander the quieter sections of the park, particularly around the Big Top and the harborside walkways. Foggy encounters are debilitating: the air becomes thick, sounds become muted, and the already limited view worsens as the mist begins to blanket everything. Some people have said they can sense vague, tormented faces forming within the fog, while others only hear muffled crying or faint coughing. Staff members closing up for the night said that it appeared to come closer toward them only to vanish when they moved, leaving an unbearable chill.

The auditory and sensory manifestation of The Phantom Training (Sydney) is less visible than the figure itself; the rattling tracks, the screeching brakes, and the distant screams that come alive from the Ghost Train are the Phantom Train. Encounters are most common late at night or when fog is present. The Wild Mouse and Big Top are the spots where most activity occurs. Visitors claim that a smell of burning wood fills the air as they suddenly feel a vibration underneath them, as if a train is passing. A particular group reported their flashlight flickered in unison with the fading screams as they escaped.

A weeping woman with a soft cry who appears to be a grieving mother of one of the victims of the fire is seen pacing near the Big Top or looking out over Sydney Harbour. Sorrowful memories beckon: Some witnesses report feeling tears brimming in their eyes. Sometimes, she appears in the harbor, but no figure above accompanies her reflection. Her presence is most frequently felt at the water’s edges. One witness described her drifting upward while whispering a name, “Damien.” 

The Operator is clustered around the maintenance sheds beside the Wild Mouse or along the overgrown paths towards the back of the park. Sightings group around the park’s maintenance sheds, the Wild Mouse, or the neglected trails towards the rear of the park. This male figure, who was previously reported, appears to be a hard-working keeper reluctant to leave his station at Luna Park Sydney. For those who cite encounters, there first are the sounds of tools clattering or shoes walking back and forth; then he materializes—mainly in a crouched position as if in the process of fixing something. Staff members who attended the ride have seen him peacefully nodding, only to evaporate from view. In contrast, as he was adjusting a ride, one mechanic felt a stout hand on his shoulder and, upon looking around, saw no one.

A ghostly man is seen standing some distance from the carousel with arms folded behind his back; he is a tall, mysterious figure unique to Luna Park Melbourne, said to appear directly next to the ride or within the garden’s vicinity after sunset. Visitors have mentioned feeling his eyes piercing through their bodies, but the most peculiar part of his presence is how he renders everything mute – the birds, laughter, and music replaced with a low drone. According to some witnesses, birds or cold air are left in his wake as he slightly lifts his hat before stepping into the shadows. 

There’s a reason why the Scenic Railway in Melbourne has a reputation for being haunted – a group of unidentified vague figures, assumed to be past intrepid riders, have been spotted at the climax of the ride. Riders have described seeing vintage-clad, translucent forms cheerfully waving or giggling through the mist and fog as the coaster whirls past. Many riders experienced what seemed to be additional weight in their carriage or overheard excited voices that were cut short by the temperature getting colder. Upon the descent, one group noticed faint faces in their ride photo.

The parks are said to be haunted by ghostly child-sized figures, which could be the young victims of the fire in Sydney or other lost souls in Melbourne; they can be seen frolicking through the crowds, laughing, and shouting out names. In older attractions, disembodied voices are heard reciting operator commands followed by screams for help, and handprints mystifyingly appear on fogged mirrors only to disappear under closer examination. 

As unprecedented as it may sound, the Luna Parks of Australia are not just amusement centers but also representations of history, tragedy, and the bizarre. The amusement parks are filled with spirits, ruled over by Mr. Moons’ chilling laughter, which fills these parks with joy, sorrow, and sadness whenever visited, stunning people while captivating them simultaneously.