Did you know that you can go on a tour of one of the most haunted places in Sydney, which can be found at the Q Station in North Head, near Manly?
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, their famous ghost tours will entertain you as you walk the site and discover intriguing stories about the place’s history.
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The infamous Gravedigger’s Cottage, one of the key locations on the ghost tour, is a small cottage that has also been known as the Boatman’s Hut and the Cookhouse. It is thought to have been built for staff on the edge of the 3rd Class Precinct at Q Station and was dubbed as one of the earliest surviving structures of the old quarantine station.
Gravedigger’s Cottage (Photo credit: Quarantine Station Ghost Tours/Facebook)
The bathroom at Gravedigger’s Cottage has been argued as ‘Sydney’s most haunted bathroom.’ Ghost hunters, who attempted to communicate with the dead through a device called the spirit box, revealed there was a female presence in that certain room of Q Station. That female entity has been described as ‘weeping and sitting crouched in the bathtub.’
Besides the female ghost allegedly seen in the bathroom, another apparition, which was described as a man in a wide-brimmed hat and black cloak, is also often seen in the kitchen of the Gravedigger’s Cottage.
Q Station’s notorious shower block (Photo credit: Quarantine Station Ghost Tours/Facebook)
However, the most haunted part of the complex is not the bathroom or the kitchen, but the shower block. Back in the day, those who were sick reportedly took a shower containing 10 percent of carbonic acid to kill fleas and ticks in seconds. However, it took off a layer of their skin.
Bill Pelican, one of the previous visitors at Q Station, shared that although his group did not experience anything paranormal, there was definitely a very creepy vibe throughout their tour and stay at the Q station.
“There were several times that I wanted to leave certain locations due to the creepiness, but being in a group there is strength in numbers, so you do feel emboldened,” he shared.
Melinda Minns, a guide for the Q Station ghost tour, can attest to how many people experienced the same feeling during their tour. Because the energy in the rooms was so strong, people would just walk in there and know immediately that something bad has happened there.
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About the Quarantine Station
Photo credit: Q Station
The complex, also known as the North Head Quarantine Station, operated as a quarantine station from 1832 to 1984. During this period, migrant ships arriving in Sydney with suspected contagious disease stopped inside North Head and offloaded passengers and crew into quarantine to protect local residents. All travelers, even the healthy ones, needed to undergo quarantine for 40 days before being cleared to enter Sydney.
There were over 13,000 individuals, including convicts and free migrants to NSW and many Sydney residents, who were isolated at the complex whilst an estimated 572 have died and are buried there.
Photo credit: Q Station
When the maritime quarantine facility closed in 1984, the ownership of the Quarantine Station was transferred from the Commonwealth to the State Government and it was reserved as part of Sydney Harbour National Park.
Today, the former quarantine station remains part of the Sydney Harbour National Park and home to Q Station, which is made up of a hotel, conference centre, and restaurant complex.
