Gruesome Graveyards

Join us for Gruesome Graveyards - a torchlit evening tour that explores the strange, unsettling, and sometimes downright bizarre customs and stories surrounding death, burial, and what lies beneath.

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of South Brisbane Cemetery, this night-time walk offers a mix of fascinating graveyard lore drawn from historical records and broader burial traditions. While some tales are local, many stretch beyond Queensland, giving you a deeper look at how different times and places have dealt with life’s one certainty.

You’ll encounter:

• the unsettling truth behind reused coffins
• body decomposition: nature’s final and fascinating process
• Brisbane’s brief but deadly brush with the bubonic plague
• the grim reality of grave-robbing in the 19th century
• when justice once came with a drop and a rope.

Guided by passionate storytellers - including award-winning cemetery historian Tracey Olivieri - this tour is a safe and engaging way to experience the cemetery after dark while learning about death through a historical and cultural lens.

Bring a torch. Open your mind. And walk through the weird and wonderful world of Gruesome Graveyards.

All of our tours are not-for-profit, with all money raised going to our cemetery history and maintenance projects.

Bookings

Bookings required via the Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery website.

Venue address

South Brisbane Cemetery, 185 Annerley Road, Dutton Park