On June 9, 1979 in the theme park Luna Park in Sydney, Australia, a fire broke out inside a popular dark ride with devastating consequences. This mysterious fire has been a topic of conversation for decades, but the cause of the blaze still remains unknown.
Luna Park Sydney has been captivating visitors since 1935. Its location on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour made it a popular tourist destination, particularly during and in the years following World War II. The Ghost Train was one of Luna Park’s oldest attractions and was a dark ride set to follow along 180 meters of electric track. Guests would pass various show scenes with spooky and fun characters, quite similar to Disney’s Haunted Mansion.
CSIRO via Wikimedia Commons
On the day of the fire, the Godson family, Jenny and John and their two sons Craig and Damien had enjoyed a day of fun at the zoo and decided to finish out the evening at Luna Park. When the family was down to their last four tickets, they decided to board the Ghost Train. Before getting on, Jenny had a sudden craving for ice cream and after getting her cone, she realized the rest of her family had gone to the ride without her. As she later divulged, she very rarely had a taste for ice cream and felt that fate had intervened in her life that night. This seemingly innocent chain of events would prove to save Jenny’s life.
Twelve year old Jason Holman and four of his friends were the last group into the Ghost Train that night. Holman recalls his friends’ ride vehicle ahead of his pushing through the partition doors and disappearing into the darkness. Before his vehicle could follow, he was abruptly pulled from the car by a panicked employee.
Before long, smoke was streaming from the Ghost Train attraction. Holman waited for his friends’ return, but as more passengers escaped the inferno the heat only intensified. Then, ride vehicles emerged from the inside of the ride, empty and on fire. During the blaze, passengers fled their vehicles in an attempt to locate the exit. In the dark, smoke-filled attraction, those fleeing must have stumbled around in almost blinding conditions.
Thirty five people were believed to be inside the attraction at the time of the fire’s start. Between low water pressure, understaffing, and inadequate coverage of the park’s fire hose system, the ride was completely consumed by flames.
Tragically, after the fire was brought under control and damages could be tallied, the bodies of all four of Holman’s friends as well as John, Craig, and Damien Godson were discovered, bringing the final death count to seven.
Luna Park shut down following the incident and an investigation was launched into the cause of the fire and who was accountable for the tragic loss of life. It was discovered Luna Park had neglected to add proper fire suppression safety measures following the recommendation of the local fire department eighteen months prior. Sprinklers were not installed in the attraction, offering little to slow the spread of the flames. Despite this, Luna Park was not charged for criminal negligence.
The cause of the fire was disputed, considered at time to be due to an electrical malfunction or discarded flammable litter and the fire was branded as a horrific and tragic accident… but was it?
Bizarrely, following the incident, several witnesses came forward to express concerns of a potential arson attack. Witnesses reported a motorcycle gang discussing “kerosine and matches” outside the ride the day of the incident, but the accounts were not taken seriously by police.In April 2021, a documentary titled Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire was released, returning the incident to the forefront of the public’s mind and discussing more of the mysterious aspects of the blaze that fateful day. It was met with renewed public interest in the case. In response to the outcry, a new review of the evidence is in the works. As of late 2024, the review was completed and a new report was made to be considered to open a second coroner’s inquest into the historic unsolved fire. As of November 2024, no further developments have been made available to the public.
Luna Park continues to operate years later, welcoming guests far and wide. The site of the Ghost Train was leveled and replaced in 2003 with a multipurpose entertainment venue called The Big Top. A memorial plaque on one of the venue’s external walls lists the names of those lost on that tragic day.
