Fancy a 'ghost tour' for Halloween? Old ports in colonial cities retain the ghoulish and sinister stories of times past and the Port of Adelaide is no exception, according to a new study by Flinders University experts.
The port's dark and volatile early history, along with some fresh insights into the area's less maligned and celebrated early residents, can form a valuable addition to the ongoing revival in the old port once dubbed 'Port Misery', according to a new article published in the international journal of 'tourism space, place and environment', Tourism Geographies.
Researchers assessed the 'Ghosts of Port Adelaide' self-guided walking tour, starting in the empty, sometimes eerie streets of Port Adelaide at dusk and covered the harbour-side, hospitality locations to the dingy, industrial back streets where ghostly, spectral imaginings can help to fill the space.
Dr Gerti Szili, Flinders University Senior Lecturer in Geography, says reviving the Port's rich history spanning more than 180 years is part of the long-term plan to revitalise the picturesque part of Adelaide.
"Unlike some dark tourism attractions such as dungeons, prisons and cemeteries, ghost walks do not restrict movement and can cover large areas of a town or city, and offer a wider range of experiences," she says.
"Through stories and myths that are interwoven with historical fact, ghost walks can 'impart and enliven' places and provide visitors with a greater sense of meaning and understanding.
"As well, ghost walks can offer a less problematic way of dealing with tragic histories through an emphasis on entertainment."
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council included 13 different sites in its 'Ghosts of the Port' self-guided walking tour. Launched in 2016, it aimed to share stories to entertain and 'contribute to the rich fabric of [the] community' and 'evoke the history and mystery of the Port'.
With Halloween on the way, human geographers Dr Szili and Flinders University senior lecturer colleague Dr Gareth Butler joined visiting European 'dark tourism' expert Dr Bailey Ashton Adie on the guided and self-guided tour in 2022.
Among their other suggestions were:
- Historical tours may create a stronger sense of community, as residents and visitors reconcile the past with the present.
- Acknowledging and 'softening' harsh history with enlightening narratives gives local and State governments opportunities for renewal and regeneration.
"Port Adelaide may be haunted by its dark colonial history and repeated failings to regenerate, but making its harsh history more palatable can be helpful both to the casual observer and current residents," says Dr Butler.
"Government-endorsed ghost tour narratives may in fact exorcise some of this dark colonial history from the Port and positively inform goals to develop the area as a progressive and innovative post-Misery place," he says.
Download the council's ghost walk booklet
