Not only is Canberra the home of Australian politics but it is also the most haunted city in the country. CD is on a mission to uncover the truth about paranormal activity in our fine capital city, starting with a ghost tour that is about to live another life as a live show.

Huddling around the Kingston meet-point, we meet our guide for the night, Sarah Stewart, who some might know for her comedic work. Along with a love of laughing and a knack for storytelling, Sarah also has a deep passion for history and leaned more into this during the pandemic lockdowns.

“I ended up with various members of the family living with us and we were all bored. I thought what could we do to entertain ourselves? One thing we do love doing as a family is ghost tours, so I thought I’ll just make up a ghost tour and we’ll wander around the local environment.”

The tour was a hit, especially with her daughter who encouraged Sarah to take it more seriously. Heeding her daughter’s advice, Sarah dove into researching the history of Kingston and Queanbeyan more and while the region might not be very old in the scheme of things, it does have some great stories.

“Some of them are quite fascinating and some of them are terribly tragic. We’ve got some tragic accidents, particularly on the lake and true crime around this area. None of this I knew until I started doing my research,” says Sarah.

Next was a trial with friends and it was again a hit, Sarah says it has all grown from there. Since opening to the public, people have been interested in the concept. She says they love ghost stories, the unexplained and true crime. It is also a way of keeping the history of the area alive, Sarah says some stories get lost to developments.

The tour takes us through the foreshore and down towards the railway line, along the way we hear stories of untimely deaths and families being torn apart by tragedies. Close to the train station, we hear about a young boy who lost his life, another who lost his leg and the spirit of a woman that has been seen in the area.

“I had a couple of mediums come with and they had some interesting perspectives to give,” Sarah says. “It’s lovely for me to share with people that Canberra isn’t boring.”

Sarah is unsure whether the physical tours will continue, as her comedy performances are being picked up around the country and she still works full-time in healthcare. Approaching retirement, Sarah says a packed schedule is part of her plan.

“One of the things you can do to stop getting dementia is to keep active and keep your mind busy, so it is my strategy to stop me getting dementia; too busy to be thinking about getting sick and things like that.”

Like the ghosts and ghouls that inspire it, the tour will live on in another form as a non-traditional theatre experience titled Tales From the Other Side. Inspired by a storytelling performance with tarot cards, Sarah applied for the Q the Locals program, where an artist is guided through the process of creating a show by the creative minds at The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre.

“I’ve got about five development shows like trial runs, where I’ll be doing slightly different things, testing out methodologies and props. The goal is to reach the point where the last show is the proper show, which I think is going on around the middle of November.”

The first workshops were received well, calming Sarah’s fear that they wouldn’t get participants or people would be too afraid to speak. Instead, people couldn’t wait to share their own experiences and tales.

“There’s a lot of interest, there’s obviously a lot of people out there with some really interesting stories,” she says.

From the railway, we walk to the Causeway (ACT Hub) where we learn more tragic tales and how the socioeconomics of the area kept them behind during developments. There is said to be a force lurking around the old Causeway – theatre lovers, can check this one out for themselves and see if they feel a sudden chill when heading towards the toilet area.

It isn’t just stories of the area Sarah shares; she tells her own, including a supernatural interference that potentially saved her life as a young child. Attendees are invited to share their tales, though there isn’t too much time for elaboration on some as there are stops to be made.

Somewhere between a Victorian séance and sharing scary stories around a campfire, Tales From the Other Side allows Sarah to give more depth to the tales. Her own, those found during research and first-hand accounts that have been shared with her will be retold to an audience that is encouraged to give back.

“I feel since Covid, there seems to be more interest in storytelling, people are wanting that human interaction more,” says Sarah. “Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, it is still lovely to hear a story. That’s what I love about this – it’s not about whether you believe in ghosts or not, it is just about coming along and sharing stories and listening.”

Nearing the end of the tour, we walk through a long seemingly deserted road to Newcastle House near the entrance of the Jerrabomberra Wetlands. As we approach the building at the end of the dark street, the temperature drops and a chemical scent fills the air. If there was a spot on the tour you are going to feel a supernatural presence, Newcastle House is it, and Sarah shares her own unsettling experience that followed her home after visiting the building.

Not trying to convert people to believers of ghosts or true crime aficionados, there is no real agenda other than an entertaining night of storytelling. A skillful storyteller, Sarah hopes people will leave her upcoming production feeling as though they have spent an hour or so being part of something.

“I want them to feel like their heart is warm and their glass is full because they participated. I don’t necessarily mean they have to talk themselves, but I want them to feel like they’ve made a connection of some kind.”

Still working on setting the scene through music, props and stage pieces, Sarah believes ultimately what matters is the depth of the stories that will be told.

“The power of the human imagination is it doesn’t matter where you are; if the stories are good and the teller is engaging, your imagination takes you to wherever the storyteller is leading you,” she smiles.

Keep an eye out for Tales From the Other Side at The Q- Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre; theq.net.au

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