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EmailABC News reports that grave concern has been raised over council-approved "paranormal investigation" tours at Ipswich General Cemetery, west of Brisbane. Two historians say visitors being charged up to $70 each to participate in a "ghost tour" to explore allegedly haunted sites, "armed with devices custom made for ghost hunting", is disrespectful.
According to the ABC, Chris Dawson, a professional historian for 20 years, said paranormal investigations had no place on cemetery tours.
"These are places of history, love, memory and not for this kind of tawdry commercial exercise," Mr Dawson said.
He is petitioning the council to "stop the desecration" of the cemetery, after a paranormal investigation was held there last Saturday night.
An Ipswich City Council spokesperson confirmed Ghost Tours Australia had a permit to operate the "historic ghost tour", including a "1.5-hour paranormal investigation feature".
"The applicant has, to date, operated within the terms and conditions of the permit, which was approved by council," a spokesperson for the council said.
Key points:
- Historians are demanding the Ipswich council ban ghost hunting at its cemeteries, like the Brisbane council has
- Tour operator Jack Sim says some might find the paranormal investigations disrespectful but he has never received complaints from the public
- The Ipswich City Council says it has approved another paranormal investigation tour scheduled in November
