EXPOSED: The Ghost Train Fire on ABC: The Story Behind the Fire at Luna Park
Documentary series in three episodes about the tragic fire in Sydney in 1979 that claimed the lives of seven people
Quick Facts
What is the series about?
EXPOSED: The Ghost Train Fire is an Australian documentary series produced by ABC TV that sheds new light on one of the most tragic and mysterious events in Sydney's history. The series follows award-winning investigative journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna as she reviews the case files and interviews witnesses who have never been heard before. The focus is on the fateful night in June 1979 when a fire at the Ghost Train attraction in the iconic Luna Park claimed the lives of seven people. The series is not just a recounting of the event but a systematic deconstruction of the official explanation, which for decades has been that it was a tragic accident.
The real case
The real case of the fire at Luna Park took place on June 9, 1979. Seven people, including six children and a father, lost their lives as flames quickly engulfed the Ghost Train building. The deceased were John Godson and his two sons, Damien and Craig, along with four schoolmates: Jonathan Billings, Richard Carroll, Michael Johnson, and Seamus Rahilly. Although the initial police investigation concluded that the fire was due to an electrical fault or a discarded cigarette, rumors of something more sinister have always circulated. The Luna Park fire has for years been the subject of speculation regarding involvement from organized crime in Sydney, specifically aimed at property development and control over the park's lucrative harbor location.
In EXPOSED, evidence is presented that the investigation was inadequate and that key witness testimonies were ignored. The documentary reveals connections to the notorious criminal figure Abe Saffron and raises the question of whether the fire was deliberately set to force the owners of Luna Park out. Through reconstructions and technical analyses, the series suggests that the fire started in multiple locations simultaneously, which directly contradicts the theory of an accident.
