Sydney true crime books and walking tours
The dark history of Sydney's Inner West
Sydney True Crime, Dark History Books & Walking Tours
Discover the dark history of Sydney's Inner West with local history buff and author Heather Jones. Dark Tales explores true crime, murders, mysteries, lost places and colourful characters from Newtown, Enmore, Glebe, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Petersham, Haberfield, Callan Park, Balmain, Annandale, Rozelle and beyond through books, walking tours, talks and podcasts.
SYDNEY HISTORY BOOKS
My first book Dark Tales of Lost Leichhardt was written to reignite interest in the formerly bustling suburb of Leichhardt, Sydney. It covers 100 years, from the disappearance of Ludwig Leichhardt in 1848 to the mid-1950s. The book includes tales such as the female highway robber on Parramatta Road, the cunning larrikin gangs of Norton Street and the truth that lies buried beneath Pioneers Memorial Park. For younger readers, there is an informative, history-based version -the Younger Person's Edition.
On The Edge: More Dark Tales of Sydney's Inner West maps the dark tales and historical true crime events from suburbs that share a border with Leichhardt - Annandale, Balmain, Haberfield, Lilyfield, Petersham and Rozelle. You can buy the whole book, or the Annandale and Balmain and Rozelle-focused editions. Find out about Balmain's coal mine catastrophe, the Basher Gangs of Rozelle, the underbelly of Annandale and the role of Petersham in the Pyjama Girl Murder.
And for those of you who like a walk, tales from Dark Tales and On The Edge have been expanded into a walking guide, spanning Leichhardt, Haberfield and Lilyfield - the Ten Walks of Terror. This features a tour around spooky Callan Park, an old insane asylum, a place of dark stories.
I am now focusing on Inner West Sydney's most notable streets, with Dark Tales of King Street Newtown and Dark Tales of Glebe Point Road just published, featuring the misdemeanours of notorious Inner West identities like Chow Hayes. There will be more to come, so please step in and immerse yourself in a world that lies underneath the everyday in the Inner West of Sydney. I am a long-time Inner West Sydney resident, social researcher and local history buff.
- Explore the dark history of King Street Newtown
- Find out about Sydney gangster Chow Hayes
- Discover the history of Callan Park
- Explore Leichhardt's true crime history
Heather, Owner and Founder, Dark Tales
Dark Tales was a Finalist in the 2025 Inner West Business Awards
Watch videos of talks on my YouTube channel
Discover my YouTube Channel
Hear dark tales from Sydney's Inner West first-hand at 'Dark Tales - Inner West dark history'. Find out about the history of Callan Park Insane Asylum, the murder of Henry Travescus in Glebe, the historical incident at the Greenway - Sydney's newest walking path - and the tale of the Newtown Poisoner and much more.
About Dark Tales
Bringing History to Life
Dark Tales was founded in 2023 by Sydney author, social researcher and local history buff Heather Jones to uncover the forgotten history and true crime stories of Sydney's Inner West. Her passion for doing this stemmed from a desire to give people a new way to navigate what they see everyday.
Heather researches historical newspapers, archives and local sources to tell the stories behind Sydney's streets, buildings and communities. She is the author of a growing series of books about Sydney history and regularly presents historical talks and guided walking tours across the Inner West.
Dark Tales was a finalist in the 2025 Inner West Business Awards and Heather appears most recently on SBS documentary 'The Street With No Name'.