Highercombe Hotel Museum
Recently Eidolon Paranormal had the pleasure of
investigating the Highercombe Hotel Museum, with thanks to our friend Karina
Eames. As far as we are aware, only (another friend) Icey Paranormal has
previously investigated the building for spirit activity.
History
In 1853 when the Highercombe Hotel was built, the town of
Tea Tree Gully was known as “Steventon” and contained a reasonable population,
but not one big enough to support the Highercombe Hotel and the Tea Tree Gully
Inn which stands across the road. The Highercombe closed its doors as a hotel
only 24 years after opening.
The Tea Tree Gully
Hotel became a major stopping point for stage coaches and horse riders after
the main road in the area was diverted right past its front door.
The northern side of
the Hotel building served as the local post office and post masters residence from
1879 until 1963. From 1875 until 1934 the southern side of the building was
lived in by the head teacher of the Tea Tree Gully Public School. After this,
for 20 years from 1930, the southern side was rented to the Hughes family as a
private residence.
For a small period in
the 1960’s the building served as the library and office for the Tea Tree Gully
Council, until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1967, when it’s life
as a museum was imagined.
In 2015
the site has been renamed The Tea Tree Gully Heritage Museum and is run
entirely by volunteers
Whilst we have found no deaths in our research on the building that
could lend credence to a possible haunting, the building contains a number of
personal effects that could promote the theory of “attachment”. “Attachment” is
the theory that some paranormal investigators subscribe too that some objects
are so loved and adored by their owners, or had such importance in their lives,
that, in death, they still cannot bare to part with it. This in turns leads to
sightings of the spirit near its beloved object – as would appear to be the
case here in this building.
One sighting has been
of a young girl sitting in front of the fire place in the large downstairs
sitting room at the entrance side of the Hotel. This teenage girl has been seen
briefly by volunteers, sitting quietly, as if enjoying, or warming herself in
front of the fire.
We had our own brief
unexplained experience in an upstairs room when reading poetry that was
bequeathed to the museum in an estate. Whilst Karina and Karen were reading the
poetry aloud, another investigator witnessed a small white light pass between
two investigators and then vanish – at the same time goosebumps and coldness
was felt by the investigators.
At this stage we are
still reviewing our investigation data, and looking towards further
investigations in the former hotel to uncover whom could possibly be haunting
the building,.
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