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Tuesday 9 January 2018

A Haunting in Strathalbyn: Glowing Ghosts



A Haunting in Strathalbyn: Glowing Ghosts


In the winter of 1874 and 1875, ghost hunting fever overtook the residents of Strathalbyn, a small hamlet (at the time) 57 km’s southeast of Adelaide, not far from Lake Alexandria.

It all began when Mr W. T. Tregilgas, a local decided to take a short cut through the local cemetery on his early morning walk. Mr Tregilgas witnessed the outline of a woman on the top of an old tombstone. He claimed where the image appeared was dry to the touch, but where it did not appear was wet with early morning dew.

 This sighting led to a national story about the case, and an influx of tourists trying to see the ghost for themselves.

It also led to numerous sightings in the town for many years afterwards.


In the same cemetery, at the same tombstone, a ghostly white figure, luminescent in the fading moon glow was seen laying on its side in the cemetery. The ghost was sighted by a small group of townsfolk, all of whom were far too frightened to enter the cemetery and investigate. The following day, members of the group told all and sundry about their ghostly encounter, while most just scoffed at the suggestion, others became curious.


 The following night a group went to the cemetery, but the spectre did not appear. They kept their nightly vigil, always arriving just before midnight. Only a few nights later, the ghost had reappeared on the same tombstone, again, relaxing, laying on its side, glowing in the pale moonlight.


Non-believers became instant believers, but again, no-one was brave enough to venture into the cemetery and investigate the ghost. If they had, they would’ve discovered a well-known local joker, who had been investing heavily at Francis Millers local chemist shop in phosphorous and its anhydrous solvents!

For more information about this beautiful part of South Australia:
http://strathalbynsa.com.au/

Researched and written by Allen Tiller.
© 2018 Allen Tiller
Bibliography
1912 'JOTTINGS.', Southern Argus (Port Elliot, SA : 1866 - 1954), 7 November, p. 3. , viewed 29 Dec 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96975184

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