The Grey Ghost of Port Wakefield 

  In February 1918, fear gripped the small town of Port Wakefield as a mysterious apparition, dubbed the Grey Ghost, began appearing throughout the district. For an entire week, the strange figure terrorised residents, leaving a trail of frightened witnesses and increasingly bizarre reports.

  The first sighting occurred on a Monday night at approximately 9:30 pm, when the apparition was spotted between the railway line and Smith’s Corner. A young woman returning home became the first known victim of the mysterious figure. As she walked along the street, the ghost approached her and calmly asked, “How are you?” Terrified, she hurried home and collapsed as soon as she was inside.

Around 10 pm that same evening, a young man returning from a fishing trip had his own frightening experience. As he passed a large haystack, a figure at least seven feet tall emerged from within the baled hay. The apparition let out a series of low, rumbling moans, sending the young man fleeing home, where he promptly locked the door behind him.

The following evening, a young couple walking home encountered the ghost under even more alarming circumstances. A cold hand suddenly touched their heads, turning them toward the apparition and forcing them to look directly into its eyes. Standing at least seven feet tall and shrouded in a fine mist, the figure was a terrifying sight.
The young man abandoned his companion, scrambled over a nearby fence and disappeared into the night. His companion screamed and raced to the nearest house, forcing her way inside before locking the door against the unwelcome visitor.

By Wednesday, tales of the Grey Ghost had spread throughout the town. Two young men decided they had had enough and took it upon themselves to capture the mysterious intruder. Armed and prepared for a confrontation, they waited for the apparition to appear.
After two hours, their quarry finally arrived. According to their account, the ghost rose from the ground before approaching a nearby horse. The animal appeared to fall under its spell, collapsing to the ground and becoming unconscious. The apparition then passed over several walls and fences before disappearing into an old quarry.

The two would-be ghost hunters considered following it but ultimately decided against descending into the disused quarry, preferring not to risk their lives in pursuit of the mysterious figure.

On Thursday night, two men passing near the quarry were engaged in a heated discussion about Russia when they suddenly realised they had company. Standing beside them was the seven-foot Grey Ghost, its clothing resembling swirling smoke. They abandoned the area, and the two men promptly fled in opposite directions, reportedly reaching their respective homes in record time.

Friday night brought little relief. The summer heat made sleeping indoors unbearable, prompting one local man to settle down on his veranda for the night. In the middle of the night, he awoke to discover the Grey Ghost standing just beyond his picket fence.
The apparition made strange gestures towards him while groaning loudly. The startled man wasted no time retreating indoors, where he locked the doors and windows.

Despite the different circumstances surrounding each encounter, witnesses consistently described the apparition in much the same way. It was an imposing figure, standing somewhere between seven and eight feet tall, with terrifying eyes and a grey, mist-like appearance. It reportedly emitted a pungent stench, produced deep, rumbling moans and seemed capable of passing through or climbing over walls and fences with remarkable ease.

For an entire week, the Grey Ghost of Port Wakefield had kept the townsfolk on edge. But the mystery was eventually solved, not by the armed men who had hunted it, nor by the frightened residents who had encountered it, but by a young boy riding his bicycle home.

For nearly a week, the Grey Ghost of Port Wakefield had kept the townsfolk in a state of fear. Despite several sightings and an attempt by two young men to capture the mysterious figure, its identity remained a mystery.

The explanation came when a young boy riding his bicycle home accidentally collided with an old grey horse feeding beside the road. Startled by the impact, the animal reared onto its hind legs, striking out with its front legs and threatening both the boy and a nearby fence before bolting into the night.

The encounter offered a possible explanation for the strange sightings that had plagued Port Wakefield. The horse was grey, reportedly smelled foul, and could reach an imposing height when rearing onto its hind legs. Seen in the darkness, its unusual movements and towering silhouette may have been enough to convince frightened witnesses that they had encountered something supernatural.

However, the precise timing of the boy’s encounter is unclear. While the sightings had occurred over the preceding week, the available account does not establish exactly when the horse was identified or confirm that it was responsible for every reported incident.

The Grey Ghost may, therefore, have been nothing more than an old horse roaming the streets of Port Wakefield after dark. Yet the story leaves us with an intriguing question: did a frightened animal give birth to a ghost story, or were the townsfolk witnessing something they could not quite explain?

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019



Bibliography

1918 'More " Ghost" at Port Wakefield.', The Areas' Express (Booyoolee, SA: 1877 - 1948), 15 February, p. 3. 

1918 'A "Ghost" at Port Wakefield.', Burra Record (SA: 1878 - 1954), 13 February, p. 4. 

1918 'More "Ghost" at Port Wakefield.', The Wooroora Producer (Balaklava, SA: 1909 - 1940), 14 February, p. 3.