The Loxton Beast

In 1908, the Loxton Beast raised its head and caused concern near the Riverland settlement. The Renmark Pioneer reported that people were too scared to leave their homes at night for fear of running into the tiger near Mr Alwege’s property.
 The tiger had been seen near the rear of Alwege’s farm, with reports that horses, cats, and dogs would not stop in the vicinity for fear of being hunted by the beast. A posse of local men was formed to hunt the beast.[1] It is not known if they captured it, but as it was not reported in local newspapers, one can assume they did not!

 In early 1919, Loxton farmer, Arthur McCourt publicly claimed he had been working his farm when he spied what he believed to be a jaguar on his property.[2] A correspondent for the Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record newspaper (Renmark), called for a hunting party to be formed to pursue the jaguar, and ‘to hunt the animal down.’[3]

This was not the first time McCourt, who had previously lived in Tantanoola, home of the infamous Tantanoola Tiger and other thylacine sightings, had gone public with his claims. It is implied in the Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record newspaper, published on 7 March 1919, that McCourt was associated with cattle rustlers who were found guilty of starting rumours around Tantanoola that the beast had returned. These rustlers were captured and sent to prison.[4]

 Whether it was cattle rustlers or a genuine sighting of a jaguar, or a thylacine at Loxton remains undetermined. It is however an interesting story. I would love to hear from Loxton residents if their grandparents ever spoke of the Loxton Beast…

Researched and written by Allen Tiller 2022.

---

[1] 'The Loxton "Tiger."', Renmark Pioneer, (26 June 1908), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109521734.

[2] 'Loxton's Jaguar.', The Mail, (22 February 1919), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63762622.

[3] 'Loxton.', Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record, (7 February 1919), p. 6., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109227561.

[4] 'The South East.', Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record, (7 March 1919), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article109227803

 Angle Vale Road Ghost 

- Angle Vale South Australia

Recent reports have come in regarding the sighting of the ghost of a man walking his dog on Angle Vale Road, Angle Vale.
 Witnesses have been driving along Angle Vale Road at dusk, and sometimes late at night when seeing the alleged ghost. The man and dog are walking in the middle of the street. He appears solid but vanishes before the witnesses’ eyes.

If you have witnessed this ghost, we would like to hear your story… please contact us.

An Update (19/10/2022): Since sharing this story of the ghost of a man walking his dog on Angle Vale Road, I have been contacted about the same, or a similar ghost, seen on Dalkeith Road....

 The Execution of Joseph Stagg

 

Joseph Stagg was executed at the Old Adelaide Gaol on 19 November 1840. Portable gallows were erected at the front gates of the gaol, and at 8 am, Stagg was hung in front of 700 spectators. Stagg was found guilty of murdering John Gafton at what is now Port Gawler.


Mrs Robertson, a resident near the Gawler River was approached by a man asking for a loaf of bread. He and his friends had not eaten for three days, and they were hoping for some charity. He offered her half a sovereign for the loaf. Robertson grew suspicious of Gafton and his cohorts, and at her first available opportunity, reported him and his friends to the local police constable.
Mounted police were sent to the area. They had been searching for three wanted cattle rustlers; Gafton, Fenton and Best. 
Aboriginal trackers were employed who were able to track down the men’s campsite.
The trackers had led police to a small, recently constructed hut. Inside lay the lifeless body of John Gafton. Well known to police, Gafton had recently escaped gaol. He was found to have a gunshot wound behind one of his ears. In his pocket were 11 sovereigns, but no pistol could be found in the hut.

The Coroner and two jurymen were called to the murder site to collect the body and gather evidence. A known accomplice of Gafton, Joseph Stagg was accused of the crime and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Stagg was apprehended by Constable Lomas and taken to the local police station where he was searched. In his possession were 16 pounds, several percussion caps, and paperwork that related to transactions between Stagg and Gafton regarding their recent cattle rustling.
Also in Stagg’s possession was a pistol, which was identified by Mrs Robertson as the one being in the possession of Gafton, the young man who had first begged her for the loaf of bread.

Stagg declared his innocence. All the evidence was circumstantial, but still, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to execution.
His final days were taken up with him reading the bible.
The night before his execution, he was taken to the Police Horse Barracks, to be separated from the general population, and returned the morning of his execution.

He flatly refused to confess to the crime.

A Haunting at the Greenock Hotel

The original Greenock Hotel was located on the other side of the road from the one we see today. It was moved to its current location in 1956 by Mr G.E. Schluter into a house and corner shop that was once the General Cash Store, built in the 1850s by James Jackman.
 Prior to the hotel, the building had also been used as the local post office.

In the 1960s a young married couple went to stay at the hotel with the new husband’s aunt. After closing, the couple retired to their bedroom. The newlywed wife awoke and went into the kitchen for a drink of water. As she passed the former living room, now a lounge, she witnessed a large coffin draped in black cloth and a host of people dressed in black standing around the coffin, silently weeping.
 Over the years, other guests have also witnessed the same mourning event in the room.

Guests have also reported small objects, like keys going missing, only to find them in another place, far from where they knew they had been placed. Cold spots and doors opening and closing of their own volition are also reported.

A Haunting at the Tanunda Hotel

The Tanunda hotel was built circa 1845 and was first licensed in 1847. In 1905 a fire severely damaged the building, so it was rebuilt. A second story built of Angaston marble was also added, and a balcony was imported from England, finishing the look it has today.

It is claimed that apparitions stalk its hallways, and disembodied footsteps can be heard walking into the bedrooms. One witness claims he awoke in his bedroom with a group of ghosts standing around staring at him. The witness believed that the ghosts followed him from the Langmiel Lutheran Cemetery just a little further south of the hotel after an evening of ghost hunting.

visit the Tanunda hotel at: https://www.tanundahotel.com.au/

A Shot of Spirits. Ep 21. Mallala Hotel - South Australia

A Shot of Spirits. Ep 21. 

Mallala Hotel - South Australia

The Mallala Hotel is alleged to be haunted by a ghost named George.

The Mallala Hotel was built in 1872 by Peter Farrelly, with his sister, Mrs Kelly being the first licensee. The second licensee was my great-great-grandfather, George Tiller. Another George to operate the hotel was George Reddaway in 1879…

This hotels ghost has been dubbed George, which is the most common name used to dub pub ghosts. George the ghost has been known to slam doors, make lights flicker, and let out the odd groan on occasion

 

The Tramway Museum St Kilda.

The Tramway Museum St Kilda. St Kilda Road. Open Sundays: 12 Noon until 5 pm.

  https://www.trammuseumadelaide.com/ 

-Start transcript- 

  In 1954, the South Australian branch of the Australian Electric Traction Association was formed. The A.E.T.A advocated for the retention and expansion of electric transport systems.

 In 1957, the South Australian branch of the A.E.T.A. formed the SA Branch Australian Electric Transport Museum. Later they incorporated as the Australian Electric Transport Museum (SA) Inc.- now better known as the Tramway Museum at St. Kilda.

  In 1958, the site of the former St Kilda Primary School became the storage home of Trams No. 1, 111, 192 and 42. In July 1962 the museum opened as a static display. 

 In 1972, the Salisbury Council, via government grant, built the tram line from the museum to St Kilda Beach, with volunteers building the overhead system. The tramway was officially opened in March 1974, with Tram No.1 leading the procession, the same tram used to open the Adelaide tramway in 1909. The museum currently has 26 trams, 5 trolly buses, two-horse trams, a horsebox and lots of displays showcasing Adelaide’s tramway history! The museum is run entirely by dedicated volunteers. T

he Tramway Museum is located on St Kilda Road, St Kilda, on the way to the St Kilda Playground. The facility is wheelchair accessible.

 Trams leave the museum for St Kilda Playground every half hour. Your admission into the museum gives you unlimited tram rides for the day, with three different trams running consecutively every session. 

The museum is open every Sunday from 12 noon until 5pm.

 -end transcript.

 Information sourced from the Tramway Museum website.

 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep 20 - Hahndorf Academy - South Australia

 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep 19 - Kelly's Steps - Tasmania

Kelly's Steps at Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania are steeped in history...and ghosts. 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep 18. Richmond Bridge Tasmania

 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep 18. 

Richmond Bridge Tasmania

A Shot of Spirits: Ep 18 - Richmond Bridge, Tasmania. Rumoured to be haunted by a former convict flagellator, a dog and a mysterious man wearing a boatman hat!

Haunted Barossa Dinner

If you want to encounter the darker recesses of haunted #Barossa, then be sure to join us for this haunted stories dinner to be led by Allen Tiller – renowned authority on the ghosts of South Australia who has written 4 books and 4 tours on the supernatural and who has appeared on the television show Haunting: Australia

In Allen’s company, you will enjoy a 3-course dinner with matching wines and be regaled with stories of the Barossa’s paranormally active locations and get to hear the most up-to-date and recent ghost stories drawn from Allen’s extensive files on South Australia’s paranormal happenings.

Join us for dinner at 1918 Bistro & Grill as Allen Tiller, one of Australia’s leading paranormal historians introduces us to the haunts of the Barossa.

Tickets $135pp includes a 3-course dinner with matching wines. Bookings are essential. Dietary requirements can be catered for if advised at the time of booking.



BOOK HERE
1918 Bistro and Grill
94 Murray Street, Tanunda SA

https://www.facebook.com/events/1072893963636785?ref=newsfeed

 

A Shot of Spirits. Ep 17. Blumberg Hotel - Birdwood, S.A

 I spoke about this alleged haunting at my 2021 presentation at the Mount Barker Library in the Adelaide Hills. 

 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep 16: Oak Lodge Tasmania

 For the continuity of the series, I am including this video of Oak Lodge in Tasmania. Alleged to haunted by many ghosts!

 

A Shot of Spirits. Ep 15: New Dublin Hotel - South Australia

 It has long been alleged that the New Dublin Hotel, in Dublin, South Australia is haunted! From the ghost of a woman with a pram to a former bartender, many people claim to have interacted with the spirits of the bar (pun intended).
 I spoke about this haunting at a presentation at the Two Wells Library in 2021. The story will be covered in more detail in a future publication.

A Shot of Spirits: Ep. 14. Stirling Theatre - South Australia

 

A Shot of Spirits: Ep. 14. 

Stirling Theatre - South Australia

We're back in South Australia this week, visiting the Adelaide Hills. I first wrote about this haunting many years ago, and in 2021, spoke about it at a presentation at the Mount Barker Library!

A Shot of Spirits. Ep. 13. St Marys Hospital - Tasmania

A Shot of Spirits. Ep. 13.

 St Marys Hospital - Tasmania

This week, we are again visiting Tasmania, and the stunning heritage building that was once St Mary's Hospital near Battery Point.

Shot of Spirits: Ep. 12: St David's Park - Hobart, Tasmania

 

Shot of Spirits: Ep. 12: 

St David's Park - Hobart, Tasmania

 This week, I am keeping the continuity going for my 'Shot of Spirits' video project by extending outside of South Australia, and visiting the Apple Isle, Tasmania.
 Saint David's Park was one Hobart's first cemetery, and is allegedly haunted!

Photos: Rob Coad.

Shot of Spirits: Episode 11: The Smithfield Hotel, South Australia.

 

Shot of Spirits: Episode 11: 

The Smithfield Hotel, South Australia.

It has long been alleged that the Smithfield Hotel, on Main North Road, Smithfield, South Australia, is haunted!

Thanks to the Playford's Past website for the use of historical photographs.

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Three: Closure

Muriel McKay

 

In early 2022, Nizamodeen Hosein, now 75 years old revealed to police where he had buried the remains of Muriel McKay, who he, and his brother Arthur, had murdered 52 years prior in the bungled Rupert Murdoch kidnapping and blackmail plot.

 It had long been suspected that the brothers had fed Mrs McKay’s body to their pigs. No evidence of her remains had ever been found. Hosein claimed that while Mrs McKay was his hostage, she collapsed and died while watching the news of her kidnapping on TV.

The two brothers had been sentenced to life at the Old Bailey for the kidnap and murder. It was believed to be the first prosecution to go ahead without having a body to prove the murder. Nizamodeen was deported to Trinidad after serving his gaol time. Arthur died in prison in 2009.

 

Nizamodeen stated to the media, that his reason for revealing her burial location was that he was nearing death and wanted ‘closure’ before he ‘met his maker’.[1] He also claimed that there was no violence toward her during the kidnapping.[2]

 

© 2022 Allen Tiller

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[1] Tom Pettifor, Bungled Rupert Murdoch wife kidnapper FINALLY reveals where he buried murder victim, Mirror, (2022), https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bungled-rupert-murdoch-wife-kidnapper-25918374.

[2] Sam Ramsden, Where Are Arthur & Nizamodeen Hosein Now?, Bustle, (2021), https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/where-are-the-hosein-brothers-now.

Foundation of a City - Free Self Guided Walking Tour

Foundation of a City 

- Free Self Guided Walking Tour

'Foundation of a City' is available on the Discover Salisbury app (https://discoversalisbury.com.au/about/discover-salisbury-app/)

 This tour is history focussed, exploring the lives of the men and women that founded the City of Salisbury in South Australia. It took many months of research, writing, and planning that was aided by the founder of Salisbury, John Harvey's, descendants, and descendants of Joseph Broadstock; men who shaped the city into what we have today! Mary Ann Harvey and Charlotte Pretty, women who helped shape Salisbury also get recognition for their influence on Salisbury - take the tour to learn more!

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Two: Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein

Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein

  At 7:45 pm on Sunday 29 December 1969, News Limited Deputy Chairman, Alick McKay returned to his home at Wimbledon to find his front door wide open and his wife missing. The phone had been pulled from the wall, her handbag contents were strewn across the house and a meat clever lay on the floor.[1]
 Alick called the police from his neighbour's house at 8pm. Hours later, at 1 am, Alick received a phone call from an unknown male, who stated he was ‘M3’, part of ‘Mafia M3’. Over the coming weeks, there would be 18 phone calls from M3 and three letters, demanding 1 million pounds or the man would kill Mrs McKay. In one phone call, the man claimed, “We tried to get Rupert Murdoch’s wife. We couldn’t get her, so we took yours instead. You have a million by Wednesday night or we will kill her.”

 On February 1^st, 1970, the Mafia M3 three contacted McKay’s son Ian and demanded £500, 000 pounds be delivered to a drop off point. The police sent their own man in dressed as Ian, but perhaps suspecting an ambush, the kidnappers didn’t show.
 The next communication stated that Alick and his daughter, Diane would deliver two suitcases of money to a destination on 6 February. Police again played the role of the McKay’s. They delivered the suitcases, but an unsuspecting member of the public reported the out of place cases to local police, who knew nothing about the ambush and arrived on the scene.
 Police who had staked out the location noted a silver Volvo driving past repeatedly, registered to Arthur Hosein, so they ran a background check. Hosein’s fingerprints matched those found on ransom notes.
 Police raided the Hosein farm and scoured it for clues. They could find no trace of Muriel McKay but were positive she was dead. They charged the brothers for their kidnapping and ransom plot, and then charged them for murder, even without evidence that Muriel McKay was dead!

 

Arthur Hosein's house where Muriel McKay was held hostage.

The brothers faced trial at the Old Bailey on 14 September 1970. They were both found guilty on all charges on 6 October. They received life sentences, plus, on the charges of blackmail and kidnapping, Arthur recurved 25 years and Nizamodeen, 15 years.

 

…but the story doesn’t end there…

 

To be concluded next week: The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Three: Closure

© 2022 Allen Tiller

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[1] The McKay Kidnapping, Crime+Investigation, (2022), https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/mckay-kidnapping

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part One: Rupert and Anna Murdoch

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: 

Part One: Rupert and Anna Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch, wife Anna Murdoch and their three children, (left to right) Elisabeth (9), Lachlan (6), and James (5), New York, 1977.

Rupert Murdoch is ingrained in Adelaide’s history, having started his empire in the City of Churches. He has never been far from controversy, and in the late 1960s was associated with a murder. Before I get to that, a brief background on one of Australia’s most successful men.

 

 Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1931, Keith Rupert Murdoch became the head of one of the largest media empires in the world. Murdoch was the son of Sir Keith Murdoch an Australian war correspondent and publisher. In 1952, Sir Keith Murdoch died, leaving to his son Rupert an inheritance that included South Australian newspapers, The Sunday Mail and The News.
 Under Rupert’s leadership, The News became a tabloid full of brash and salacious headlines. Murdoch sold The News in 1987 to Northern Star Holdings.[1] It was on this inheritance that Murdoch founded News Corporation, later acquiring another South Australian newspaper, The Advertiser.
 Murdoch grew his empire by purchasing newspapers in other Australian states and running the same headlines that featured sex and scandal.
 In 1969, Murdoch expanded into the UK, acquiring News of the World, and like his Australian newspapers, this one also began to feature copious sex, crime and scandalous headlines, pushing sales through the roof. In 1970, Murdoch acquired The Sun, a London daily newspaper; and in 1973, Murdoch broke into the U.S. market by acquiring the San Antonio News. Later he acquired the New York Post, The Boston Herald, TV Guide, the Chicago Sun-Times, and New York Village Voice. He bought and sold newspapers over the decades before diversifying into radio, film, and television. He bought Twentieth Century – Fox Film Corporation, and later founded Fox Inc, after acquiring television stations in the USA.[2]

 

  Rupert’s profile increased through his media acquisitions, putting him on the radar of some very shady people!

In 1969, Arthur Hosein was watching TV with his brother Nizamodeen one night, when Rupert Murdoch and his wife Anna were featured on a program. Arthur had a ‘get rich quick' idea and decided to put it into action.

 Hosein was a tailor’s cutter who had emigrated to the UK from Trinidad in 1955. He had big dreams of becoming an English squire and purchased a property for him and his wife near Hertfordshire. He applied to become a member of the local fox hunting club, even though he couldn’t ride a horse, or afford the subscription![3]
 To alleviate his money problems Arthur concocted a plan to abduct Rupert Murdoch’s wife and hold her for ransom. They staked out the Murdoch’s Roll Royce, and followed it to its destination at 20 Arthur Street, Wimbledon, believing it to be Murdoch’s house.
 The two men later broke into the home and abducted 55-year-old Muriel McKay, mistaking her for Anna Murdoch. Muriel and her husband Alick were Adelaide born and raised and had moved to London when Alick took the job of Newspaper Executive for News Limited. Muriel had been using the company car, the Murdoch Rolls Royce, while the Murdochs were on holiday in Australia.

Continued next week: The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Two: Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein

© 2022 Allen Tiller

[1] SA Memory, ‘News’, State Library of South Australia, (2013), https://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2627.

[2] Rupert Murdoch: Australian-born American publisher, Britannica, (2022), https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rupert-Murdoch.

[3] Rachel Scout, Arthur & Nizamodeen HOSEIN, Murderpedia, (2022), (https://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/hosein-brothers.htm.

The Sundown Murders: Part II: Execution or Exoneration?

 The Sundown Murders: Part II:

 Execution or Exoneration?

In December 1957, the bodies of Thyra Bowman, her daughter Wendy, and family friend, Thomas Whelan were found at the Sundown Station in South Australia’s outback.

Raymond Bailey had been arrested and charged for the murders, claiming he, “had gone mad”.

The case against Bailey was overseen by Justice Reed. It took a jury 96 minutes to decide that Bailey was guilty. Evidence was not overwhelming against Bailey, but a statement he alleged to have given to police was enough to convict.[1] Police also found gunshot casings at the murder site that matched casings found in Bailey’s car.
Bailey was found guilty and sentenced to hang.

  It was announced in newspapers that Raymond John Bailey would be hanged at the Adelaide Gaol on 17 June 1958.[2] He received a reprieve from hanging for one week after claiming there was a fourth body, he had buried. Bailey claimed he had witnessed a man burying the body of Mrs Bowman, and that he killed the man in self-defence. He also claimed to have buried the knife near where Mrs Bowman's car was found. Police took Bailey back to the Station, but he could not produce evidence of the buried body.

Bailey was hanged at 8am, Tuesday, June 24, 1958, in Her Majesty’s Adelaide Gaol.[3]

 

As an interesting footnote to this case.  Stephen Bishop, an investigative journalist has pushed for an exoneration for Bailey. Bishop believes his confession was coerced under duress, and that Detective Glen Hallahan forced Bailey’s confession. Bishop also claims that evidence was overlooked, or ignored, such as footprints that were too large to be Bailey’s, being found at the murder location.

© 2022 Allen Tiller

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[1] 'Bailey Found Guilty Of Sundown Murder', The Canberra Times, (21 May 1958), p. 8., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91250953.
[2] 'Bailey to Hang on Tuesday', The Canberra Times, (21 June 1958), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136300645.
[3] 'Bailey Hanged For Murder Of Mrs. Bowman', The Canberra Times, (25 June 1958), p. 12., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136301002.

The Sundown Murders:  Part One – Confession

Raymond Bailey (center)

December 1957, the bodies of Thyra Bowman, aged 44, her daughter Wendy, aged 14 and their family friend, Thomas Whelan aged 22 were found at a deserted outback property known as Sundown Station.

The trio was travelling from Glen Helen Station, via Alice Springs to Adelaide.

Each of them had fractured skulls and bullet wounds. Newspaper reports described them as being ‘clubbed to death', and their bodies hidden under 'blankets and canvas'.[1]

  Raymond Bailey aged 24, was arrested by Mount Isa (Queensland) police on a provisional warrant for the murders. Police in Queensland wanted the RAAF to fly Bailey’s car to Adelaide for forensic testing.[2] Bailey was a married man and worked as a carpenter. He had one son. The family lived in Dubbo, New South Wales.
Bailey told police he was driving north to Alice Springs towing a caravan. He saw a Vanguard motor car parked on the side of the road, with three people sitting around the campfire. Bailey stopped further up the road, where his wife went to bed.

 Raymond Bailey had been arrested at Mount Isa in Queensland under suspicion of murder in outback South Australia. In court, Prosecutor, Mr E.B. Scarfe, read to the Judge and Jury a statement allegedly from Bailey, confessing to the crime.

It read,

"I saw the three people lying down. I heard a noise behind me when I was passing through the camp and was just about through it and I turned around and fired. I did not see if it was, but it sounded like a dog growling.
  When I fired, a chap jumped up and made a noise and fell down again. I thought I had killed him and I just went mad after that. When I did this I thought I would have to kill the lot and cover up.
 The young girl and the woman rushed towards, me. That was when I moved over to see if the chap was dead.
  I loaded my rifle again and aimed it at the older woman who was rushing towards me and fired. She fell down straight away. "The young girl ran at me too, so I loaded again, aimed it and shot her. She fell down, too. "I don't know how many times I shot them. I just went mad.”

I put the three bodies in the Vanguard car together in the back and put all the canvas and blankets and other stuff that I could find around the camp with them. Then I drove the Vanguard car into the scrub on the other side of the road and went in a fair way and emptied the back of all the bodies and blankets and canvas. I laid the bodies out and put the canvas and blanket over them as well as everything else that was there.”[3]

 After walking back to his caravan, Bailey washed and went to bed. His wife asked where he had been, and he lied, telling her he had been sick. The next morning, he awoke early and headed back to where he had killed the trio. He found two dogs tied to a tree and shot them.

 He then told police, as he neared Alice Springs, he threw the rifle away into the scrub. Somewhere between Tennant Creek and Mount Isa, he had thrown Whelan’s now empty wallet from the car.

 

Next Week: The Sundown Murders: Part Two: Execution

© 2022 Allen Tiller

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[1] 'Science May Solve Sundown Murder', The Canberra Times, (9 Jan 1958), p. 15., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91254845.
[2] 'Charge Follows Arrest Of Murder Suspect', The Canberra Times, (24 Jan 1958), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91256049.
[3] 'Man Shot Accidentally, Baily Told Detectives', The Canberra Times, (14 May 1958), p. 7., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91250300.

A Haunting at The Crown Hotel – Victor Harbor

 A Haunting at The Crown Hotel 

– Victor Harbor

 

Crown Hotel - 1880

Victor Harbor was originally known as Port Victor. In 1865, George Missen opened the Crown Inn there, at 2 Ocean Street.[1] Missen had previously had the license to the Fountain Inn at Encounter Bay (another allegedly haunted location you can read about here: https://hauntedadelaide.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-fountain-inn-hotel.html)
 Missen sold the hotel in 1866 to Mr James Greenfield of Mount Barker.[2] Despite persistent rumours, Mr Missen did not commit suicide in the hotel. He moved to Melton, Victoria, where he died.[3]

 In 1876, Licensee, John Hart added a balcony. In 1927, under the ownership of Mr Jacobs, a vacant lot next to the hotel, facing Railway Terrace, was utilised for extensions to the hotel. A few years later, the original hotel was demolished, and a new one was built to match the 1927 extensions.[4] In 1935, renovations saw the construction of balconies that spanned from Railway Terrace to Ocean Street.

 

  The Crown Inn at Victor Harbor is allegedly haunted by a ghost named George. He is believed to be the first manager of the hotel. People report hearing disembodied footsteps in this hotel, and seeing locked doors, unlock, and open of their own volition.
 A staff member claims to have been working behind the bar and witnessed a beer glass levitate off the bar, and smash onto the floor.
 It has also been claimed, (much like the North Kapunda Hotel), that staff would lay out a room for functions the night prior, lock the doors and leave. The next morning, they would return, and all the menus placed the night prior, would be upside down, or chairs, cutlery or tables would have been moved. This is despite no one being inside the building. The building is locked and has a security alarm that detects movement!

 So, if it is not George Missen that haunts the hotel, then who could it be?

 Have you experienced the haunting of the Crown Hotel, Victor Harbor? 
 I would love to hear your experiences, contact me in the comments below, or via Facebook! 

Photos:

Crown Hotel, Victor Harbor 1880 - SLSA [B 8312].

Crown Hotel, Victor Harbor 1866 - SLSA [B 5688]

 © 2022 Researched and written by Allen Tiller

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[1] J.L. Hoad, Hotels and Publicans in South Australia, (1986) p. 149.

[2] Donovan and Associates, Victor Harbor Heritage Survey, City of Victor Harbor, (1997), p. 227.

[3] George F Missen (1808 - 1883), WikiTree, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Missen-16.

[4] 'New Lessee for Hotel Crown.', Victor Harbour Times, (22 April 1949), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164306431.

 Victor Harbor – Granite Island Causeway

 In 1862 work began on a 195-metre jetty at Victor Harbor, which was completed in 1864. Between 1872 and 1875, the jetty was extended to Granite Island making a causeway with a railway on it.

The Granite Island Causeway was officially closed on 31 January 2022. Demolition work began in February 2022, with portions of the causeway to be retained at each end of the new causeway as viewing platforms.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport began construction of a new causeway in March 2021. It was officially opened on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 by the Mayor of Victor Harbor, Dr Moira Jenkins.

The new causeway features rest areas, viewpoints and artworks by Ngarrindjeri-Ramindjeri peoples.[1]

 We visited in January 2022; the photos below are from our visit.

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[1] https://www.victor.sa.gov.au/notice-board/projects/currentprojects/granite-island-causeway#:~:text=Decommissioning%20of%20the%20old,second%20half%20of%202022.

A Lady in Black - McCloud House at Port Noarlunga

A Lady in Black - McCloud House 

at Port Noarlunga

McCloud House 1928

 McCloud House at Port Noarlunga was built by the McLeod sisters in 1929. The three sisters; Mary Ann (1864-1946), Rebecca (1869-1945) and Bertha McLeod (1871-1963) lived at ‘Strathfield’ in Katherine Street, Port Noarlunga at the time of construction.

 The sisters were the three youngest daughters of John Douglas McCloud and Sarah Ann Darley McCloud (nee Moorhouse). Other children included: Elizabeth (1855-1930), James (1856-1934), Edward (1858-1964), Sarah (1863-1945), John (Jack) (1867-1953). The McCloud family had arrived in South Australia on board the vessel Marion in 1848.

 According to the 2003 Onkaparinga Heritage Survey, undertaken by Bruce Harry and Associates, the property was built during the 1920s peak period when Port Noarlunga was touted as a new “Holiday Makers’ Paradise”.[1]
 The McCloud sisters rented the property out as a boarding house, with Mary-Ann listed as the ‘boardinghouse-proprietress’ in local electoral rolls.[2]

 

McCloud House 1935

Bertha sold the house in 1951.[3] The property was auctioned a second time in 1953 by estate agents, Jackman and Treloar, who listed the property as,

'McCLOUD HOUSE. 'that widely known exclusive Guest Home together with which is a delicatessen, to be sold as a going concern with all the good furniture and equipment.’[4]

 

  In his book, ‘Ghosts and Hauntings of South Australia’, author, Gordon de L. Marshall alleges that the building is haunted. A former owner of the building, Mrs Lillian Jackson, claimed the house was haunted and delivered her version of events in Marshall’s book.

  Mrs Jackson and her husband would often wake in the middle of the night, hearing footsteps walking through the empty hallways.
 On one occasion a guest asked Mrs Jackson why she had changed her clothing, as she had seen her only minutes ago wearing a long black dress. When prompted as to where and when she had seen her in different clothing, the guest explained, she had walked past the Jacksons' bedroom and seen her standing at the foot of the bed wearing a long black gown. Other guests, at different times, had seen the woman in the long black dress as well, but no one could identify her.

Mrs Jackson tracked down Bertha McCloud, who was in a nursing home, to see if she could explain some of the ghostly goings-on in the building. The sister was vague with her answers but did state “My sisters would never leave the house, never!”. Marshall concludes that perhaps they never left at all![5]

Rebecca died on 14 August 1945 at ‘Strathfield’, Port Noarlunga, she was buried in Bains Cemetery, Morphett Vale.[6] Mary Ann died one year later on the 25^th of August 1946. Bertha died on 17 August 1963; all three sisters are buried in the same grave plot.

 

 All three sisters died at their home Strathfield on Katherine Street, Port Noarlunga. Evidence would suggest none of them ever resided in McCloud House while alive. Bertha, no doubt, in her statement to Mrs Jackson, was referring to her sister never leaving Strathfield in their later years. So, this leaves the question, who allegedly haunts McCloud house?
 Is it one of the three sisters? Is it someone else?
Have you experienced this haunting, or have something to add to the story, then please leave a comment below.

 

@2022 Allen Tiller.

 

Photos:

1928: McCloud Guest House - SLSA [PRG 1316/12/110]

1935: McCloud Guest House – SLSA [PRG 1316/12/97] 

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[1] Bruce Harry & Associates, ‘Noarlunga Local Heritage Register’, City of Onkaparinga, (Nov 2003), P. 241.

[2] Barker, Morphett Vale, Australian Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, South Australia, (1939).

[3] 'Advertising', The Mail, (27 Jan 1951), p. 41., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55854964.

[4] 'Advertising', The Advertiser, (8 Aug 1953), p. 23., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48267146.

[5] Ghosts and Hauntings in South Australia’, Gordon de L. Marshall, (2010), p. 108.

[6] 'Advertising', The Advertiser, (15 Aug 1945), p. 12., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43506576.

 ANDREW MORDOWICZ – Cold Case 1996

 At 3:47am on Sunday the 29th of September 1996, Yellow Taxis received a request call for a 4:30am pickup from Klemzig to Adelaide. It was unusual for someone to want to be travelling into the city at this time of the morning as most of the clubs were starting to close.^[1]
43-year-old taxi driver, Andrew Mordowicz hit the little red button that accepts the fare on the taxi CB radio and headed to Klemzig.
 

Mordowicz arrived at Fife Street, Klemzig, a quiet cul-de-sac, only to discover number 79 didn’t exist. He spoke briefly to the dispatch officer over the radio, then decided to go knock on the door of number 78.

 Moments later neighbours were woken by the sounds of gunshots. The neighbours investigated and found Mordowicz lying in the driveway with two gunshot wounds. An ambulance was called, and Mordowicz was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he died a short time later.

 

 Police investigators never found the suspect, the gun or a motive. Mordowicz’s coin dispenser was still in his taxi, untouched. He also had cash in his wallet, so robbery does not seem like the motive. In a 2019 interview with the ABC, Detective Sergeant Ann Schaefer stated, “It appears to be a robbery gone wrong, but we keep an open mind and we can't rule out the possibility that Andrew was deliberately targeted."^[2]

 

If you know something about this case, police are still investigating. There is a reward of up to $200,000 for anyone who provides information that leads to a conviction for this crime. You can contact Crime Stoppers on 1 800 333 000 or email at Sapol.Coldcase@police.sa.gov.au

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[1] Can You Help Solve the Murder of Taxi Driver Andrew Mordowicz?, Crime Stoppers, (2019), https://crimestopperssa.com.au/media-releases/can-you-help-solve-the-murder-of-taxi-driver-andrew-mordowicz/

[2] Taxi driver shot dead in Adelaide driveway was lured, police say, but motive remains unclear, ABC News, (2019). https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-26/taxi-driver-cold-case-killing-remains-a-mystery/11150618