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]
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| 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 25th 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]
[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.
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