Talia Caves – Part II: Ghosts and Embellishments.

 Talia Caves – Part II: 

Ghosts and Embellishments.

 

 In January 1961, Shirley and Bruce Baldwin were enjoying a seaside holiday on the Eyre Peninsula. Stopping at Talia, Bruce decided to get some photographs of the coastal cliffs and Talia caves. The film was developed and Bruce noticed an unusual figure standing in the ocean. He gave the negative to his friend Michael Leyson who had the image printed. Leyson submitted the print to be published in the book Haunted: The Book of Australian Ghost Stories, giving full credit to Bruce. However, Leyson claims that the author of the book disregarded the true story, misquoted Leyson and wrote a new story about the nurse that puts her reputation in disrepute. That book is by respected author John Pinkney, who, unfortunately, has since died and cannot defend himself against accusations of dishonesty, exaggeration, and embellishment.  

 Pinkney states in his book that Sister Millard’s death occurred in 1923. That her death was a murder, “A nurse became pregnant to a respected married man. He was so terrified of the scandal that might engulf him that he tried to solve the problem by hurling her from the high cliffs.’[1]

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2023

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[1] John Pinkney, ‘Haunted: A Book of Australian Ghosts”, (2005), p. 22.

 Talia Caves – Part I: Sister Doris Belle Millard

 

Sister Doris Millard set out with friends on Saturday 24 June 1928 from Streaky Bay to visit the Talia Caves. The little travelling party, consisting of Mr and Mrs J.B. Hastings, Mr and Mrs W.H. Brownrigg and Sister Millard camped overnight at Talia, and in the morning, Sister Millard suggested she might walk to the cliffs to take photos of the ocean.[1]
She walked to the cliffs with Mr Brownrigg reaching a narrow ledge that overhung a deep fissure in the rock. Brownrigg advised Millard not to walk on the ledge, but she replied, ‘If you can go there, I can”. Brownrigg walked a few steps away when he heard the rock crack. Turning, he saw Millard was gone., She had fallen ten meters in the raging waters below.

Brownrigg found his way down the cliff face to the waters below. He could see Millard trying to stay afloat in the raging waters as waves crashed over here, pulling her this way and that. He called out to her, and she got within a few feet of him, only to be washed away with the next wave.
Brownrigg watched as Millard would be pushed up into the narrow flume of the caves, then dashed back out onto nearby rocks. She lasted about fifteen minutes more until she disappeared from Brownrigg’s view.[2]

Sister Millard had recently resigned from her position as a nurse at Streaky Bay. Prior to that, she had worked at Broken Hill. Originally, she was from Prahran in Victoria.

News of the tragic circumstances of Sister Millard’s death spread quickly. Stan Emery, the local police officer of the region organised a service in the sister’s honour. Emery also hand-delivered a report on Millard’s parents in Melbourne.

The West Coast Sentinel (newspaper) organised a subscription list and raised over 60 pounds to erect a memorial to Sister Millard.[3] The memorial acted not only to honour the sister but to warn of the dangers of the cliff.
The memorial was unveiled on 25 November 1928.[4]

Next week: Talia Caves – Part II: Ghosts and Embellishments.

Researched and written by  Allen Tiller © 2023

[1] 'NURSE LOSES HER LIFE', Port Lincoln Times, (29 June 1928), p. 1.
[2] 'TERRIBLE DROWNING FATALITY.', West Coast Sentinel, (29 June 1928), p. 1.
[3] 'SISTER MILLARD MEMORIAL', Barrier Miner, (22 August 1928), p. 2.
[4] Sister D. B. Millard, Monument Australia (2022), https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/people/tragedy/display/51858-sister-d.-b.-millard.