SYFY USA - Haunting: Australia - The North Kapunda Hotel

The North Kapunda HotelSYFY USA airing:

Long known as Australia’s Most Haunted Pub – The North Kapunda Hotel is situated at 50 Main Street Kapunda.

  Kapunda has long held the title “Australia’s Most Haunted Town” and gained national notoriety after the release of the documentary “Kapunda: Most Haunted Town in the Western World” in 2001.
  The documentary featured investigations by television host Warwick Moss of 1990s supernatural TV show “The Extraordinary”.

The North Kapunda Hotel garnered international interest after it was featured on TV show Haunting: Australia in episode 7. The show featured local paranormal investigator, Allen Tiller, founder of Eidolon Paranormal, SA Paranormal and The Haunts of Adelaide investigating in his local pub alongside team members Robb Demarest, Ray Jorden, Gaurav Tiwari, Rayleen Kable and Ian Lawman.

The hotel has operated since 1849 and received extensions and upgrades in 1866 by then-owner James Crase.
  Over the years the hotel, which is the central focal point of the town, has seen its rooms used by Prince Alfred, 2^nd son of Queen Victoria, State Parliament, Circus troops, travelling salesmen, social clubs and much much more!

The hotel is said to be haunted by a number of spirits, including Sir Sidney Kidman, Dr MHS Blood, former owners Henry Fairclough & Denis Horgan, a former travelling scissor-grinder, prostitutes, children and a dark shadow man with a bad temper!

If you are visiting South Australia, head north on the Max Fatchen expressway to Gawler, then onto the Theile highway to Kapunda – and whilst in the town don’t miss the Museum, the haunted Information Centre, the Haunted Court House, The basement museum in the Kapunda Bakery and just a little out of town the amazing Anlaby house and gardens!

Allen Tiller outside the North Kapunda Hotel

You can stay in Kapunda at the Station B&B, Anlaby House, The Kapunda Tourist Park, Ford House or The Sir John Franklin Hotel!

Chateau Tanunda

Chateau Tanunda

In 1870 the wine world was hit by the spread of phylloxera through Europe causing a shortage of available affordable wine. In South Australia’s Barossa Valley, many little wineries had been established up to 20 years earlier and were now beginning to find their way.

A consortium of 4 men in Adelaide, saw the potential for South Australian wines on the world market and founded a business called The Adelaide Wine Company, which a short time later changed its operating name to Chateau Tanunda.

The Building of the Chateau, which at the time was the largest building in South Australia and the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere, took two years to complete and was finished in 1890.

It was inspired by a French Bavarian style of buildings. The building is 86 metres in length and 48 meters wide and boasts a 21-metre tower. It has a large cellar with almost metre thick walls, its south cellars were cut into the side of a hill for better temperature control.

It could store 5 million litres of wine.

Ownership of the winery changed in 1916 when the Seppelt family became owners of the winery, the Seppelts family remained owners until 1998 when the building was bought by current owners John Geber & family.

The Geber family has done extensive work to the building's and surrounding grounds, even installing their very own cricket pitch.

In an interview with John Geber in 2009, he states how he discovered the Chateau, which had a sign on the door stating “Do not enter”.

The building had been stripped of its inner workings and all records within its walls dumped.

John slept in the building, which was never designed for overnight stays and discovered that the building was haunted “I had some interesting nights!” he said in reference to the ghosts making themselves known, but he elaborates no further...

Have you seen or felt a spirit at Chateau Tanunda? If so please feel free to comment below and tell us your story!

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Photos by Karen Tiller