Shot of Spirits: Episode 2: A Haunting at the Jens Hotel

 Shot of Spirits: Episode 2: A Haunting at the Jens Hotel, Mount Gambier.

Is the Jens Hotel haunted? Watch the video, then decide for yourself.

Haunted Old Mount Gambier Gaol

South Australia is such a vast and interesting State with so many haunted locations it’s hard to choose just one place for every issue, but for this month’s issue of MEGAscene, I thought we might look at the south of the state, and visit the Old Mount Gambier Gaol.

The Mount Gambier Gaol operated from 1866 until 1995. In that time 3 men, Carl Jung (1871), William Page (1875) and William Nugent (1881). There were five suicides in the gaol and at least 4 people lost their lives inside the prison through natural causes.

 

The first execution in Mount Gambier Gaol happened on November 10th, 1871. Carl Jung, a shoemaker and wine merchant of had gone into debt because of poor sales. In June that year, bailiff, Thomas Garroway was sent to seize Jung’s property.

The two men came to an agreement, and Jung was to follow the Bailiff in to Mount Gambier the following day. When morning broke and Jung joined Galloway to leave, the bailiff seized Jung's horse and cart, and some farm animals to help settle his outstanding debts.
 Garroway then set off for Mount Gambier, expecting Jung to follow. Jung was outraged that the Bailiff had seized his property, but set off after him as agreed.
 Jung’s rage burned hot inside him, he rode up alongside the bailiff with his shotgun raised, and gave him both barrels at close range, killing him.

Jung then turned the gun on himself, but was unsuccessful with his suicide attempt, and instead, fled into the wild scrublands. Eventually, hunger got the better of him, and he made his way back to his home, only to be arrested by police, who were patiently waiting for him to return.

Jung was tried and found guilty, but not before a petition by local business people had been presented to earn him a stay of execution. Unfortunately for Jung, the law had spoken, and on November 10, 1871, Jung was hung inside the Gaol. He held a bouquet of flowers, that he asked to be given to his wife upon his death.

 19-year-old Mary Buchan was dating William Walker. Walker, keen on marrying the young lady, proposed marriage, which Mary accepted.
Over the coming months, Walker would delay the marriage many times, angering Mary’s parents, who began to demand the wedding be called off.

July 11th, 1875, May Buchan did not turn up to Church as per unusual. Her worried mother contacted police and reported her missing. Walker was questioned about her whereabouts, and told police he had saddled up her horse himself, and seen her off as she rode out to Casterton in Victoria to find her Father
 A telegram sent from a small town along the way confirmed that Mary had been seen riding through their region the day before.

 May’s mother never felt comfortable with the explanations for her leaving the town. In coming days Mary’s father began to have dreams of her. In his dream, Mary would come to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. She would command him to find her body and showed him in the dream a ploughed field with three trees planted in a triangle.
At the same time, a bed-ridden policeman’s wife, who had recently given birth, began to dream of Mary also. Her dreams were uncannily like Mary’s Father’s dreams, in which, Mary led her to a field.

Through these dreams, Mary’s body was discovered at Hedley Park. She was covered in a shawl with strangulation marks on her neck. She had been severely beaten with a blunt object around the head.

 Evidence mounted, and soon it was revealed that William Walker was her killer. It also came to light that Walker, was also known to be a married man by the name of William Page and that he had proposed with a stolen ring!
It was revealed during the trial that Page has pestered Buchan for sex outside the church, which she refused. An argument broke out, and Page hit her with his stockwhip, he then strangled her to quieten her screams.

Page was sentenced to be hung for his crimes and was executed at the old Mount Gambier Gaol on 27 October 1875.

 The last execution at the gaol was that of William Nugent on the 18th of November 1881. Nugent, also known as Robert Johnson, was arrested for supplying liquor to aboriginals in Wellington.
 A Trooper named Pearce, who knew Nugent’s identity stopped him, and asked him to follow him back to Kingston. Nugent agreed, and followed the trooper, with three horses in tow.
 Nugent knew the horses were stolen and knew he was in big trouble, so he devised a plan. He asked the trooper if they could stop and rest for a while. Trooper Pearce agreed they could. After a short rest, the trooper insisted they mount their horses and get on with their journey.
 As Trooper Pearce began to mount his horse, Nugent pulled a knife from his boot and frenziedly stabbed the trooper, before riding off, leaving him to die.

 A passer-by found the trooper on the side of the road and sent for help. A search party was sent out for Nugent, and swiftly caught the criminal as he tried to escape towards Victoria.
 24-year-old Trooper Pearce died three days later, with his mother and father at his bedside.

 Nugent was sentenced to death and spent his last few days in solitary confinement, he reported to one of his guards, that he had encountered a ghost! Nugent said, during the day, he felt as if someone was sitting in the room alongside him. He then heard the voice of Trooper Pearce state “I came to tell you I hold no grudge against you Will Nugent, no doubt others will, but I do not”.

Nugent’s only request, which happened as he walked towards the gallows, was not for forgiveness, it was that his body was to be buried in consecrated ground.

Like all three executed prisoners, Nugent’s body was buried inside the gaol, as was the law at the time. It is not known where in the gaol grounds all three men are buried.

 

Trooper Pearce is not the only ghost to make itself known in the Old Mount Gambier Gaol. Cell 4 in men’s wing is known as a hot spot for paranormal activity, with witnesses reporting being touched by unseen hands, scratching and biting by an unseen spirit, and weird sounds, noises and voices!

A lady in white is seen to walk through a courtyard between the dining room and the cellblock. This ghostly apparition is thought to be of a woman who may have died whilst giving birth inside the gaol.

Other ghostly goings-on happen in the condemned man cells near the area where the three men were executed, and where another corporal punishment was dealt out, including the whipping of 12-year-old boy john Macmaster’s who received 20 lashes in his last week of an 18-month stay in the men’s prison for forgery~!

The Old Mount Gambier Gaol is now a unique accommodation facility and music venue, and states on its website that it is not haunted, may be, if you are down that way, visit the gaol, and decided for yourself if it is haunted or not.

 

http://www.theoldmountgambiergaol.com.au/

 

Allen Tiller is Australia’s most recognised paranormal investigator, eminent paranormal historian, and star of the international smash hit television show “Haunting: Australia”.
Allen is also the founder of Eidolon Paranormal, South Australian Paranormal and the author of book and blog, “The Haunts of Adelaide: History, Mystery and the Paranormal”.
Allen is the winner of the 2017 “Emerging South Australian Historian of The Year Award” as presented by The History Council of South Australia.

Allen has also been employed as “Historian in Residence” in 2016/2017 with the Adelaide City Council Libraries and employed by the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council to write the popular, “Ghosts of the Port Self-Guided Walking Tour”

 

First published in MEGAscene issue 10 2017

 © Allen Tiller 

A Ghost at the Jens Hotel Mount Gambier

A Ghost at the Jens Hotel Mount Gambier

In a recent blog post (found here: http://hauntedadelaide.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-haunted-jens-hotel-mount-gambier.html) I described the alleged haunting of the Jens Hotel at Mount Gambier.

Among the many spirits said to haunt the hotel is the spirit of female child. She is believed to be around 4 years old and is alleged to haunt the ground floor. It is believed she is waiting for her mother to return.

This photo was sent to me by a former worker at the Jens Hotel who claims that the image in the picture closely resembles that of a 3-year-old child, the daughter of a former publican, who died in the hotel.

What do you believe, ghost or not?

Buried Alive at Mount Gambier

Buried Alive at Mount Gambier

 Richard Unwin was a sexton and gravedigger at Mount Gambier cemetery. On 26 October 1893, Unwin set about digging a grave, there was no machinery to dig the graves, so it was all done by pick and shovel.

 Unwin on this day was digging a particularly deep grave between two burial enclosures had nearly completed his work, having reached a depth of 8 feet, when the sides of the grave collapsed, burying him up to his neck.
 Unwin was trapped, and unable to move. He tried in vain to move his body, but the weight of the dirt was too much. His head was exposed, but he was below the ground line by a good two feet, so could not be seen by people passing by, unless they actually looked inside the grave.
 Unwin called out, but the weight of the dirt on his chest made it hard to do so, but he persevered in the hope someone might hear him.

 In another part of the cemetery, Mr Kelly and Mr Topham were also at work. Mr Kelly thought he heard some odd noises travelling on the wind and went to investigate them. He followed the moans and groans and soon discovered Unwin buried to the neck in someone else’s grave.

 Kelly called Topham over and the two men worked with great urgency to free Unwin. An adjoining monument was threatening to collapse into the hole onto Unwin after the dirt had shifted trapping Unwin.
Two men passing by, Mr Lewis and Mr Driscoll noticed the commotion and ran into the cemetery to offer his assistance. Mr Topham was sent into town to retrieve some brandy for Unwin to relieve his exhaustion.
 Another passer-by Mr Eustace also offered to help.

While the men were digging to free Unwin, the ground caved in a few times, further destabilising the already precarious position of the nearby monument.
 Unwin indicated to the men that one of his legs was seriously injured as it had begun to burn. A local doctor was sent for.

 After an hour and a half of digging, Unwin was finally freed from the grave, he was exhausted and had suffered a broken right leg.

It was many weeks before Unwin returned to work.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Bibliography

'A MAN BURIED ALIVE.', South Australian Chronicle, (28 October 1893), p. 21.

'A GRAVEDIGGER BURIED.', South Australian Register, (27 October 1893), p. 5.

'A GRAVEDIGGER BURIED.', Evening Journal, (27 October 1893), p. 3

'The Border Watch,', Border Watch, (28 October 1893), p. 2.

The Haunted Jens Hotel – Mount Gambier

The Haunted Jens Hotel – Mount Gambier

 

Jens Hotel - 1893 - SLSA: B21810

Jens Hotel in Mount Gambier which was established in 1847.  The hotel we see today is the completion of construction in 1884 for Johannes Jens. 

 It is alleged the ghost of a very large man named ‘Maurice’ haunts the Jens Hotel. It is believed Maurice died inside the hotel in 1905.
 Maurice likes to play with electrical items in the hotel, and to protect women who are vulnerable to men trying to take advantage of them, by suddenly appearing to men and threatening them with his intense energy.
 It is not known who Maurice actually is, but many people have died in the Jens Hotel.

In 1933, well-known local grazier Edgar Learmonth was found dead in an outhouse at the Jens Hotel. He had taken his own life by shooting himself in the temple with a small calibre revolver. An inquest later found him to be of unsound mind.

 Another unfortunate death at the Jens Hotel was that of Mr H. Smith. Smith had been fishing when a hook had become stuck in his hand. The wound became infected, and gangrene set in. His blood became septic killing him suddenly while staying in the hotel.

Another alleged spirit in this hotel is a little girl. She is believed to be around 4 years old and is alleged to haunt the ground floor. It is believed she is waiting for her mother to return. The basement of this hotel is also alleged to be haunted by a man who committed suicide by hanging in this hotel.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Bibliography

'Death of a Well-known Mount Gambier Grazier.', The Naracoorte Herald, (11 July 1933), p. 3.

'OBITUARY.', Border Watch, (13 July 1933), p. 4.

'The Tragic Death of Mr. E. T. Learmonth.', The Naracoorte Herald, (14 July 1933), p. 3.

'A PAINFUL CASE.', South Australian Weekly Chronicle, (7 March 1885), p. 21.

The Strange Case of the Headless Calf.

The Strange Case of the Headless Calf.

 In 1875, Mount Gambier resident Mrs Buchan, over three nights, had strange dreams about her daughter Mary, who had mysteriously disappeared.

 

Mary Buchan
Photo: Les Hill Collection - Mount Gambier Library.

Mary Buchan had fallen in love with an older man named William Page. They dated for a while, and it was thought it would not be long until he proposed. Then one day, Mary disappeared. Police investigated, but could not find the girl, nor any motive for her leaving the town unannounced.

 The night after her disappearance, Mary’s mother had a disturbing nightmare. In her dream, she was looking over Hedley Park at Mount Gambier. (Hedley Park was bounded by Sturt Street in the north, Bay Road in the east, and South Terrace in the south, with Cemetery Road to its west.)
 In the dream, Mrs Buchan could see a herd of cows standing in one corner of the field. She watched as a calf left the herd and walked across the field. It stopped about halfway across the field. Mrs Buchan watched the calf, and suddenly it dawned on her, that the calf that had just stopped, but had walked across the field, had no head!
 Mrs Buchan woke up sweating and full of terror.

She told a close friend of the dream, and it was passed off as a nightmare due to the stress of her

Mary Buchan 1870: SLSA: [16747]

missing daughter. The following night, Mrs Buchan had the exact same dream. Again, it was brushed off as a nightmare caused by stress.
 After the third night of having the exact same dream, Mrs Buchan could ignore it no longer. The following morning, she reported it to the police who ignored her claim. Mrs Buchan instead arranged with friends to plough the field. They found in the exact spot Mrs Buchan had seen the headless calf, the remains of her daughter, Mary. The police were called to confirm and investigate.

The spot where Mary Buchan’s lifeless body lay was only 150 metres from a police station and even less from houses. If she had screamed, people most certainly would have heard her. The field had only recently been ploughed, so her shallow grave was not noticeable to the naked eye.

It was eventually revealed that William Page had murdered Mary Buchan by strangulation after she refused his sexual advances. Page was later hung at the Mount Gambier Gaol, which you can read about, and more details about the case, in a previous blog post here:

http://hauntedadelaide.blogspot.com/2013/03/ghosts-of-south-coast-mount-gambier.html

Mary Buchan's grave 1875 SLSA: [16748]

Mary Julia Buchan is buried in Lake Terrace Cemetery, Mount Gambier, section G, plot 203. She was just 19 years old at the time of her murder. May she rest in peace. (her mother Mary Buchan is buried nearby in plot 236.)

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2019

Bibliography

'DREAMS OF DEATH', The Mail, (9 November 1929), p. 3.

'THE HEDLEY PARK TRAGEDY.', Border Watch, (7 August 1875), p. 2.

Pearce Family Murder’s: Part II: The Murders

Pearce Family Murder’s: Part II: The Murders

 On Saturday the 5th of January 1991, Stuart Pearce drove from his home at Jackson street Parafield Gardens to his job at the Wingfield BP petrol station.
 His usual routine was to wake up at about 10pm, have a shower and a meal, then drive his Datsun 240K for about 15 minutes to Wingfield to start his shift at midnight.
 An hour before his waking up, at 9pm, Meredith Pearce had spoken to her sister on the phone and made no indication that anything was wrong, or that she was under threat.

 

Datsun car found abandoned
at Kilkenny Shopping Centre
 believed to belong to murder suspect
missing person Stuart Pearce Jan 1991.

The next morning, on Sunday the 6th of January 1991, Metropolitan Fire Service was called to the Jackson Street house of the Pearce family to find it ablaze. The fire had been reported at 7:17am. Stuart Pearce’s nightshift ended at 6:50am.
Pearce’s distinctive white 240K Datsun coupe was found dumped at a Kilkenny shopping centre. His wife, Meredith’s blood was found in the boot of the car and on a door trim. Police believe that her blood was most likely transferred to the car from Pearce.

 Meredith Pearce was found in her bedroom tied to a chair, she had a towel stuffed in her mouth, and was strangled with an electrical cord. The media reported that Adam and Travis had also been tied to chairs and had been asphyxiated by having plastic bags cover their heads. 2-year-old Kerry was reported to have been smothered to death. Autopsies revealed the family had died before the fire had been lit.

 A Police search of the property during their investigation revealed that Stuart Pearce’s .303 rifle was missing. It also uncovered a bunker, which was being used to conceal a drug crop of 25 marijuana plants.

 Police speculated that Pearce murdered his family before going to work. During their investigations, it was revealed that gas bottles had been set around the house on the night prior to the fire, but these failed to explode. Police suspect that Pearce returned home after his night shift and used other accelerants around the house to set the fire, before fleeing to dump his car.

Stuart Pearce remains the most likely suspect in the murder of his family. Over the years, the only survivor, Matthew, who lost his entire family in one night, has been interviewed by police. He denies having any knowledge of his father’s whereabouts.

 Matthew told The Advertiser newspaper, in 2002 that he believed his father was innocent, and that he thought the murderer had been trying to get information from his mother.
 Matthew, in 2004 was charged and sentenced to gaol for criminal trespass after being found in the ceiling of a toy shop, where he said he had been hiding for four hours, as he believed the murderers of his family would come after him next.

Police are still searching for Stuart Pearce.

Computer generated likeness of what Stuart Pearce may look like now.

A reward of up to $1 million dollars has been offered for information leading to the apprehension and/or conviction of the person, or people, responsible for the suspected murders.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au/ - Callers can remain anonymous.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018.

The Haunts of Adelaide: https://www.facebook.com/TheHauntsOfAdelaide/

References:

ABC News (2014) SA most wanted Stuart Pearce: Computer generated images released, retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-05/computer-generated-images-of-sas-most-wanted/5722366 

Crime Stoppers South Australia. (2018). PEARCE FAMILY. Retrieved from https://crimestopperssa.com.au/case/pearce-family/

Hunt, N. (2015, February 28). The cold case files – unsolved SA murders reopened. The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/the-cold-case-files-unsolved-sa-murders-reopened/news-story/05d586cc6f5314bd232554213940e0d9

Hunt, N. (2016, October 1). Police release new details, photos in 1991 Pearce family killings. The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/police-release-new-details-photos-in-1991-pearce-family-killings/news-story/8718ddfe90cc563037bdcce8bb769d62

SBS News (2016, 2 October), Renewed search for SA murder fugitive, Retrieved from; https://www.sbs.com.au/news/renewed-search-for-sa-murder-fugitive

Seidel, N, (2013), Family killers strike most often in summer holidays, UK study shows News Corp Australia Network, retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/family-killers-strike-most-often-in-summer-holidays-uk-study-shows/news-story/4f5d3c4309f417d95c47ba74ab219477

Pearce Family Murder’s: Part II: The Murders

Pearce Family Murder’s: Part II: The Murders

 On Saturday the 5th of January 1991, Stuart Pearce drove from his home at Jackson street Parafield Gardens to his job at the Wingfield BP petrol station.
 His usual routine was to wake up at about 10pm, have a shower and a meal, then drive his Datsun 240K for about 15 minutes to Wingfield to start his shift at midnight.
 An hour before his waking up, at 9pm, Meredith Pearce had spoken to her sister on the phone and made no indication that anything was wrong, or that she was under threat.

 

Datsun car found abandoned
at Kilkenny Shopping Centre
 believed to belong to murder suspect
missing person Stuart Pearce Jan 1991.

The next morning, on Sunday the 6th of January 1991, Metropolitan Fire Service was called to the Jackson Street house of the Pearce family to find it ablaze. The fire had been reported at 7:17am. Stuart Pearce’s nightshift ended at 6:50am.
Pearce’s distinctive white 240K Datsun coupe was found dumped at a Kilkenny shopping centre. His wife, Meredith’s blood was found in the boot of the car and on a door trim. Police believe that her blood was most likely transferred to the car from Pearce.

 Meredith Pearce was found in her bedroom tied to a chair, she had a towel stuffed in her mouth, and was strangled with an electrical cord. The media reported that Adam and Travis had also been tied to chairs and had been asphyxiated by having plastic bags cover their heads. 2-year-old Kerry was reported to have been smothered to death. Autopsies revealed the family had died before the fire had been lit.

 A Police search of the property during their investigation revealed that Stuart Pearce’s .303 rifle was missing. It also uncovered a bunker, which was being used to conceal a drug crop of 25 marijuana plants.

 Police speculated that Pearce murdered his family before going to work. During their investigations, it was revealed that gas bottles had been set around the house on the night prior to the fire, but these failed to explode. Police suspect that Pearce returned home after his night shift and used other accelerants around the house to set the fire, before fleeing to dump his car.

Stuart Pearce remains the most likely suspect in the murder of his family. Over the years, the only survivor, Matthew, who lost his entire family in one night, has been interviewed by police. He denies having any knowledge of his father’s whereabouts.

 Matthew told The Advertiser newspaper, in 2002 that he believed his father was innocent, and that he thought the murderer had been trying to get information from his mother.
 Matthew, in 2004 was charged and sentenced to gaol for criminal trespass after being found in the ceiling of a toy shop, where he said he had been hiding for four hours, as he believed the murderers of his family would come after him next.

Police are still searching for Stuart Pearce.

Computer generated likeness of what Stuart Pearce may look like now.

A reward of up to $1 million dollars has been offered for information leading to the apprehension and/or conviction of the person, or people, responsible for the suspected murders.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au/ - Callers can remain anonymous.

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018.

The Haunts of Adelaide: https://www.facebook.com/TheHauntsOfAdelaide/

References:

ABC News (2014) SA most wanted Stuart Pearce: Computer generated images released, retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-05/computer-generated-images-of-sas-most-wanted/5722366 

Crime Stoppers South Australia. (2018). PEARCE FAMILY. Retrieved from https://crimestopperssa.com.au/case/pearce-family/

Hunt, N. (2015, February 28). The cold case files – unsolved SA murders reopened. The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/the-cold-case-files-unsolved-sa-murders-reopened/news-story/05d586cc6f5314bd232554213940e0d9

Hunt, N. (2016, October 1). Police release new details, photos in 1991 Pearce family killings. The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/police-release-new-details-photos-in-1991-pearce-family-killings/news-story/8718ddfe90cc563037bdcce8bb769d62

SBS News (2016, 2 October), Renewed search for SA murder fugitive, Retrieved from; https://www.sbs.com.au/news/renewed-search-for-sa-murder-fugitive

Seidel, N, (2013), Family killers strike most often in summer holidays, UK study shows News Corp Australia Network, retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/family-killers-strike-most-often-in-summer-holidays-uk-study-shows/news-story/4f5d3c4309f417d95c47ba74ab219477

Pearce Family Murder’s: Part I: The Hunt for Stuart Pearce.

Pearce Family Murder’s: Part I: The Hunt for Stuart Pearce.

Saturday the 5th of January 1990 was the last time Meredith Pearce talked to her sister on the phone, the next morning she would be dead.

On Sunday morning the 6th of January 1991, the Metropolitan fire service was called to a home on Jackson Street, Parafield Gardens. The home was well ablaze, and after being extinguished, inside was found the body of Meredith Pearce (31) and three of her four children, Adam (11), Travis (9) and Kerry (2), missing from the house fire were Meredith’s husband, Stuart, and another son, Matthew (8).
Matthew, it was later found, had spent the night before sleeping over at a friend’s house. Stuart Pearce, however, could not, and still to this day, be found and remains the prime suspect in the murder of the family.

The Pearce family - circa 1990

Since the murders took place, numerous sightings of Stuart Pearce were reported across the world. Police investigated each one, with all being false identifications, and the suspects involved being able to prove who they really are.
A man fitting Pearce’s description, wearing a beige coloured uniform with the BP logo on it was seen in a Port Augusta shop on the day of the murders being reported.
Other unconfirmed sightings took place at Ceduna and at Madura in Western Australia.
A month after the murders, another unconfirmed sighting of Pearce took place at Portland, Victoria.
In late 1991, Pearce was sighted in Mount Gambier. Police thought he may have been sheltered by friends in the area, but Pearce alluded police capture.

Pearce was reportedly sighted in June 1996, at a Knox shopping centre in Melbourne, but this sighting remains inconclusive with no images of the person offered to police.

Detective Sergeant Sharpe said of the hunt for Stuart Pearce in a 2016 interview: “It would be very difficult for someone to live off the grid for this length of time – we have his fingerprints plus a DNA profile and he’s the subject of an Interpol red notice, but he hasn’t come to our attention.

Pearce is 177cm’s tall and has blue eyes. At the time of the murders, he had two distinctive tattoos. One tattoo was a Maltese Cross with a red and green rose over it on his lower left leg, and on his upper right arm, he had a tattoo of a naked woman with a rose on her back.


Stuart Pearce remains the prime suspect in the murders.

The Pearce family home at Parafield Gardens 

A reward of up to $1 million dollars has been offered for information leading to the apprehension and/or conviction of the person, or people, responsible for the suspected murders.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au/ - Callers can remain anonymous.


Next Week: Pearce Family Murder’s: Part II: The Murders


Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018.
(References published in the final post.)

The Haunts of Adelaide: https://www.facebook.com/TheHauntsOfAdelaide/

Engelbrecht Caves: Ghost of the South Coast part VIII

Engelbrecht Caves

One of Mount Gambier's biggest tourist draw cards is the Engelbrecht Caves. The cave system was explored in 1864 by John Stratford, Charlie Brad, Albert Grosser and 10-year-old Charlie Grosser, in a canoe built by pioneer settler Dr Edward Wehl.
The adventurers explored but soon found themselves caught in strong currents in the underground cave system and were pulled through the network. They had a hard time making it back to where they started but made note of the enormous size and beauty of the caves during their trip, which was eventually written about much later in 1933.

The caves are formed of Gambier Limestone, and by a process of chemical dissolution have formed over thousands of years, the limestone being originally formed some 35 to 45 million years ago!
The cave gained its name after Mr Carl Engelbrecht arrived from Germany, and bought a nearby flour mill, turning it into a whiskey distillery. He used the caves to dump all of the waste and by-products, evidence of bottles can still be found today!



After a group of divers explored the caves by the request of the local council, it was decided they wouldn't be suitable for a tourist development due to the large piles of rubbish inside and the possibility of people being hurt in small lakes and waters inside.
Almost 15 years later, The local Lions Club took over the site and set about cleaning it up, after 3 years and $10,000 they handed the caves back to the council, and from there it became the tourist attraction we know today.

In late 2008 a tourist was enjoying the caves when she took a random photograph, as tourists do, she got a shock when looking at the picture when she found the face of a small boy looking out at her from behind a rock. The boy seemed to have an unearthly blue glow to him.
She was stunned and sent the photo to be viewed by the tour group. Someone in the tour group leaked the photo online, and soon it was in all the local papers and a media frenzy grew around it. The photo was also available online.
This led to a large number of new tourists becoming interested in the caves and the story, all looking for the little lost ghost boy in the caves.

The media attention also caused a large backlash by non-ghost believers, these people began to attack the authenticity of the ghost photos and even made personal attacks toward to photographer, which in turn led to the photo being removed from all media and internet sites as per her request.

I am lucky enough to have a copy of the photo, but as per the copyright holder's request, cannot display it here.
Interestingly a local paranormal investigation team named Abandoned Australia investigated the caves back in May 2009, but found nothing at the time they thought was paranormal, but also stated that this did not mean the location was not haunted – for more about their investigation please follow this link:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2009/05/18/2573494.htm


Mount Gambier also offers Ghost Tours, you can find them here via this link: http://mountgambier.localitylist.com.au/yellowresult.php/goal/Detail/ckey/2043


So are the caves haunted by a little boy? If they are, who is he, and why is there, in a cold wet cave?
These are the questions no one has an answer to right now...
More investigation is needed to verify the existence of the 'ghost boy' and the authenticity of the photos,; but this is highly unlikely on both accounts, so the ghost boy, for now, will remain another of the mysteries of the area...

That concludes our look into Ghosts of the South Coast, for now, we will return to the area at a later date as we have uncovered several other local stories as well, but we feel it is important to not dwell on one area for too long. So we will move on for now, and come back down south at a later date.

© 2013 Allen Tiller

The Spirits of Lake Leak - Ghosts of The South Coast Part 7

The Spirits of Lake Leak

Not far from Millicent, close to Glencoe, is a large dormant volcano with a lake in its crater, much like Mount Gambier's Blue Lake, but much smaller. That lake is known as “Lake Leak”.
For many years, it was rumoured in the local area, that Lake Leak was haunted. Very few people dared to venture up to the beautiful setting at night for fear they may encounter the local ghost.


People have drowned in this lake, that is a well-established fact. The locals knew those who had lost their lives here and knew how dangerous the place could be. It was often said on a moonlit night one could see a silver-grey, human-like figure lying on the dark waters of the lake. Whether the figure was a male or female, could be discerned, but nonetheless, people witnessed a mysterious person, floating, still, upon the water...like a dead body...

Not many people ventured to the lake at night, but every so often a stockman or rider passing through, would camp nearby and let their horses rest, They would wake in the night and see the mysterious figure floating on the water. The men (or man) would quickly pack up and ride into the night scared out of their wits, others wouldn’t even wait to pack up, but simply split until morning and then return for their things.


 One evening a man, braver than most, happened upon the lake and decided to stay the night. He spotted the mysterious shimmery silver-grey figure and watched it closely, noticing it never moved. Throwing caution to the wind, he decided to move closer and observe the figure.
It just lay there, floating, never drifting, always in the same spot.

The observant man decided not to bother the ghost this time, but just watch the figure. He then decided he should watch it for a few nights, to see if it ever did anything. One night he decided he would try and communicate with it, but had no reply.

On the third night, he spotted another ghost, this one much closer to him, and weirdly doing the exact same thing as the distant ghost, floating upon the water.

Working up all his bravery he decided to investigate the second ghost and got much closer. He was shocked at his discovery... the “ghost” was, in fact, an ancient white gum tree stripped of its bark and emerging in the still waters. He ventured to the distant ghost, to discover the same thing.

The next day he rode into town to the pub, to tell his story of bravery, and to tell the locals that the ghost of Lake Leak, which had haunted them for over a decade was nothing more than an old tree!



© 2013 Allen Tiller

Dolly's Dollars: The Ghosts of the South Coast Part VI

Dolly's Dollars

Around 148 years ago, in the seaside town of Robe, a little lady named Mary Ann Bryan, came to live.

No-one was sure if she was married or single, as no-one asked and she never introduced herself as such, only as “Dolly”, and that is the only name she became known by.

Dolly ran the local school, near what is now the Robe Hotel, and also a small shop from the same building which was a haberdashery, offering linen, clothing and other materials and also eventually included dressmaking as one of her items of sale, which in turn brought in a tidy profit.

Her school was the third school to be located in the town after the previous school mistresses passed their licences in upon getting married.

Dolly soon attracted the female squatters and settlers of the area and made a great deal of profit from them from her dress sales, but in the late 1860's she fell deathly ill, and called her maidservant, who took care of a lot of her business, to her bedside, telling her to give her desk to Mrs Peter Roberts.

Dolly soon succumbed to her illness and passed away, the local papers ran notifications looking for next of kin, but no-one came forward. Mrs Roberts, concluding that the desk being given to her gave her some right to Dolly's estate made a claim for Dolly's wealth and belongings. She was awarded a grand sum of £700 (pounds), the family up and left Robe and were never seen again.

This left about £12,000 (pounds) in the Estate curators hands, unclaimed. The money sat untouched for several years.

Eventually someone did come forward to claim the money, a young man and woman, and it was paid unto them, only for the Auditor General to discover that the young man was an officer within his own branch who took the money and with his lady friend absconded to Mexico along with three months of “Leave of Absences” pay.

Church of England Dolly's Ghost was seen within

England had no treaty of extradition with Mexico at the time so the young man was untouchable, this didn’t stop the law at the time trying to coax him out on “fishing trips” to the three-mile open waters, where he could be arrested.

The young man was far too clever for the police and stayed well away from their nets, living like a king in Mexico on Dolly's hard earned money.

Meanwhile back in Robe, Dolly's body lay in the local cemetery, with no family visiting, she was a forgotten soul in the lonely cemetery until one day, whilst folk were cleaning the Robe Church of England, Dolly was seen praying inside the Church.

She stood, walked to the cleaning lady and said: “I will come again”...

Dolly's grave can be found in Robe Cemetery, it is surrounded with a large, hand-hammered, iron railing...

© 2013 Allen Tiller

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The Legend of Ben Bounty: Ghosts of the South Coast part V

Ghosts of the South Coast: Part V
The Legend of Ben Bounty

Tantanoola, a little town not too far away from Mount Gambier was the host to a cave ghost in 1890. The Ghost was spotted by travellers on a few occasions and reported to local police, who in their duties never came across the restless spirit.
The ghost was seen in the same vicinity on the Mount Gambier to Millicent road on several occasions by different travelling parties.
It never once hurt anybody or tried to communicate, but it did scare several young men who were riding their horses between the towns and spotted it in the moonlight, staring at them, from the entrance of the cave.

Tantanoola Caves

Not far away on the outskirts of Tantanoola comes the story of our next local ghost.
During the 1870s, a local man, known as Ben Bounty was prospecting, trying to make his fortune, looking for the legendary “gold reef” that was supposed to lay in the caves and cliffs and surrounding hills.


He visited the local quarry one day and noticed a Chinese man a sailor, who had obviously, by his dress and demeanour, been smuggled ashore near Cape Banks.
It was well known that Chinese nationals were flocking to Australia for the gold rush in Victoria, but the Vics had put a toll on the Chinese coming into their State from the sea, the easiest way around was to come into Port MacDonnell or Robes ports and then walk across the border, hence avoiding the toll. Obviously, some of the shady characters couldn't risk the customs houses and would be smuggled ashore and hidden away until they could join a travelling party and blend in.

Tantanoola Hotel

The Chinese man looked at Ben Bounty and pulled from his belt a large knife, he balanced it for only a second, then threw it at the prospector.
Bounty was never seen alive again.
A while later, the story got around about the old prospector and the Chinaman, from the very mouth of the murderer, who seemed quite pleased with what he had done.
One evening, a few young men, who had heard the rumour of Bounty's death, went to the quarry to investigate for themselves, at exactly 8 o'clock in the evening, they witnessed a white-clothed figure leaning against the wall inside the quarry. They stood and watched, one boy got brave and went a little closer to investigate.
When he was just a few yards from the man in white, the man moved just a little, and in the moonlight, the young lad could see the knife in his chest, reflecting the moon!
The boys ran from the quarry terrified, and from there, the legend of Ben Bounty's ghost grew into a local ghost story told around campfires to scare young children...

© 2013 Allen Tiller

The Grinning Ghost of Mount Gambier: Ghosts of the South Coast Part IV

Ghosts of the South Coast

Part IV

The Grinning Ghost of Mount Gambier

  In 1937 Mount Gambier was a bustling town, Adelaide's second biggest city, a tourist hotspot, and plagued by a ghost!

Chronicle Thursday 24 June 1937, page 46

  Endless reports over a few weeks were being filed with the local police of a ghost running amok on Mount Gambier's streets. Women were fainting at the sight of it, men were running away scared and the Police had very little to go on. The ghost seemed to magically disappear in the presence of the police.

Descriptions of the ghost claim that it was totally white from head to toe, with glowing yellow eyes and a large grin.

 A rumour also sprung up around the town at one point that the ghost had been captured and hidden away in the local Police cells. the police, who had yet to witness the ghost, denied these claims and stated they did not have the facilities to keep a ghost.

Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW  1888 - 1954)
 Thursday 24 June 1937, page 5

  Two men had an interesting encounter with the Mount Gambier ghost. When walking past the local primary school at 2am one morning, one of the men felt someone tap him on the shoulder. When he turned to see who had tapped him, he saw the grinning ghost staring back at him.

  He and his friend panicked and bolted down the road as fast as they could. They soon gained their wits and courage and returned to the primary school to investigate, where they saw the ghost, who also saw them. The ghost leapt over a fence and ran away from the men!

Town Hall - photo by Allen Tiller

  The men, thinking of outsmarting the ghost, ran around the outside of the school to the front gates, where it seemed their ghostly attacker would be heading. They were in luck!
 As the ghost turned the corner to exit the school, one of the men made to grab him, the ghost startled, turned and ran back the way he had come!

The two men ran to the local police station and awoke the constable there to tell him of the ghostly sighting, but it was now too late to capture him as he had fled the scene....or simply vanished...

  The two men got a very good description of the ghost, which they said looked like a man wearing a woman’s dress over his head, tied off around his waist.

Another person, this time a woman, was found unconscious in Grey-Street later that week. When awoken and questioned she said the ghost had surprised her when it touched her on the shoulder, she had fainted and didn't know anymore.

Another police search ensued, but again, the ghost had vanished.

Things got a little more dangerous when a local minister reported that he had been awoken during the night in his house when the ghost had been watching him through his window. He silently pulled out his gun, and shot towards the ghost, wounding it!

After this final encounter with a religious man, the ghost fled into the night, and never returned again!

© 2013 Allen Tiller