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] 

---

[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

---

[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

 The Shooting Death of E. Beckmann

 On Sunday 29 December 1850, E. Beckmann (sometimes published as Breckmond in local newspapers) was passing a house on the Gawler Plains, between Smiths Creek and Salisbury (in what would be Elizabeth today). As he passed one of the only houses on the plains, a hostile ferocious dog set upon him.
 Beckmann went for his gun. Instead of shooting the dog, he attempted to keep it away by swinging the butt of the gun at it. Beckmann was holding the gun by the barrel end, he swung the gun meaning to slam it down onto the dog, smashing it into the ground. As the gun hit the ground it fired, sending its contents directly into Beckmann’s abdomen, shredding his insides.^[1]

 

The gunshot alerted nearby workers who found Beckmann. He lasted just half an hour before he died from the severity of his injuries.

 The following day he was taken to Smith’s Hotel (now the Smithfield Hotel) for an inquest. Mr Bromley acted as chairperson, with members of the public acting as jury. It was discovered that Beckmann had on his person £1 5.s in money, a pocketbook, and a watch, so robbery was ruled out. After a short deliberation, Beckmann’s death was ruled ‘accidental’.^[2] His remains were taken to Gawler where he was buried in the Gawler Cemetery (now Pioneer Park).^[3]

 There remains a mystery as to who Mr Beckmann was, with nothing found on his body to identify next of kin.

© Allen Tiller 2022

---

[1] 'Local News.', South Australian, (3 Jan 1851), p. 2., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71685742.

[2] 'The German Constituencies in South Australia.', South Australian Register, (2 Jan 1851), p. 2.,  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38442071

[3] Pioneer Park – Gawler Old Cemetery Name List, Gawler History Team, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-BRCBQFhkf0PR6W9FosfFmaJDAn3PpBm/view.

 Port Elliot UFO Sighting 1995

 

 In 1995, Karen Lee of Port Elliot reported a UFO near her house. Her children called out to her because they were scared after seeing an object in the sky at about 7:10pm on Tuesday, 29 August.
 Ms Lee ran from the kitchen to view the object, which she described as “big, round and red.”
 It hovered close to the family home, then sped away at great speed towards the ocean. Lee’s next-door neighbour, Ross Tuckwell, also witnessed the UFO at about 7:30pm. Tuckwell was in his yard having a smoke when he saw what he described as a ‘huge floodlight’ that hovered over his Sorrento Parade home at Victor Harbor.[1]

Len and Louisa Quick also witnessed orange lights. They spotted four orange lights the night before, floating in a triangular formation. They watched the UFOs when suddenly one floated down from the sky. Len kept his spotlight on the object and watched it descend into the harbour, and very close to where they were positioned. It did not take them long to realise the UFO was an orange garbage bag!

 Only a few days later, Victor Harbour police launched an investigation into the local UFO phenomenon after a large orange garbage bag was found partially deflated. Someone had turned garbage bags into sky lanterns. The fuel for the ‘UFOs’ was believed to be a firelighter suspended inside the bag with a light wire.[2]

 The police did not find it funny, stating, "For sure it's dangerous, It's a really silly act. For one, it's stirred up all this UFO talk, but more importantly, if one of these devices landed in a field or something, they could create a bushfire. Because of the danger, we would recommend that people not try to undertake any similar activity."[3]

UFO mystery solved.

© 2022 Allen Tiller

[1] 'UFO sighted', Times, (1 September 1995), p. 1., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196384194

[2] 'UFOs all hot air', Times, (29 September 1995), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196383187

[3] 'Police warn of danger', Times, (29 September 1995), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article196383189.

 The Haunting of the Exchange Hotel - Gawler

The Exchange Hotel was first licensed in 1868. On Saturday the 17th of May 1893, this hotel made national news after the suicide of R.F. Rankin. He had been wrongly prosecuted in Moonta for defrauding a chemist of 10 pounds.
 Rankin came to Gawler intending to stay the weekend. Rankin had some bad habits, he was an intravenous cocaine and morphine user.[1]  On Saturday evening, Mrs Lucas, the wife of the publican heard some painful groans coming from Rankins room, she alerted her husband, who tried, but could not open the door. They called their ostler, who climbed a ladder and broke into the room, opening the door. There on the bed was Rankin, lying dead among syringes and tubes of cocaine. Doctor Dawes was called to examine Rankin…but it didn’t take long for him to realise it wasn’t an overdose, but a case of poisoning.
  Found lying under the bed was a small bottle of prussic acid, which is also known as a solution of cyanide. It was used in fumigation and in mining, and the smallest amount can cause death instantly.[2]  Rankin had consumed about 15mls of the liquid. A jury concluded that most likely, Rankin was delirious from the amount of cocaine and morphine he had consumed, and possibly drank the bottle of cyanide without realising what he was doing. His death was listed as an ‘accidental suicide’.[3] 

 It is claimed a female houseguest died upstairs and she is to blame for several of the ghostly goings-on inside the hotel. Scott Fraser, a former publican of the Exchange Hotel has previously stated in the media that lights will randomly turn on throughout the various levels of the hotel. Even more unsettling is the strong smell of death that permeates the rooms of the hotel with no known source.
  Fraser had exterminators in twice, thinking a possum had died in the ceiling. After inspection, no source for the smell could be found, in fact, the smell seemed to move from room to room, and could sometimes be smelled in one corner of a room, and not another, as though an invisible wall was holding the smell in containment. The smell was bad enough that on some occasions people would choke, gag or vomit from it.

 This hotel is also claimed to be haunted by the spirit of a little girl. It is not known whom she might be, but she is often seen sitting on a bed in an upstairs room!

 

Researched and written for the Gawler History Team presentation ‘Ghostly Gawler’ by Allen Tiller © 2021

---

[1] 'Coroners' Inquests.', South Australian Register, (30 May 1893), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48521216

[2] ‘Hydrocyanic Acid Formula’, Soft Schools.com, (2019), http://www.softschools.com/formulas/chemistry/hydrocyanic_acid_uses_properties_structure_formula/228/

[3] 'Coroner’s Inquests.', Evening Journal, (30 May 1893), p. 3., http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197868964

 The Haunting of Euke House

Euke House was built on land subdivided from Mahoney’s Paddock and another allegedly haunted house, Yenda, in Gawler.

The land was bought at auction by the farrier, William Wilson Smith in 1874. In 1875, Smith sold the land to the auctioneer who had sold it to him, Mr John Wilkinson.
Wilkinson is assumed to have built the house between 1875 and 1879. Wilkinson sold the property to Joseph Wilcox junior and William Roe Lewis in June 1879, it was sold again two months later to John Frederick May who was in a business partnership with his brother Alfred at iconic Gawler business the May Brothers. May leased the house to Edward Luca who bought the property in May 1894.

 The property changed hands many more times, before becoming the home and medical surgery of Dr Gemmel Wilson Tassie in the 1960s until 1971 – and it is during this period that the alleged haunting began.

A cleaner in the home in the 1980s noticed that after she made the bed, the mattress would compress as if someone had just sat down. She noted sweet fragrances, in one bedroom, and every now and then, things would move around, she would walk in, place her cleaning items on a table, and a few seconds later, they would be on the other side of the room on a dresser. She never saw the spirits of the house, but claimed she felt that one room was haunted by a former doctor, another a former patient and that another spirit was a 'youngish' girl…could the girl be Gracie or Anna from Yenda?

 This information was drawn from my talk for the Gawler History Team in 2021. You can watch the entire presentation via the video link below:

© 2022 Allen Tiller

 A Haunting at the Royal Adelaide Hospital

The foundations for the Royal Adelaide Hospital (now Lot 14) on North Terrace were laid in 1840, but it took until 1855 for the construction of permanent buildings to begin. These new buildings took a year to complete and contained a surgery, dispensary, nurse’s dining room, chapel, and a surgeon’s quarters.  A two-story building was also constructed which featured inside it, padded cells and bedrooms.

A ghost story from the RAH comes directly from a nurse who was wrapping up a long night shift. The nurse was nearing the end of his shift and was running through the checklist of things to get done before the next shift started. He was tending to a patient who had just been pronounced deceased by the attendant doctor. The nurse washed the deceased man, completed the associated paperwork, then headed into the nurse’s station to await shift change.
  While sitting at the station waiting for the shift to change over, he felt like he was being watched, then noticed a dramatic drop in the temperature of the room. He looked towards the doorway, and saw, standing there, the deceased patient he had just washed. The man was fully dressed, with a big smile on his face, and was waving, as if to say “Goodbye” to the nurse.
  The nurse blinked his eyes in disbelief, and the man was gone... The nurse got up from his seat, ran across the hall into the room where the dead man’s body lay... and there he was, still laid out, still under his blanket, still deceased...

  The RAH also has a story about a ‘Grey Nurse’ the story is the same as it is in most hospitals worldwide. No one really knows who she is, but the Grey Nurse does her duties in death, much like she did in life, delivering comfort to the dying. Could it be that these “Grey Nurses” are Angels from God, sent to comfort the dying? 

© Allen Tiller 2022
(paranormal experiences are directly from the source)