Fata Morgana & the Quest for UFO Evidence

By Allen Tiller, originally published on Paranormal New Zealand on 03/03/2014

 

 “Fata Morgana” sounds like the name of a sorceress from the legendary stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and believe it or not, that’s indeed where the term’s origins lie!
  However, it is also the name given to a complex atmospheric mirage that could explain at least some UFO reports in the Australian desert and outback, both day and night.

Many people report strange sightings in the Australian outback, day and night, of shimmering lights, glowing objects, and other unexplained phenomena, usually described as UFOs — unidentified flying objects. (Which, when you think about it, is a very broad category of objects, as anything you cannot identify that flies remains an unidentified flying object. The UFO community may need to create some more specific sighting categories — but that is a whole other area of discussion!)

  Have you ever driven your car on a hot summer’s day and noticed that watery mirage out on the horizon — the one you can never reach, but is always there? That is a type of mirage associated with hot surfaces, but it is more accurately described as an inferior mirage, rather than a Fata Morgana. The natural phenomenon behind these effects, however, is much more interesting than many people realise.

  A Fata Morgana can occur over land or sea. It is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction as light passes through layers of air with different temperatures and densities. Under normal atmospheric conditions, air tends to become cooler with increasing height. However, during a temperature inversion, warmer air can exist above a layer of colder, denser air.

  This is important because light rays bend as they pass through air of different densities. In a strong temperature inversion, the bending can become sufficiently pronounced to produce a superior mirage, where distant objects can appear elevated above their true position. Under more complex temperature profiles, multiple images can form, some inverted and some upright, stacked vertically and rapidly changing in appearance. This more extreme and complicated form is what is commonly called a Fata Morgana.

  What happens is that distant objects on or near the horizon become part of the mirage our eyes see. Because the light is refracted through layers of air with different temperatures and densities, the image can become distorted, stretched, compressed, inverted or vertically displaced.

Any object — let’s say a distant car on the horizon — can suddenly appear above the road, possibly distorted and apparently floating in the sky, moving quickly or changing shape. Sounds like some UFO sightings you’ve heard about, right?

 The interesting thing about these atmospheric mirages is that they can happen at night as well. In the Australian outback, the right combination of a warm day, a cool or cold night, calm conditions and relatively flat terrain can create the temperature structure necessary for unusual mirages to occur.

 Fata Morgana can make distant objects appear stacked horizontally or vertically, inverted, mirrored or distorted. In fact, it can distort objects so significantly that they become almost unrecognisable.

Now, before I go any further, we should distinguish a true Fata Morgana from an ordinary superior mirage or an inferior mirage. An ordinary superior mirage occurs when the miraged image appears above the true object. It is commonly associated with a temperature inversion, where colder air is trapped beneath warmer air. Light passing through these layers is refracted, causing distant objects to appear higher than they really are.

 A Fata Morgana is generally considered an extreme or particularly complex form of superior mirage. Instead of producing a simple displaced image, the atmosphere can produce multiple erect and inverted images that appear stacked on top of one another. These images can change rapidly, become stretched or compressed, and sometimes produce bizarre shapes that bear little resemblance to the original object.

 An inferior mirage, on the other hand, is the terminology used to describe the classic mirage most of us know, where what appears to be water can be seen in the distance, often beneath an object such as a sand dune, road or other landscape feature.

 This is the familiar “water on the road” effect seen on hot summer days. It occurs because the air close to a hot surface becomes warmer and less dense than the air above it, causing light rays to bend as they pass through the different layers. The apparent water is often actually a refracted image of the sky.

While both superior and inferior mirages are related to atmospheric refraction, there is more happening in a Fata Morgana. The temperature structure of the atmosphere can create multiple images and dramatic vertical distortions, making the phenomenon much more visually spectacular — and potentially much more confusing to an observer.

  As I said earlier in this article, a temperature inversion is an important part of many superior mirages and Fata Morgana effects, but the exact atmospheric structure is important. Under suitable conditions, a layer of air can act as an atmospheric duct, allowing light to travel much farther than it normally would while also being strongly refracted. This can allow distant objects or lights that would normally be hidden below the horizon to become visible to an observer.

This is where it gets a little weirder.

  A Fata Morgana can cause not only horizontal distortions but also significant vertical distortions, making a recognisable image into something totally unrecognisable to the human eye. The phenomenon can also produce considerable apparent magnification or vertical stretching.

  For a Fata Morgana to be visible to you, the viewer, the atmospheric conditions and temperature profile must be suitable for strong refraction. The geometry between the observer, the distant object and the atmospheric layers is also important. It isn't simply a matter of having hot air over cold air — the strength and structure of the inversion determine what kind of mirage is produced.

So, taking all that into account, it boils down to this…

  If you have the right weather conditions — say, a really hot day followed by a cool or cold, relatively calm night — an atmospheric temperature inversion can develop close to the ground. In suitable terrain, particularly flat or gently undulating country where cold air can become trapped, distant lights or objects may become visible through atmospheric refraction.

  And this is not just theoretical. In an experiment investigating the mysterious Min Min lights of the Australian outback, a distant vehicle was positioned approximately 10 kilometres away, beyond a slight rise in the landscape. Under suitable atmospheric conditions, observers were able to see the vehicle’s light apparently floating above the horizon. The following morning, a spectacular Fata Morgana was also observed under the same general atmospheric conditions.

 This is particularly interesting when considering reports of mysterious lights in remote parts of Australia. A distant car headlight, campfire or other light source can potentially be refracted by the atmosphere and appear to be somewhere it isn't, possibly even appearing to move as the observer or atmospheric conditions change.

  This does not debunk every UFO sighting, of course, far from it. But it certainly makes you think about many of the sightings you read about that happen in the Australian outback. Could Fata Morgana, superior mirages and other forms of atmospheric refraction be responsible for some of these sightings? The answer is quite possibly yes.

  But the important point is that each sighting needs to be considered on its own evidence. A strange light seen near the horizon under strong inversion conditions may have a very different explanation from a close-range object observed overhead.

And that is what makes the search for UFO evidence so interesting!

For more on how the effect works, please follow this link:

http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/mirages/mirintro.html

Further Reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fata_Morgana_(mirage))

http://english.pravda.ru/science/tech/19-04-2003/2614-light-0/

http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/04/05/terrifying-ufos-or-fata-morgana-mirages/

Researched and Written by © Allen Tiller, 2014 (re-edited 2026)

www.allentiller.com.au

 Hitchhiker ghost between Burra and Morgan

Recently, a witness has come forward claiming to have encountered a hitchhiking female ghost on Goyder Highway between Burra and Morgan. The entity is described only as a female in a white dress.

 Unrelated to the ghostly encounter, the ‘ghost town’ of Florieton once stood near here. And the murder of Mareek Singh occurred nearby. In 1899, Frank Ward was arrested for murder, accused of having in his possession items belonging to Mareek Singh, who had been found buried in a shallow grave near a camp.^[1]
It was proven during an inquest held at Mount Mary that Mr Singh had been killed by a strike to the head, and then his head had been decapitated. Coroner, Dr Ramsey Smith, removed the head from the gravesite and took it as evidence to the hearing against Ward.^[2]

Ward was found guilty of murder and forced to serve time at the Adelaide Gaol. His release date, ‘at the pleasure of the Governor, for "having murdered the Indian Hawker at Mount Mary on February 21st.
Shortly after arriving at the Adelaide Gaol, Ward tried to commit suicide. This led to him being described as ‘insane’ and serving his sentence at the Parkside Lunatic Asylum.^[3]

 written by Allen Tiller © 2026 www.AllenTiller.com.au

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[1] 'THE INQUEST', South Australian Register, (25 February 1899), p. 5.

[2] 'THE MOUNT MARY TRAGEDY.', The Express and Telegraph (20 February 1899), p. 2.

[3] 'THE MURDERER WARD.', Adelaide Observer, (2 September 1899), p. 29.

  Historic Properties: Forsyth House - Felixstow

 Forsyth House, located in Adelaide’s eastern suburb of Felixstow, is a state heritage-listed residence originally built in 1913 for Arthur Ebenezer Pitt, who named the property Kahurangi. Set amid extensive orchards, it reflected the prosperity of the Pitt family, whose horticultural enterprise grew from early colonial beginnings in South Australia’s eastern districts. Arthur was the son of Ebenezer Pitt, an English migrant who arrived in 1847 and whose family became prominent in the region’s fruit-growing industry through Pitt & James.  Kahurangi remained in the Pitt family until 1943, when the property was sold to the Central Mission Old Folks Home Incorporated.

Following its sale, the home was renamed Forsyth House in honour of Samuel Forsyth, superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission. Forsyth was a significant social reformer whose contributions included establishing the Kuitpo Industrial Colony during the Great Depression and bringing radio stations 5KA and 5AU under mission ownership.

In 2008, the property evolved into the Aldersgate Nursing Home, continuing its role in community care. From 2025, Uniting Communities announced major redevelopment plans to expand the site into a broader integrated care precinct. These plans include aged care, retirement living, disability accommodation, dementia-specialist housing, affordable and social housing, and build-to-rent family apartments—blending heritage preservation with contemporary social and residential services.

Source: https://normus.com.au/urban_projects/aldersgate-village-and-forsyth-house/

Historic Properties: The Briars – Medindie

 Historic Properties:

 The Briars – Medindie

 

'The Briars', Medindie 1880 - SLSA: [PRG 742/5/139]

 

  Located on Briar Avenue, Medindie, The Briars was built for George C. Hawker. When Hawker purchased the property, it had a modest home already built, which he altered. He added another story and then decorated his property in Classical Italianate style. The main palazzo style façade features white rendered arches and a centred square tower. The design is carried along the side of the building with three archways.[1]  The home features 30 rooms.
  The original lot (Lot 38) on which Hawker built his mansion was owned by Francis Hayborough Dutton, who sold it to Francis Corbett Singlton in 1850. Singleton built the modest house that would eventually be added to and become The Briars. George Hawker purchased the property in 1857 and Lots 10 and 37 for £3500. This equated to approximately eight acres of land. Hawker purchased an additional four acres from Singleton in 1858, increasing his land holding to twelve acres. Thirty years later, in 1891, Hawker purchased Lots 12 and 13 from Francis Dutton.[2]

  Between 1865 and 1874, the Hawker family lived in England. During this time, The Briars was leased to John Acraman. The Hawkers returned to economic prosperity, and additions were made to the property, which now contained the house, stables, servants’ quarters and five acres of land used as paddocks.

1880 Hallway of the "Briars", home of George Charles Hawker.
SLSA: [B 41859]

  After Hawker's death, the property was sold to James William Cowell, a Norwood timber merchant. Cowel died in 1910; his estate was then managed by The Executive Trustee and Agency Company, which subdivided the acreage into 16 lots, leaving The Briars on approximately an acre of land. The property was then sold to William Bramwell Booth of the Salvation Army. The property was sold in 1987 for two million dollars to investors looking to transform it into a retirement village. This plan went unrealised, and instead, it eventually returned to private ownership.

In 1914, The Briars were purchased by the Salvation Army and became the McBride Maternity Hospital.   The Hospital was named in honour of Mr R. J. McBride, who was a prominent grazier at Kooringa near Burra. Mr McBride was known for his philanthropy, donated £3000 pounds to purchase the property for the purpose of a hospital.[3]

  The hospital provided accommodation for single mothers and their babies, as well as some public maternity patients. Some mothers (unwillingly) had their babies adopted out from the hospital. The hospital operated until the mid-1970s. It then became a convalescent hospital in 1978, with a small hostel for single mothers. The hostel closed in 1983, and the hospital closed in 1986.   

 

 

George Charles Hawker by artist Thomas Caleb Dalwood c.1890
SLSA: [B 3712]

 The Honorary George Hawker MP (1818-1905) was a successful sheep grazier and politician. George Hawker served in Parliament for 25 years from 1858 until 1883. In that time, he served as Speaker of the House of Assembly 1860-1865, Treasurer 1875, Chief Secretary in 1876, and Commissioner of Public Works from 1877-1881. The town of Hawker in the Flinders Ranges is named in his honour.

 Hawker married Bessie Seymour in 1845. Together they had fifteen children, six sons and six daughters. Hawker was to receive a Knighthood from Queen Victoria in 1895, but died before it could be bestowed upon him. George Hawker died at his home, The Briars, on 21 May 1895, and was buried in the North Road Cemetery.
 His widow appealed posthumously for George’s honours, which were approved by Queen Victoria, making her Lady Hawker. Hawkers’ estate left £305, 800. His art collection was left to his wife, who subsequently donated the collection of paintings and statues to the Art Gallery of South Australia upon her death. A marble bust of George Hawker sits on level one of Parliament House in Adelaide.[4]

 

Researched and written by Allen Tiller, ©2026
#AllenTiller #history #TheBriars #HauntedAdelaide #northroadcemetery 

 

 

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[1] McDougall & Vines Conservation and Heritage Consultants, Heritage Survey Of The Town Of Walkerville, The Corporation Of The Town Of Walkerville, Vol. (2 April 2005) pp. 22-28.

[2] Ibid.

[3] 'MR. R. J. M. McBRIDE.', The Register (10 February 1917), p. 11.; 'McBRIDE MATERNITY HOSPITAL.', The Advertiser, (30 January 1914), p. 10.

[4] 'Hawker, George Charles (1818–1895)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hawker-george-charles-3734/text5873.

 Shelf-Employed: The Indie Publishing Podcast 

– Transc

ript: Episode 11: South Australia’s History Festival 2026

[Transcript Begins]

It's time for the History Festival in South Australia, and Lee said we should do a podcast about who was the first published author in South Australia, our home state….so…I went down a research rabbit hole.

For those that don’t know, the South Australia History Festival is an annual statewide celebration in May that explores the state’s history through tours, talks, exhibitions, walks, and workshops for all ages. The 2026 History Festival runs throughout May and invites participants to explore South Australia’s rich history, from family stories and local communities to broader social movements and cultural milestones. The festival emphasises connections across time, place, and people, highlighting how past events continue to shape the state’s identity. 

 

The first publication in South Australia is widely regarded to be Colonel William Light's A Brief Journal of the Proceedings of William Light, late Surveyor-General of the Province of South Australia, with a few remarks on some of the objections that have been made to them. This was published by A. Macdougall in 1839. In the context of the era, most literature in South Australia prior to the formal settlement of the state was imported books from England. The majority of publications in the time period were published in London, Australia, and indeed, South Australia did have newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets and gazettes printed here in the state, but Light’s journal publication is generally recognised as the first local publication.

 I guess we should add some historical context for those listening from outside South Australia. If you think of early Australia as a place built by convicts, South Australia breaks that pattern completely.

The colony of South Australia was founded in a very different way. In the early 1800s, a British thinker named Edward Gibbon Wakefield came up with a bold idea: instead of sending prisoners, why not create a carefully planned colony of free settlers? Land would be sold to fund the journey, attracting workers, families, and investors.

That idea became reality in 1836. The first official group of settlers arrived, and the colony was proclaimed at Glenelg by Governor John Hindmarsh. Today, that moment is remembered every year as Proclamation Day. Turning that vision into a real, working colony depended heavily on one man: Colonel William Light.

Light was tasked with choosing the site of the capital and designing it from scratch. After exploring the region, he selected the location for Adelaide—a decision that wasn’t without controversy at the time. Some officials disagreed with his choice, but Light stood by it. From the very beginning, this place was designed to be different. The capital, Adelaide, wasn’t just built—it was planned.  His design was ambitious: a grid of wide streets, open public squares, and parklands encircling the city. It wasn’t just practical—it reflected the ideal of a well-ordered, livable society. Today, Adelaide still follows that original plan, a lasting legacy of Light’s vision.

 Importantly, this wasn’t empty land. The region was already home to Aboriginal peoples, including the Kaurna people, who had lived on and cared for the land for thousands of years. European settlement brought major disruption to their lives and culture—something that’s now a crucial part of how this history is understood.

But the story of settlement didn’t stop in Adelaide.

Just to the north, the town of Gawler became one of the colony’s earliest rural centres. Established in 1839, it’s often called the “first country town” of South Australia. Gawler grew quickly thanks to its location near fertile land and the meeting of the Gawler and North Para Rivers.

In those early years, it became a hub for farming communities. Mills, blacksmiths, and traders set up shop, supporting settlers moving beyond Adelaide. As agriculture expanded—especially wheat and sheep farming—Gawler played an important role in feeding and supplying the young colony.

Like Adelaide, the land around Gawler was not empty. It was traditionally cared for by Aboriginal groups connected to the region, and European settlement brought significant disruption to their way of life.

By the mid-1800s, places like Gawler showed how the colony was spreading outward, transforming from a planned city into a network of towns and farming districts. While Light is best known for designing Adelaide, his surveying work helped open surrounding regions, laying the groundwork for towns like Gawler to develop. These early settlements became vital links between the city and the expanding farming districts.

As the years went on, South Australia grew through farming, mining, and migration. It became known as a “free colony,” attracting people looking for opportunity rather than serving a sentence.

So, while much of Australia’s early story is tied to convict beginnings, South Australia stands out as an experiment in planned settlement—and one that left a lasting mark on the country.

 

The first printing press in South Australia was brought by Robert Thomas. He arrived with the early settlers in 1836 and played a key role in the colony’s development by producing its first printed materials. Notably, he printed the first government orders and notices, helping establish communication in the new settlement.

Robert Thomas is also closely linked to South Australia’s first newspaper, the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, which began publication shortly after the colony was founded.

So while figures like William Light were shaping the physical layout of the colony, Thomas was helping shape how information spread—an essential part of building a functioning society. That first printing press was the Stanhope press, which was brought ashore from the Africaine in 1836. It was put inside a tent at Glenelg and used to print the first 100 copies of the Proclamation of South Australia. The press was later moved to Adelaide and played a crucial role in the early newspaper publishing industry, printing the first edition of the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register in 1837.

{DEB}

According to the State Library of South Australia, the first person to publish a novel in South Australia is generally recognised to be Catherine Helen Spence with her novel, Clara Morison: A Tale of South Australia During the Gold Fever, which was published anonymously in 1854.  It is significant because It is considered the first novel written by a woman of European descent about, and in, not just South Australia, but Australia wide.

 

  Catherine Helen Spence was one of Australia’s most influential early social reformers, writers, and political thinkers. She was born in 1825 in Scotland and moved to South Australia as a child, where she spent most of her life shaping public debate and social policy.

Although Spence was a pioneering novelist in Australia, she was also known for her writing and journalism, where she explored social issues like class inequality, women’s independence, and life in colonial Australia. She was deeply involved in improving society, especially in areas like: Education, Welfare for children and the poor and Electoral reform.
Spence was also a pioneer of women’s rights. She was a leading figure in the women’s suffrage movement in Australia. In fact, she made history in 1897 by becoming the first female political candidate in Australia and one of the first women in the world to run for political office. Although she didn’t win a seat at the federal conventions, her candidacy was groundbreaking. Spence also devoted her life to working with organisations that supported disadvantaged children, helping develop systems closer to modern foster care. And in later life, she became a public speaker, from which she gained international recognition for her reform work.
Catherine Helen Spence is sometimes called the “Grand Old Woman of Australia.” Her impact is still visible today in Australia’s democratic systems and social services. She’s also featured on the Australian $5 note (1995–2001 issue), reflecting her national importance.

 

{ALLEN}

The first Indigenous person from South Australia to publish a book is widely regarded to be David Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri man from the Lower Murray region of South Australia. His work, Native Legends (published in 1929), along with later posthumously attributed works such as Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines, made him the earliest Indigenous Australian writer to be published in book form

David Unaipon was born in 1872 at the Point McLeay Mission in South Australia, now known as Raukkan. He was a Ngarrindjeri man, and from a young age, people noticed he was incredibly bright — especially in science, music, and language.  But his life wasn’t simple. Even though he had talent that could have taken him far, Aboriginal people at the time faced major discrimination and limited opportunities. Still, he found ways to share his knowledge.
He worked as a preacher and travelled widely across South Australia, speaking in churches and towns. But he didn’t just preach — he told stories. Stories about Aboriginal culture, law, and knowledge systems that had been passed down for generations.

And then something important happened. In the late 1920s, Unaipon began publishing written works. He wrote articles, pamphlets, and stories based on Aboriginal oral traditions. One of his best-known early booklets was “Native Legends” , That made him the first Aboriginal Australian author to publish written works in English — and one of the first to have Indigenous stories presented in book form.
But there’s a twist — and it’s not a happy one.

One of his major manuscripts, a collection of Aboriginal stories, was taken and later published under someone else’s name in 1930, without crediting him. It wasn’t until decades later that his authorship was properly recognised.
 David Unaipon was also an inventor — he patented ideas for mechanical tools, including an improved sheep-shearing device. He even explored ideas like helicopters inspired by the boomerang.

Because of his brilliance, people sometimes called him “Australia’s Leonardo da Vinci.” David Unaipon helped show that Aboriginal knowledge systems are deeply intellectual, scientific, and artistic — even when Australia wasn’t ready to listen.

He passed away in 1967, but today he is honoured on the Australian $50 note, and the David Unaipon Award supports Indigenous writers continuing his legacy. So when we talk about David Unaipon, we’re not just talking about history.

We’re talking about a man who preserved stories, challenged ideas about knowledge, and made space for future Indigenous authors.

{ALLEN}

So, way back in our first live episode, I spoke about notable authors from Gawler, but I am going to widen that scope a little more and speak about some earlier publications that came from Gawler residents who weren’t necessarily born in this town. The first is a Catholic priest named James Farrell. He published religious pamphlets and sermons in Adelaide while he lived in Gawler in the 1840s. There were also publications from the Gawler Institute, and obviously, The Bunyip newspaper went to print in 1863.

The first book, widely regarded as the first published by a Gawler-born resident, is A History of Gawler, 1837 to 1908, in 1910, by Ephraim Henry Coombe. Coombe was a journalist, newspaper editor and member of parliament. He advocated for proportional voting, women’s suffrage and railways to country towns. Coombe was adamantly against conscription during World War I and was painted as a coward and traitor. He was prosecuted under the War Precautions Act in 1917 for using words that were ‘likely to prejudice recruiting.’ Coombe had three sons and a son-in-law on the frontlines who volunteered to go, reinforcing his argument that volunteers over conscription was the right way to reinforce the frontlines of the war. Coombe died not long after the trial in 1917 and is buried in the Williston cemetery….and if you want to know more about his story – segway to another Gawler author - local Councillor and historian Helen Hennessey and Patricia Booth, and their publication The Defiant anti-conscriptionist: the curious life of E.H. Coombe, which was published by Wakefield Press in 2022. This biography details the life of E H Coombe. A hero of the working class and many others in the community, the curious life of E.H. Coombe places Gawler and its region firmly on the map.

Despite Coombes ' efforts, one could argue that George Isaacs, who wrote under the non-de-plume A. Pendragon, was the first person published in Gawler. Isaacs was a colonial South Australian writer, journalist, and cultural figure who spent part of his active career in Gawler. His novel The Queen of the South (1858) was printed in Gawler, and this is also where he first used the pseudonym A. Pendragon. He was associated with the Gawler Institute, which was a major hub for literary and intellectual activity in the town…

 [End Transcript]

 

Episode 11 of Shelf-Employed: South Australia’s History Festival 2026 can be heard via this link:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5m8HW5cDeC4Ah0CXTTyIs4?si=2isuRBl1TTyWzI_CkU4uUw

Or via @Apple Podcasts @Amazon Music @Substackinc @Simplecast or @iHeartRadio

Historic Propeties: Fernilee Lodge

 Fernilee Lodge

Address: 569 Greenhill Road, Burnside (corner of Gartrell Street)

Fernilee, located at 569 Greenhill Road, Burnside, was constructed in the late 1870s by local builder Dennison Clarke. Clarke constructed unusually large underground rooms and a water tank as his answer to the hot South Australian climate. Clarke initially lived there with his family before selling it to James Gartrell. Gartrell, a prominent and respected businessman, expanded Fernilee into an elegant 20-room family estate set on four acres of landscaped gardens, where his family resided for 45 years.

From 1926 to 1957, the Stanley Cooper family—part of the Leabrook Cooper brewing legacy—owned and occupied Fernilee. It was later purchased by Hal Morgan, who transformed the property into a reception venue known as Fernilee Lodge.

Fernilee Lodge became a memorable setting for family weddings and celebrations, with many local residents retaining strong personal connections to the site. Despite its significance, the building was controversially demolished in 2003.

 An (alleged) Haunting at Carclew House, North Adelaide

 

The property on which Carclew House is situated was originally owned by George Cortis in 1837, who sold it to William Bartley in 1847.  It was owned by Edward Stephens in 1848, then by the Crawford family from 1849 until 1855 (with a year of possession by H. Mitchell in 1852).
 In 1855, Abraham Scott and Edmund William Wright owned the property for six years before selling it to James Chambers in 1861.
 James Chambers success came from buying a town acre in the first Adelaide land sale.  With his brother John, he imported horses from Van Diemen’s Land. The two men secured themselves a small fortune through their business dealings and became philanthropists in the small Adelaide community.  He opened a livery stable in Adelaide and purchased coaches from South Africa and England. He gained the mail contract to Burra (around 1845) and built a large business carting people and mail to the mining communities in Kapunda, Burra and other towns in the Mid North of South Australia.  James Chambers also supplied the horses and carts for Tolmer's gold escort from Mount Alexander to Adelaide in 1852.[1]

   Mr Chambers had a small house and stable on the land in North Adelaide, which he sold to tobacco magnate, Mr Dixson, in 1896. Dixson demolished the former home of Chambers and commissioned architect John Bruce to build a stately mansion, which he named Stalheim.

  In 1908, Dixson sold his stately home to Langdon Bonython, the wealthy owner of The Advertiser newspaper. Bonython renamed the building Carclew House and lived there with his wife, Lady Marie Bonython, and their children.[2]  The Bonython family lived happily in the newly named Carclew House from 1908 until its sale to the state government in 1965.

 

  There are numerous ghost stories associated with Carclew House, many of which are urban legends.
 The oldest being that Sir Bonython carried his disabled wife, whom he had found cheating, up into the spire and threw her out of a window. Lady Bonython allegedly hit the ground, but did not die, so Sir Bonython carried her up again and threw her out the window a second time! (An addition to this story sometimes told is that Sir Bonython bricked his wife up inside the spire wall. Another telling is that Lady Bonython caught her husband in the embrace of another woman and threw herself from the tower.)  Whether the story is true has not seemed to matter in the annals of South Australian history; some people never let the truth get in the way of a good story, and this is a story that has it all.

From a conspirator's point of view, though, such a tragic murder could easily have been covered up, with her husband’s control of the local newspaper and other media sources, a son in the Mayor’s office, and an abundance of money and power.  Sir Bonython could have easily covered up such an event, but as we all know, the truth has a way of exposing itself, and if such an event did occur, it would find its way into the public forum eventually.   There is no conclusive evidence to prove that Sir Bonython killed his wife; in fact, her death appears to be a natural one that somehow became a conspiracy against her ever-loving husband.  Perhaps the rumours persisted and became an urban legend due to jealousy over the families’ wealth and power?

 

  Other urban legends from Carclew House involve men being buried inside the walls of the house, possibly builders, one near the front door and the other in a wall at the rear of the house. Urban legends have a way of twisting over time, and the story that once involved Lady Bonython looking longingly from a turret window at the outside world has now evolved into that of a young boy haunting the spire and looking out longingly at the city below.

  What is interesting about this is that there is a ghostly tale of a young man at Carclew House, as told by Lady Wilson, the granddaughter of the Bonythons. In the story from her youth, Lady Wilson recalls sleeping in a downstairs bedroom and witnessing the spirit of a young boy.
 The spirit was that of a young man with blond hair, aged about 15, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and black shorts with knee-high socks. The spirit would enter the room and go straight to the dressing table, where he would pick up pins…and while she watched him, he would very slowly become transparent, until he disappeared.  Other reports that have come to me over the years have included phantom smells of perfume that waft through the art rooms, one witness to the phantom perfume followed her nose, and although she could not find a source, she said the smell was strongest in the spire below a trap door.

 Carclew House is one of those locations in Adelaide that every budding Ghost Hunter wishes he or she could have a chance to investigate…

 

This is an extract from my book The Haunts of Adelaide: Revised Edition – for the full story, the book is available here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Haunts-Adelaide-History-Mystery-Paranormal/dp/B08JLQLLC5

 

©2020 Allen Tiller

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[1] Australian Dictionary of Biography, Chambers, James (1811–1862), National Centre of Biography, ANU (1969) http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chambers-james-3189/text4785, accessed 26 June 2017.

[2] Carclew, Our History, (2014), https://carclew.com.au/Our-History, accessed 14 June 2015.