On the Horrocks Highway, between Leasingham and Watervale, there once stood a notable landmark—a bent tree—that marked the site of a tragic accident.
Andrew Sands arrived in Australia aboard the passenger ship Epaminondas, which docked at Port Adelaide on 2 August 1852. Sands, a 30‑year‑old Scottish-born miner, travelled with his wife, Margaret, aged 28, and their three children: David, aged 8; James, aged 4; and Margaret, aged 1.[1] The couple later welcomed a South Australian-born son, Archibald, in March 1866.
On Tuesday, 2 February 1869, during a thunderstorm, Sands was thrown from his horse near the Bent Tree, then a well-recognised local landmark. He was discovered and taken to the Auburn Hotel, where Doctor Wall attended to him. Sands was diagnosed with a severe concussion.
On 4 February 1869, Andrew Sands succumbed to his injuries. He had sustained a fractured skull, and swelling of the brain ultimately proved fatal. He was buried the following day, 5 February 1869, in the Auburn Cemetery, with Reverend Crawford officiating.[2]
Following his untimely death, a local legend emerged. It is said that on moonlit nights, at the precise location where he fell, the ghost of Andrew Sands appears. Prior to the advent of motor vehicles, travellers claimed that Sands’ apparition would attempt to halt passersby. He was described as walking with his arms outstretched, imploring those who approached to offer him a lift. Horses reportedly reared at the sight, bolting and sometimes throwing their riders—mirroring the fate of Sands himself.
Although sightings are rare in the modern era, as cars now speed along the Horrocks Highway, occasional reports still surface. Witnesses describe an oddly dressed man, arms extended in silent appeal, as though begging someone to stop and save him…
If you’d like, I can also produce a version that leans even further into a formal historical register—something closer to a museum plaque, a heritage report, or a scholarly narrative.
