The Haunted Barossa
Junction Motel
In 2014, my
paranormal investigation team 'Eidolon Paranormal' were invited to conduct a
paranormal investigation at a remarkable location, The Barossa Junction Motel.
The motel was somewhat of an icon on the road between Nuriootpa and Tanunda,
with its train carriage hotel rooms, and train-themed restaurant. It also
contained a large motor vehicle-related museum.
The hotel was
the idea of John Gordon, who was also behind the Buffalo Family Restaurant in
Glenelg. Gordon set up the location in conjunction with his good friend Bruce
Hoffman, after their winery, Hoffman’s Wines were purchased by Peter Lehmann.
The site of
the motel was originally the Barossa Drive-in Theatre. The screen from which
was incorporated into one of the large halls inside the museum.
Gordon and
Hoffman sold the location to Eric Parker in 2003, but due to ongoing overheads
and lack of interest, the site was sold in 2014. Woolworths purchased the
property to extend their Dorrien Estate Winery which sat alongside the
property. This led to most of the contents, old trains, cars and other
memorabilia being auctioned off and removed.
The Barossa
Junction Hotel had long been rumoured to be haunted. Legend had it that in the
train carriages the spirit of a girl had been seen. She was said to be a young
teen who could be seen inside the carriages, or sometimes walking between them
in the yard. No-one could identify whom she might be, but there was speculation
she either died by falling off a carriage or drowning in the onsite swimming
pool. Another train of thought (pun intended) was that she may have died on one
of the train carriages before they were converted into hotel rooms at the
Junction. Either way, there is no proof of her history or her ghostly presence.
We
investigated the site the night before the auction. We were granted access to
every location inside the property and made the most of it by investigating
every train, room and vehicle we came across.
The swimming pool which was located inside a
building was also rumoured to be haunted. We entered late in the night to find
the pool virtually empty. The room looked as though it had not been used in
some time as cracks were starting to appear with plants in them. Dust and
cobwebs were everywhere, and with our night vision lights reflecting off the
remaining water, it created a spooky and creepy effect. Even though we had
heard this area might also be haunted, on this night, no one came forward.
We came up
with absolutely nothing. Not a thing from a train carriage, the pool area, or
the car museum! This isn’t entirely unusual in investigating the paranormal,
but we were granted the privilege of investigating a truly iconic location in
the Barossa Valley!
After the
auction, Mr Parker moved what was left of the collection to his museum in
Greenock, located in the old Perry’s Electrical site. It is not known if the
alleged ghosts moved with him.
Allen Tiller ALIAtech, DipFamHist 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 was awarded the 2017 “Emerging South Australian Historian of The Year
Award” as presented by The History Council of South Australia. 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”
You can find Allen online at:
www.twitter.com/Allen_Tiller
www.facebook.com/AllenHauntingAustralia
https://www.facebook.com/
First published in MEGAScene Issue 18 2019
© Allen Tiller
