tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72149107561747039592024-03-14T02:43:59.832-07:00The Haunts of BrisbaneLiam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-25460745611228061552022-12-24T00:36:00.003-08:002022-12-24T00:38:23.439-08:00Another Ghost of Christmas Past: A Ghost in the Big House, Brisbane<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dxPP5WZVby7so24sphUKgwnAcR2J_w-cO9HXSH5Wat5CQWdhIXwIZsNVM8UiEW2KXar0VHRgJTzvACLr5MmTrQGRE9WJvqMOpaZTOu-85RtDc78vTe49PsFgZDAdwV8O7XzxbaR_1l6gh9gX_9FiAQo-OCaz2r8i6AtPqjomQGj2V2hXvib9M4mO/s669/Brisbane%20Xmas%201908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dxPP5WZVby7so24sphUKgwnAcR2J_w-cO9HXSH5Wat5CQWdhIXwIZsNVM8UiEW2KXar0VHRgJTzvACLr5MmTrQGRE9WJvqMOpaZTOu-85RtDc78vTe49PsFgZDAdwV8O7XzxbaR_1l6gh9gX_9FiAQo-OCaz2r8i6AtPqjomQGj2V2hXvib9M4mO/w408-h640/Brisbane%20Xmas%201908.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><p></p><div class="S18,S8"><div style="text-align: center;"> 1908 Christmas Greetings Card, showing Queen Street in Brisbane.<b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>*Preface*</i></b> A century ago, it was customary to run Christmas ghost stories in the newspapers throughout the British Empire, a yearly event in which Australia also indulged - this tradition was most likely fuelled by the famous author Charles Dickens, who published many works on ghosts centred around Christmas. The newspapers of early Brisbane were no different - each year, a collection of ghost stories, both fictional and real, would be published as a Christmas Supplement...and for this article, we'll tap into the Christmas edition published in <i>The World's News</i> (out of Sydney) on the 24th of December 1921. This particular story recollects a sojourn of a Doctor & his family in a terrifyingly haunted house in Brisbane - finally divulged in 1921, and sworn to be the solemn truth. So, without further ado, please enjoy our "Ghosts of Brisbane's Christmas Past" article - & Merry Christmas to you all, from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HauntsofBrisbane/" target="_blank">The Haunts of Brisbane</a>!</div></div></div><div class="S18,S8" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="S18,S8"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq62k_Z2paOXzwL04cL7U2Kdi9_HAWkr7hBX5RoSo3iIrZiacK78yFfJOgfaHbu-fL_A6JfcaGPX_hkZlFqkJh-pM6D-JMTDXJzQ58WKN77rIXCHSbOBrsnc01TVhxevdau4-FR4fhyyxfTZFblk2TuPnQDtSGTO3M6HWUsMLmToDvvhzBJ3s7kuOW/s900/Ghost%20Big%20House.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="900" height="59" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq62k_Z2paOXzwL04cL7U2Kdi9_HAWkr7hBX5RoSo3iIrZiacK78yFfJOgfaHbu-fL_A6JfcaGPX_hkZlFqkJh-pM6D-JMTDXJzQ58WKN77rIXCHSbOBrsnc01TVhxevdau4-FR4fhyyxfTZFblk2TuPnQDtSGTO3M6HWUsMLmToDvvhzBJ3s7kuOW/w400-h59/Ghost%20Big%20House.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="S18,S8"><span class="displayFix" id="lc5" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">THIS</span></span><span style="text-align: justify;"> ghost story is purely Australian, and strictly true. I well remember the commotion the ghost caused in Brisbane, but I'll tell the story in my father's own words.</span></div><div class="S18,S8"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The family had decided to go south by way of change for a few months, if a suitable residence could be secured. The agent declared the house he recommended to be an absolutely ideal home. Soon we were all quite at ease, including two old servants, man and wife, who occupied a small three-roomed cottage just at the back of the big house.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For about six weeks nothing occurred to disturb the ordinary routine of the establishment. Then one morning, at breakfast, the question was asked:—</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"What on earth were you and the doctor quarrelling about last night; and which of you was it that screamed so frightfully?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Quarrelling? l and the doctor? Nonsense. You know no one could quarrel with the doctor. Besides, he is not at home. He went over to Kangaroo Point yesterday afternoon, and has not yet returned."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"And do you mean to say you were in the house, and never heard the screams?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"No; I heard nothing. What screams do you mean?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I can't enlighten you. It is really a most mysterious occurrence. Come, we'll go and see old Jim. Perhaps he may throw some light on it."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But Jim knew nothing. He and his wife had gone to bed early, as was their usual custom, and were undisturbed till daylight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But, as we were turning away, Jim remarked: "Perhaps it was the ghost."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Ghost! What ghost?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Well, I don't know, of course; but the people about here say the big house is haunted. Yes; they say so."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Don't be silly, Jim. Who told you this?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Well, everybody knows it. I don't know."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Well, never mind, Jim. I shall talk to the doctor about this as soon as he comes home."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After lunch the doctor arrived. I told him the story, including, of course, Jim's revelation, which he heartily enjoyed, and laughed to scorn the suggestion of a move. "Oh, if you think we've a ghost, I'd just like to meet him. No moving for me. Very clever people, you all are. You heard somebody scream. Oh, how funny! Never thought of poor old Cocky?"</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Nonsense again, doctor. 'Poor old Cocky,' as you call him, is a useless luxury. He has never been known to open his beak for any other purpose than to bite off everything within his reach. Try something else by way of an explanation."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'll not try anything else. I'll just wait for your screaming ghost."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three weeks passed. The doctor's chaff about "the ghost" dwindled down to a very fine strand. Then came a second edition of the screams. I had returned from town about 11 p.m., let myself in as usual, and went straight up to bed, noticing as I passed the doctor's room. It was in darkness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had only just blown the light out, and was in the act of getting into bed, when the most blood-curdling scream I ever heard ascended from below (the room in which it had first been heard). I sat up, shivered, and listened.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A silence of about ten minutes, then two more ringing shrieks, that almost stopped pulsation; once more silence. Soon after the clock chimed the half-hour. I heard the sound as of heavy footsteps ascending the stairs to my room. The door was already locked, and, in desperation, I went into the back room and picked up a nulla nulla.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With this I slipped back to my own door, on the other side of which I could hear the stertorous breathing of some living being. Then the handle of the door was turned twice—first gently, then with added force—and a third time with a wrench that loosened the handle on the outside, where it dropped, and rolled down the stairs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then the sound of descending footsteps was distinctly audible, and immediately afterwards another terrible scream issued from the room below. I have no objection to confess I was too paralysed by fear to prosecute any inquiries. I lay still and fervently prayed "the ghost" would visit the worthy doctor's end of the house.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And so, waiting and hoping, I fell asleep. Next morning everyone was early astir, with one exception—the doctor. Everybody else had been disturbed and frightened by the screams and sounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the middle of the ghost discussion the doctor walked in, inquiring as to why we were looking so startled. I then gave him a bare statement of facts as they transpired on the preceding night, and again referred him to the others for confirmation, when he exhibited the nearest approach to anger of which I ever knew him capable, examined the brass door handle, the side of which containing the screw was torn away from the other; accused us all of being cowards, and ended by declaring that all the ghosts of the vanished past should not drive him out of the house.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So there was nothing for it but hope and pray that next time the ghostly visitor happened along it would make a special visit to the doctor's quarters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three weeks passed. "The ghost" returned. No one on this occasion was disturbed except the doctor. Old Jim rushed up to my room with a scared look and an appeal as to what he should do. The doctor was rolled up in his bedclothes, he said, in a most remarkable manner, declining to uncover his head, and muttering to himself. After an hour's patient struggle, we succeeded in getting his head uncovered. But what a ghastly change was there! His face was ashy white, his teeth chattered, and his eyes were fixed on vacancy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After seeing his white face I at once sent for a medical man, who came and gave him a sleeping draught.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That day he told us this story. He said he was suddenly awakened by a terrible scream, and before him appeared what seemed to be a skeleton. As he watched the apparition it seemed to be moving towards him, and in a voice of the keenest agony and despair cried: ' Help! Help! He's coming back." Once it seemed that the thing really touched him. After that he knew no more, until he heard Jim.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Naturally enough, the story got adrift in the neighborhood, and drove the owner of the fine property to the verge of frenzy. People said nobody ever had been able to live in it, or ever would.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This fact remains. No buyer was ever found for the house. Its reputation was gone. Years afterwards the building material was sold for a mere song, and taken away, and the owner converted the grounds and garden into a miniature park or gardens. Even then people would not enter the enclosure after dark. Their faith in the ghost was maintained at fever heat by the uncanny tales they heard about the place, and the weird sights born of the imagination.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The secret of the midnight visitor was never disclosed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span class="displayFix" id="lc17"></span></div>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-76127000192562950482019-12-23T23:59:00.000-08:002019-12-24T00:00:15.822-08:00A Strangers' Home for a stranger power: A Brisbane Poltergeist Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU5Et36Bv3Xf2U1ZAlzXFaeXILqoBCIRLScpsZXc_XnvPrPA-8-MX8mQHaQOCTyCZnF-H4_-DwJxeYfXO_DXcMYU55DKmBociIiLzho8ofiaMyeMQspcb4Ltvwle2O222SQQvsvtM78A/s1600/Xmas+1850.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="623" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgU5Et36Bv3Xf2U1ZAlzXFaeXILqoBCIRLScpsZXc_XnvPrPA-8-MX8mQHaQOCTyCZnF-H4_-DwJxeYfXO_DXcMYU55DKmBociIiLzho8ofiaMyeMQspcb4Ltvwle2O222SQQvsvtM78A/s320/Xmas+1850.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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A Christmas message from <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>,</div>
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published on the 21st of December 1850.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b>*Preface* A century ago, it was customary to run Christmas ghost stories in the newspapers throughout the British Empire, a yearly event in which Australia also indulged - this tradition was most likely fuelled by the famous author Charles Dickens, who published many works on ghosts centred around the Christmas period. The newspapers of early Brisbane were no different - each year, a collection of ghost stories both fictional & real, would be published as a Christmas Supplement. So, in the spirit of resurrecting the age-old practice of sharing a local ghost story in time for Christmas, & without any further ado, please enjoy our "<i>Ghosts of Brisbane's [Christmas] Past</i>" article - <u>& Merry Christmas to you all, from the <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i>!</u></b></span></div>
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To provide some historical context & validation for the following ghost tale of early Brisbane, we need to briefly examine the state of the region circa 1850. The event, which purports to detail an unexplained poltergeist outbreak, took place in a ramshackle premises in what we now know as Fortitude Valley. As a <b>*fun fact*</b> - & purely for the purposes of our yuletide tale - Fortitude Valley gained it's name after the resettling of immigrants brought to Australia aboard the ship <i>Fortitude</i> in 1849, as a part of the Rev. Dr. John Dunmore Lang's assisted immigration scheme, in a gully beyond the fledgling outpost of Brisbane. Quite coincidentally - the Captain of that ship, the first of three immigrant vessels to enter Moreton Bay, was John Christmas!</div>
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For those who follow the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Haunts-of-Brisbane-275966655755127/" target="_blank"><b>Haunts of Brisbane facebook page</b></a>, we posted a teaser to this story a week back via an excerpt from <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>, advertising the issuance of Publicans licences on Monday 23rd December 1850 (pictured above). In amongst 3 separate licences that were issued on that date just prior to Christmas, one stands out - that of Jeremiah Scanlan's (spelt incorrectly in excerpt), for an establishment named The Strangers' Home - so we definitely know that an establishment, by that name, existed in Fortitude Valley as the region transitioned into 1851. From other period documents, we also know that the establishment existed on the corner of Queen Street (which would be renamed Ann Street in the early 1860's) and the New Farm or Race Course Road (also renamed later, to Brunswick Street) - for clarity, the original site rests below what is now a commercial building & The Beat Megaclub, diagonally opposite the now Royal George Hotel (or RG's as it's locally known, which at the time was the only other substantial structure in the region.</div>
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The licence renewal for the Strangers' Home Inn would eventually be refused in April 1854, providing us with a window of approximately 3 years within which the following poltergeist outbreak could have occurred (1851-1854). By 1854, the Strangers' Home Inn had already seen 15 months of upheaval. Around December 1852 (again, at Christmas), the Inn's original licensee, Jeremiah Scanlan, defected to a new premises of his own in the area, under the banner of St. Patrick's Tavern - the venue's owner, Charles Windmell, frantically attempted to transfer the licence but was refused, locking him in to continued trade at the Strangers' Home. By April 1853, at a time when our poltergeist was likely in action & the Strangers' Home's licence was yet again up for renewal, the Licencing Bench cautioned Charles Windmell & his management of the establishment that, "<i><b>unless he reformed certain habits of intoxication that had been observed in public, his licence should not be granted for next year</b></i>" - come 1854, it wasn't! Had the continued overt intoxication witnessed at the Strangers' Home Inn led to the belief in a "poltergeist" outbreak?? That, we will likely never know...however the following story stands as a fascinating report of early Brisbane paranormal activity!</div>
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<b>[Taken directly from the <i>Sunday Mail</i>, printed on the 23rd March 1941]</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span>UCH</b> a rational explanation of a poltergeist has never been found for an earlier outbreak in Brisbane, which, to some extent, resembled the famous Guyra Ghost. This ghost on the New England Tableland used to do its racketing and junketing at a house on the outskirts of Guyra.</div>
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Stones, some of them anything but small, fell on the roof of this house frequently at night, and the origin of them appeared to be mysterious in the extreme. The fame of this poltergeist travelled far beyond Guyra and the Tableland. It became, in fact, a major sensation of the Sydney and Brisbane press.</div>
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Additional police were sent to Guyra, and many persons, whose curiosity or superstition has been aroused by the reports, went also to inspect the house. Opinions differed widely as to whether the stone throwing and other weird outbreaks in Guyra were due to occult force, or had their source in some more that ordinarily expert larrikinism.</div>
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The Guyra Ghost ended with the suddenness with which it began, and if its manifestations were the work of that merry little cheer-up society, the poltergeists, then it was behaviour consistent with their record. The curious thing about any poltergeistical outbreak is, that a house haunted by them suddenly ceases to be haunted, and becomes once more fit for human habitation.</div>
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Apparently this was the case with the old Valley house in which, in the files, there occurred such a remarkable series of events and noises, for while the old files record the outbreaks, references ceased, and, so far as can be ascertained, did not appear again.</div>
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In the very early days of Brisbane an inn stood in Fortitude Valley, beside the timber-getter's track, which led out along what became Ann Street, to the big scrubs which then lined the banks of Breakfast Creek.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>HE</b> Valley itself was only sparsely settled, and the one shanty, which appears on the original licensing records as The Strangers' Home Inn, was sufficient for a time to serve the local people, the timber-getters, and general teamsters.</div>
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As the Valley showed signs of growing, the landlord of The Strangers' Home, decided to build extra accommodation. The additional quarters were erected at a short distance from the inn proper, and were of the type usual in those days. They consisted of a chain of rooms in a single-story building, facing on to an adze-hewn slab verandah, the whole structure roofed with bark.</div>
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About two years after it was erected, according to the accounts, began the first of a series of weird happenings, which have never had published explanation, if they had explanation sufficient to settle their nature to the satisfaction of the innkeeper, his guest, and frequenters.</div>
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One night, while teamsters and other early Valley workers were busy with the beer and rum in the long, low-ceilinged taproom, a man rushed into the bar and said that he had been struck heavily on the head by a rough wooden stool, which had suddenly bounded from the floor of his room in the new quarters!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">D</span>ESPITE</b> the fact that he was bleeding from a cut in the head, no one took much notice of him, for he was a recent arrival from the bush, who had been drinking heavily and steadily for days. They believed he had fallen and cut his head. He was induced to go back to bed. As the landlord, who had accompanied him, turned to leave the rough room there came a rending sound, and a joist fell from the roof, striking him so heavily that it broke his arm.</div>
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When a man in an adjoining room half an hour later was flung heavily from his bed a crisis developed. No one would remain in these quarters, and the taproom emptied its human contents to stand gazing awe-struck at the long building beneath a full moon on a mellow night.</div>
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No one would consent to sleep in the building for a full week, rolling themselves in their blankets on the floor and verandahs of the inn proper. Then, says the quaint old report of these happenings, "one citizen, equipped with more fortitude than his fellows, essayed the feat of laying the ghost."</div>
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He undertook for a bet to spend the night in the room in which the landlord himself had been struck. About 11 o'clock he settled down quite peaceably, but in a quarter of an hour there came a frightful noise of banging and rattling, and the courageous one came fleeing forth in his night shirt, with the bed gambolling after him, and shingles falling from the roof about him.</div>
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As there was not even a breeze the whole business was regarded as too perplexing for comprehension. That was the end of the annex to the inn. It was not afterwards occupied.</div>
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A reference to it about six months later in the Moreton Bay Courier says that the building was apparently free of the ghost-like visitations, but that nevertheless the landlord had decided to pull it down. Whether he did so is not known, but the advance of the Valley would, in an case, have disposed of it.</div>
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So for Queensland's poltergeists. Any one who is interested in the study of these strange antics in a wider sense may read Sacheverell Sitwell's "Poltergeists," recently published in London. English reviews state that Mr. Sitwell gives the detailed history of innumerable British poltergeists.</div>
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We are not likely to have many of them here. Possibly our climate is against them! Allowing exaggeration, or poltergeistical outbreaks are more likely to be "jokeristical" in their origin.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(<b>Concluded</b>)</span></div>
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<b>*Postcript* The book referenced above - the 1940 edition of Sacheverell Sitwell's "<i>Poltergeist</i>," is available [<a href="https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.207776/page/n7" target="_blank">HERE</a>] for perusal & download for addition to your personal paranormal collections - amongst other reference materials, please download it before it's likely no longer readily available to access.</b></div>
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Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-39248467502996129902019-09-08T01:39:00.000-07:002019-09-08T01:39:14.906-07:00The 140 year old dark secret, hidden amidst the mangroves of Green Island...<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HAPPvkEqkdWRd4F23t5mSuKIVAgGG9fmO7QZty6tk8VL2p4QIcs6g94lJ8jR36MUmygoBGY5mEGJbGOM9iOpF3WblTe_ipCQB5r6G3VSeTWutul1jmlYR4Bd-GYZVcacHtuO-riPGGQ/s1600/Green+Island.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="713" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HAPPvkEqkdWRd4F23t5mSuKIVAgGG9fmO7QZty6tk8VL2p4QIcs6g94lJ8jR36MUmygoBGY5mEGJbGOM9iOpF3WblTe_ipCQB5r6G3VSeTWutul1jmlYR4Bd-GYZVcacHtuO-riPGGQ/s400/Green+Island.png" width="400" /></a></h2>
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"<b><i>Green Island, Moreton Bay - The New Pleasure Resort which has been</i></b></div>
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<b><i>made Available to the People of Brisbane by the industry of Boating Men.</i></b>"</div>
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(Published in <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/147515118?" target="_blank"><b>The Northern Herald</b></a></i>, 17th January 1918)</div>
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Eight weeks ago, whilst casually scrolling through the events list on facebook, a specific entry in between boutique brewery tours & face painting tutorials caught my eye - <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/431310054089830/?active_tab=about" target="_blank">Green Island Clean Up (Moreton Bay) 2019</a></i></b>, being hosted by <i><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OceanCrusaders/" target="_blank">Ocean Crusaders</a></b></i>. Presenting an opportunity to help clean water-borne rubbish from the shores of one of Moreton Bay's smaller islands, the event was particularly attractive, especially given the chance to travel out to Green Island via the <i><a href="https://www.sthelenaisland.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Cat'O Nine Tails</b></a></i> (a vessel on which I'd traveled to St. Helena Island many years ago) for only $10! However, the draw of a trip to Green Island was two-fold - what better way to spend a Sunday volunteering time to aid in cleaning up Moreton Bay, whilst also utilising the traverse across the Island to further investigate a long-forgotten dark secret hidden between the mangrove stands?</div>
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For those who follow <b><i>The Haunts of Brisbane</i></b>, you're likely aware a huge project is currently underway, a preliminary result of which has led to the identification of six previously lost & forgotten burials on St. Helena Island (<a href="https://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-tragic-little-burial-ground-moreton.html" target="_blank"><b>PART I</b></a> here, & <b><a href="https://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-tragic-little-burial-ground-moreton_28.html" target="_blank">PART II</a></b> here). However, given how wide the proverbial net was cast in pursuit of the project's main goal (yet to be published), further lost & forgotten Moreton Bay burials have been identified in the interim - one of which has remained in the murky shadows of Green Island for the past 140 years. So, once again via <b><i>The Haunts of Brisbane</i></b>, let's provide voice to the voiceless & identify another lost soul who's passing & interment virtually went without notice or record.</div>
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Let's traverse back in time 140 years, to the crossover of 1878 into 1879...</div>
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The proceeding weeks would see a number of vessels arrive in Moreton Bay, carrying immigrants from a range of different ports & European centres. On the 30th of December 1878, as the calendar was about to tip over into the new year, the <i>Clara</i> arrived off Cape Moreton from Greenock, Scotland, with almost 320 souls on board. On waiting under anchor at the Bar for days, a visit from the Government Heath Officer on the 4th of January 1879 would see the vessel immediately placed under quarantine & towed across to Peel Island by the <i>Boko</i>, due to the presence of typhoid fever amongst the passengers - she would remain in detention at Peel Island through until the 30th of January, much to the chagrin of Captain A. S. Cutler, the ship's Master. The protracted quarantine order would result in the publication of a strongly worded letter from the Captain, via <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/900375" target="_blank"><b>The Brisbane Courier</b></a></i> on the 31st of January - quite ironically a day after the Health Officer, Dr. Challinor, had recommended the ship for release!</div>
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However, the <i>Clara</i> would not be long alone in her quarantine at Peel Island. On the 17th of January, the <i>Fritz Reuter</i> from Hamburg, Germany, arrived off Cape Moreton, with over 480 immigrants on board. On moving across to the Bar, the ship was inspected by Dr. Challinor, with the discovery that 30 passengers had perished during the trip, many due to typhoid fever - the last death from typhoid having occurred on the 16th of January, as the ship made it's final approach to Cape Moreton. As had been the case with the <i>Clara</i>, the <i>Fritz Reuter</i> was immediately placed under quarantine, & was similarly towed across to Peel Island on the 19th of January by the <i>Boko,</i> for a period of detention that would extend through until the 8th of February.</div>
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By now, serious strains were being placed on the Island's resources, with two large immigrant vessels in quarantine simultaneously - however, the situation was about to deteriorate further...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjMiHYIE2uF-JRaXSUDHjPrR2aBXIZnL2iowKtX25fi-9I1t8koSr1IZdRVs2tqrtKeae6rO1KSF2uJPt3LFL5BAAvmewgUJ24GkIlJMEiYDvmCHhwrUTce3lapGUb2yfKLz22RFprOk/s1600/Peel+Island+1879.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="616" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjMiHYIE2uF-JRaXSUDHjPrR2aBXIZnL2iowKtX25fi-9I1t8koSr1IZdRVs2tqrtKeae6rO1KSF2uJPt3LFL5BAAvmewgUJ24GkIlJMEiYDvmCHhwrUTce3lapGUb2yfKLz22RFprOk/s400/Peel+Island+1879.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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As per the <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148526991" target="_blank"><b>Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay</b></a></i></div>
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<i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148526991" target="_blank"><b>and Burnett Advertiser</b></a></i>, 6th of February, 1879.</div>
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On the 26th of January, the <i>R.M.S.S. Somerset</i> entered Moreton Bay, having wended her way down the coast from Hong Kong, via Singapore, Thursday Island, Cooktown, Townsville, Bowen & Rockhampton. During her stop at Cooktown, a smallpox outbreak was identified amongst the passengers, with the Health Officer in that port immediately refusing pratique & advising the vessel to promptly offload the mail & continue moving on towards Brisbane - subsequent ports advised similarly, offloading the mail bags for fumigation whilst palming off the vessel's contagions for the next port down the line. By the time the <i>Somerset</i> reached Moreton Bay, the Brisbane authorities were already well aware of the smallpox outbreak on board, & it was an inevitability the ship would be placed into immediate quarantine. However, with both the <i>Clara</i> & <i>Fritz Reuter</i> anchored off Peel Island, & the majority of their passengers in quarantine on the island, the quarantine station was literally at breaking point.</div>
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St. Helena Island, which had been used in the past as a quarantine ground, was completely out of the question, due to the 12 year old Penal Establishment that now graced it's shores. Dunwich on Stradbroke Island, another prior quarantine ground in years past, was now home to the Benevolent Asylum. So, with extremely limited options for quarantining the <i>Somerset's</i> passengers out in the bay, the decision was made to relocate the ship to the "Four-fathom Hole" off Green Island on the 28th of January - an anchorage located approximately a third of a mile (just over 500 metres) to the west of the island's shoreline. A second vessel, the <i>Chance</i>, was co-located in close proximity to the <i>Somerset</i>, with a specific goal of providing support to the quarantined vessel in absence of a land-based station.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85KUMSsrK85l4RulZ7Z7J6vn3NRIgsh-HmtjC8lkU6HEeVMxIDL-frk0-nJ9twQDjbMwjKB0qKm_h5sYN8qRwbZ4Bw1YWXkB35E2Nfd3oysNj6cp5v8ZlYEl35OoazHbkimB2H4iCOaY/s1600/Four-fathom+Hole.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="609" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85KUMSsrK85l4RulZ7Z7J6vn3NRIgsh-HmtjC8lkU6HEeVMxIDL-frk0-nJ9twQDjbMwjKB0qKm_h5sYN8qRwbZ4Bw1YWXkB35E2Nfd3oysNj6cp5v8ZlYEl35OoazHbkimB2H4iCOaY/s400/Four-fathom+Hole.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The "Four-fathom Hole" encircled in red, a noticeable depression</div>
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just over 500 metres off the westernmost point of Green Island.</div>
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(Extracted from <i><b><a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3060245" target="_blank">Admiralty Chart 1670b - 1st December 1869</a></b></i>)</div>
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By the 6th of February, the <i>Somerset</i> having sat at anchor alongside Green Island for over a week, rumours began to circulate that a fresh case of smallpox had presented in one of the ship's passengers. <i><b><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19778868" target="_blank">The Queenslander</a></b></i> on Saturday the 8th of February reported that, "<i><b>A fresh case of small-pox among the R.M.S. Somerset's passengers was reported last Thursday [6th February], the patient being a European, & a supposed stowaway.</b></i>" On the same day, Rockhampton's <i><b><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51990016" target="_blank">Morning Bulletin</a></b></i> reported that, "<b><i>A fresh case of small-pox is reported amongst the quarantined passengers on board the Somerset.</i></b>" By the morning of Thursday the 13th of February, <i><b><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120570165" target="_blank">The Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald & General Advertiser</a></b></i> would report that, "<b><i>Virulent small-pox has broken out among the passengers in the R.M.S. Somerset, now in quarantine at Green Island, in Moreton Bay. There are two cases on board, one of which is expected to terminate fatally.</i></b>"</div>
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<i><b><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/885749" target="_blank">The Brisbane Courier</a></b></i> would clarify the issue on the same morning (Thursday the 13th of February), "<i><b>The smallpox cases on Green Island, near which the mail steamer Somerset is quarantined, assumed a serious phase on Sunday morning last [9th of February]. Two South Sea Islanders who came down with the steamer showed symptoms of the disease after the patients previously attacked were in a fair way for recovery. One of the islanders is very ill, the disease in his case being of a malignant type, the other being of the milder form hitherto seen amongst the Somerset people. The quarantine seems to be maintained very stringently. The mail vessel lies at anchor about a mile from the shore, and the schooner Chance lies to windward for the purposes of communication. A medical man is stationed on the latter vessel. On shore the people are living in tents, and communication is made with them by placing the articles they require upon the beach near the sea. There is no water on the island, unfortunately, and this, as well as stores and other articles, have to be brought to the quarantined people. The water police, under Mr. Wassell, have the arrangements in hand, and are vigilant in their duty. They speak well of the spirit and assistance of the officers of the Somerset in their trying position.</b></i>"</div>
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The above article provides confirmation that <i>Somerset</i> passengers were no longer restricted to shipboard quarantine, & had now been relocated to tents on Green Island - given the locality of the vessel at anchor in the "Four-fathom Hole" 500 metres off the westernmost point of the island, we'd have to assume that the quarantine ground would have been situated accordingly, in sight of the vessel with access to a beach on which provisions could be dropped:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AIQMMAfGX16rbgVmtk7-jG-EG66QotSX3VRn1Q8C8KYiHFWtJS8vhIP9OVst1GHwTIzCKnWhYljk5CjoZuAUpQ6TrWb26xr2JD_mtAYD60XWZ1KE5hrnna6LkO1dDobfIVi5_SMVaKs/s1600/Green+Island.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="720" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AIQMMAfGX16rbgVmtk7-jG-EG66QotSX3VRn1Q8C8KYiHFWtJS8vhIP9OVst1GHwTIzCKnWhYljk5CjoZuAUpQ6TrWb26xr2JD_mtAYD60XWZ1KE5hrnna6LkO1dDobfIVi5_SMVaKs/s400/Green+Island.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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(Courtesy <i><b>Bing Maps</b></i>, 2019)</div>
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On Wednesday the 19th of February 1879, a <b><u>Seventeen word report</u></b> appeared in <b><i>The Brisbane Courier</i></b>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifoJnDYJO9fuK4TPBePcJbSxMMtUzrPt0CaxZaAQ3w610-0unPEBhR8ayXLBInf5AAk5A3rXS2NCDLpbfPbCXe057e8G_vndgsPoj2OG-Z7ajZc7a-qerFrZYBemIOzrLWTzgG5z06mI/s1600/Green+Island+death.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="759" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifoJnDYJO9fuK4TPBePcJbSxMMtUzrPt0CaxZaAQ3w610-0unPEBhR8ayXLBInf5AAk5A3rXS2NCDLpbfPbCXe057e8G_vndgsPoj2OG-Z7ajZc7a-qerFrZYBemIOzrLWTzgG5z06mI/s400/Green+Island+death.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><b><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/884058" target="_blank">The Brisbane Courier</a></b></i>, 19th of February 1879.</div>
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<b><u>Seventeen short words</u></b> was all the local print media could muster to cover the loss of a human life. From <b><i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/891049" target="_blank">The Brisbane Courier's</a></i></b> Shipping Arrivals column of the 27th of January 1879, we can deduce that the <i>Somerset</i> was carrying 11 South Sea Islander passengers - 5 bound for Brisbane, & an additional 6 bound for Sydney:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NCZipeVsxjU6aZywlw1MqPaMxTehqlbfoH2JLnCLz1CgoUDKxeROt5RrHfCTZO6PGgZ-TBupYmPwCr3ax8O6WgdUY89ZIjEU97tkgJ_MKOjo8_Xhyphenhyphen7XMzPKGzAojX8zxYxWhsVeYhyphenhyphenE/s1600/SSI+Somerset.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="726" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NCZipeVsxjU6aZywlw1MqPaMxTehqlbfoH2JLnCLz1CgoUDKxeROt5RrHfCTZO6PGgZ-TBupYmPwCr3ax8O6WgdUY89ZIjEU97tkgJ_MKOjo8_Xhyphenhyphen7XMzPKGzAojX8zxYxWhsVeYhyphenhyphenE/s400/SSI+Somerset.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, on consulting the 762-page tome that is the "<b><i>Ships passenger lists - Brisbane - inwards - 4 January 1875 to 10 November 1880,</i></b>" held by the <a href="https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=32722215" target="_blank">National Archives</a>, we come across a wonderful typeset disclaimer on page 3:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzwq_UJlfDsIt8XQqg-lVbctlrTDfgEa65QMso3cERzqEhor50O_lDYcW1yd5r8mcLA7XN8zbloK3ZJSUESa3utovmOe2NvTWliKbQFLLJS4Kv7en59qgWeAfLk3GleFL5s7D6itVM6Q/s1600/Passenger+lists.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAzwq_UJlfDsIt8XQqg-lVbctlrTDfgEa65QMso3cERzqEhor50O_lDYcW1yd5r8mcLA7XN8zbloK3ZJSUESa3utovmOe2NvTWliKbQFLLJS4Kv7en59qgWeAfLk3GleFL5s7D6itVM6Q/s1600/Passenger+lists.png" /></a></div>
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And with that, the ability to narrow down & provide an identity to the male South Sea Islander in question, is made markedly more difficult. What we do know, however, is the <i>Somerset</i> was finally released from quarantine at the end of February. She sailed from the Brisbane Bar for Sydney on the 1st of March, according to both <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/891760" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Brisbane Courier</a> & <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/28392311" target="_blank">The Sydney Morning Herald</a></i>. Three days later, according to the <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/107156744" target="_blank">Evening News</a></i> & <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13430256" target="_blank">The Sydney Morning Herald</a></i>, the <i>Somerset</i> arrived in Sydney on the 4th of March, where she was again placed in quarantine due to her history of illness - here she'd sit, until the 10th of March, before <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13430533" target="_blank">finally gaining clearance</a> to dock at the Company's Wharf. And - it's here - that we finally narrow down the identity of the burial on Green Island. The man in question was likely one of the 5 South Sea Islander passengers bound specifically for Brisbane, & not within the group of 6 destined for Sydney - the <b>"<i>Passengers Arriving 1855 - 1922</i>"</b> list, held by the <a href="http://marinersandships.com.au/1879/03/media/027som.jpg" target="_blank">State Records Authority of New South Wales</a>, lists 6 passengers (identified as "<b><i>From Thursday Island</i></b>") disembarking in Sydney from the <i>Somerset</i> on the 12th of March, 1879.<br />
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For now, however, whilst the identity of the deceased <i>Somerset</i> passenger ultimately alludes us, the search continues to put a definitive name to a tragic statistic all but lost to history. Five years later, with the memory of the <i>Somerset's</i> detention still present in the minds of the authorities, the Cabinet Council would re-visit Green Island to gauge its viability as a quarantine station in 1884 - the debate would be short-lived, the Island being found ultimately unsuitable. Over the decades that followed, the <i>Somerset's</i> fateful 1879 arrival in Moreton Bay was all but forgotten, & Green Island became known as a destination for fishermen, canoeists, yachts & botanists. By January 1911, the Island was <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/183349194" target="_blank">declared a recreation reserve</a>, with control of the 9,160 acres handed over to Wynnum Shire Council as Trustees. By 1915, works commenced on a permanent resort, boasting an impressive jetty (pictured, top of article), gardens, bathing boxes & shelter sheds...however, the ravages of time & the ever-present spectre of vandalism have long since erased any sign of habitation.<br />
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So...for those who are already booked to visit Green Island this coming Sunday (or those who are lucky enough to snap up the remaining few tickets after reading this article), please keep your eyes peeled when traversing the island's mangrove stands - whilst I'm sure there'll be copious flotsam & jetsam for collection having washed its way across Moreton Bay, be mindful that scant material heritage may still exist on the Island dating back to the <i>Somerset's</i> detention, & at any point in time you may well be walking over a long-forgotten grave of a poor soul yet to be named...</div>
Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-54486030590703857852019-06-28T03:31:00.002-07:002019-06-28T03:55:11.010-07:00The tragic little burial ground Moreton Bay never knew it had [PART II]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcpKiA0n8bSfKSeENrwfNu2_83oT02UFUKs6vt9r2hitqiv5_E9C1kqG_SSrqpkUqDULrydcCrFBaJzpTLkb_XK3kPfHxSsk7WeQI0E0iwTpFpg0Tzo4zghayHELicjJJErNKtJ_Qdks/s1600/Cape+Moreton+1865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="1000" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcpKiA0n8bSfKSeENrwfNu2_83oT02UFUKs6vt9r2hitqiv5_E9C1kqG_SSrqpkUqDULrydcCrFBaJzpTLkb_XK3kPfHxSsk7WeQI0E0iwTpFpg0Tzo4zghayHELicjJJErNKtJ_Qdks/s400/Cape+Moreton+1865.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sketch of ships anchored of Cape Moreton, ca. 1865</div>
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(Courtesy <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/36931595?q&versionId=47948374" target="_blank">National Library of Australia</a>)</div>
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So...St. Helena Island, & a forgotten little cemetery lost to history??</div>
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Two of five immigrant burials identified on St. Helena Island occurred in 1862, detailed in Belinda's blog "<a href="https://sthelenacommunity.com.au/2018/04/07/3-graves-that-cant-be-found/" target="_blank"><b><i>3 graves that can't be found</i></b></a>," on <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/prisonstory/" target="_blank">The St. Helena Island Community</a></i></b> - that of Margaret Killan, followed by Joseph Bradshaw. To date, these burials seemingly represented two unassociated immigrants, from two unassociated vessels, supposedly buried a fortnight apart in unassociated graves, somewhere on the expanse of St. Helena Island.</div>
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So, let's examine Margaret Killian first, before digging a little deeper via Joseph Bradshaw...</div>
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1862 heralded a massive ramping-up of immigrant vessels plying their trade to Australia, with a specific focus on Queensland - with Moreton Bay's emancipation from New South Wales only three years previously in 1859, & land suitable for residential, commercial & agricultural purposes up for the taking, assisted immigration schemes were in full swing. With unrest still prevailing in Ireland, the Queensland Immigration Society was soon established, in the hopes of both driving interest in, & facilitating, assisted immigration to Brisbane. Two bounty vessels arranged by the Queensland Immigration Society, to ply their human trade to Brisbane, were the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i> & the <i>Chatsworth</i>.</div>
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The <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i> was, for all intensive purposes, a rickety old ship, on board which a bumper cargo of immigrants were bound for Australian shores. According to historian A. G. Davies, in a reading to the <a href="https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/data/UQ_241112/s18378366_1935_2_6_304.pdf?Expires=1561289857&Signature=UAQhVzFyYW~yIE6qsmWyLGX3pWTILXmogsOKqVswtmxyXKxtLM-mQh0pYaoRSfP2ushMgTZp9wfCz2PP5gYhOYq0H3sEJCpnapKJlA-tbCHbvf5h7a8JjyY2vKvGm1fyrLqb5Biz9PG6upL2zbFUo4YCjSlc1KwxHn7Lyc2i4QnqZDLuHCW8viErEeRkoSN3eaRVcREcY-WN2ONreH0O-b9~QpECw8AzPHlQQfTuSJm7t0Hqsc8q5aOrwDRBT0jhelk8fiFX9uTbdK0n1-QLCOsd1aXWnlabCSz4WQhlU6fjOT-CExoQDnO9yinSLksR4X8xl1JRhz44LsTUWD5SJw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ" target="_blank">Historical Society of Queensland in March 1935</a>, "<i>The vessel is said to have been formerly named
the "Florida," and apparently her name was changed
with a complimentary intention, as a tribute to the
fact that she was carrying Irish immigrants.</i>" Complimentary name aside, the ship certainly wasn't immune to the ravages of communicable disease, & within days of leaving port scarlatina & typhoid fever broke out amongst the immigrants housed below her decks. Over an incredibly protracted 174 day voyage to Brisbane, via a brief stop-over in Hobart, 54 men, women & children passed away, literally decimating whole families who'd boarded in the hopes of a better life south of the equator. On arrival off Cape Moreton on the 31st of July 1862, the Health Officer Dr. Hobbs immediately placed the ship in quarantine at anchor, due to the large loss of life experienced during the voyage. Within days, according to <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4607236?" target="_blank">The Courier</a></i>, the Governor declared:</div>
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<b><i>"In order to facilitate measures to be adopted for the fumigation of the vessel, and the washing of linen and other clothing used during the voyage, as well as to afford to the passengers the means of necessary exercise and change, his Excellency has been pleased to establish a temporary Quarantine Station at the Island of St. Helena, in Moreton Bay. During the detention of the vessel and her passengers under surveillance, the island in question will be appropriated to their sole use, and all persons are strictly cautioned not to attempt to land on such island, or in an way to establish communication with the people on shore or on board the vessel, unless with the sanction, in writing, of the Government, for which application must be made at this office."</i></b></div>
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It would herald the first official occasion St. Helena Island had been used as a quarantine ground for a questionable immigrant vessel - but it would not be the last. By Wednesday the 6th of August 1862, <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4607259?" target="_blank">The Courier</a></i> reported that the <i>Erin-go-Bragh's</i> immigrants were, "<b><i>availing themselves of the Government regulation, whereby they are permitted to exercise themselves and breathe the fresh air on the Island of St. Helena. So far as we can gather, there does not appear at present to be any infectious disease on board the vessel, although a woman died on Monday, and was buried on the same day on the same island. The complaint, however, was one of a pulmonary nature.</i></b>" And, with this report, we have confirmation of an immigrant burial on St. Helena Island - that of Margaret Killian. Despite the communicable diseases running rampant on board the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i>, Margaret passed away due to "consumption" - an event specifically recorded in an electric telegraph from Lytton, to <a href="http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/manning-arthur-willcox-16610" target="_blank">A. W. Manning</a>, the Principal Colonial Under Secretary. It was suspected the malady had resulted from the birth, & subsequent death a few weeks previously, of her 2 day old son aboard the ship whilst still at sea.</div>
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Interestingly, <i>The Courier's</i> report above mentioning Margaret's <u>death & burial the same day</u>, Monday the 4th August 1862, seems to contradict her previously accepted date of death - that of the 3rd August 1862, as listed on the <a href="http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~eringobragh/genealogy/deaths.html" target="_blank">Rootsweb website</a>. Unfortunately, Queensland's BDM historical scans covering the deaths on board the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i> have been previously unavailable...however, after requests made to the Department by the <i><b>Haunts of Brisbane</b></i> early last week, the historical scans of the <i>Erin-go-Bragh's</i> deaths have now been very kindly scanned & added for online access, including that of Margaret Killian. Unfortunately, however, there is no official date registered against her death:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh84ZU2MljZmNoE3nP7LbTBk9x-9xI4cwfDWvXMzTyscwUq3qRn2tneTHlfvs2O27UDtrVw8Sv1nVKpz1O1pRa8ByoJBd4TbaO_s1HPadqDFi9Yo9qz0R7TCWXqO1J04GvYSRfn4_PjH4/s1600/Killian%252C+Margaret.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="1161" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh84ZU2MljZmNoE3nP7LbTBk9x-9xI4cwfDWvXMzTyscwUq3qRn2tneTHlfvs2O27UDtrVw8Sv1nVKpz1O1pRa8ByoJBd4TbaO_s1HPadqDFi9Yo9qz0R7TCWXqO1J04GvYSRfn4_PjH4/s400/Killian%252C+Margaret.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Margaret Killian's record as per the Marine Register of Deaths held by Queensland's<br />
BDM Registry, covering those who passed away on board the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i>.</div>
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Within days of Margaret's burial on St. Helena Island, the <i>Erin-go-Bragh's</i> sister Queensland Immigration Society ship, the <i>Chatsworth</i>, maneuvered into position off Cape Moreton, awaiting a pilot on the evening of the 6th of August 1862. And, it is with the <i>Chatsworth's</i> arrival at Moreton Bay, that St. Helena Island's non-prison burial record cracks wide open!<br />
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On arrival off Cape Moreton from the Ports of Liverpool & Cork, the <i>Chatsworth</i> had also experienced a tragic run to Australia, albeit with a death toll far less than that of the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i>. Once out on the open ocean, measles broke out predominantly amongst the young children on board, accounting for a dozen deaths at sea. On arrival in Moreton Bay, the ship was inspected by Dr. Hobbs, as had the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i> a week earlier, & just like the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i>, the <i>Chatsworth</i> was placed into immediate quarantine at anchor due to cases of measles still being present amongst the remaining children. And, it's at this point, that we need to refer specifically to the following excerpt, taken directly from the <i>British Register of Births, Deaths & Marriages at Sea</i>, specifically documenting deaths that occurred on board the <i>Chatsworth.</i> As you'll see, the excerpt below contains eight names & dates of death, keeping in mind that the <i>Chatsworth</i> arrived in Moreton Bay on the evening of the <u>6th of August 1862</u>: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToKrtt12Ux4OkXJeRlHVBtPPtVX8DTawZ_ayQwE9LuYEDGNaUzghv7yRYJGMlVjrIYCbznUbkxN0-8W5SnzpiMUgEhETyggcdv3QNUQG-qqtqXJTKDIIx5zLxMmhEsY02r3ouj03f5IM/s1600/Chatsworth+deaths.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="1053" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToKrtt12Ux4OkXJeRlHVBtPPtVX8DTawZ_ayQwE9LuYEDGNaUzghv7yRYJGMlVjrIYCbznUbkxN0-8W5SnzpiMUgEhETyggcdv3QNUQG-qqtqXJTKDIIx5zLxMmhEsY02r3ouj03f5IM/s400/Chatsworth+deaths.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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An anecdotal account, printed in <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4607297?" target="_blank">The Courier's</a></i> Shipping Intelligence on Friday the 8th of August & supposedly taken from an Officer aboard the steamer <i>Samson</i>, reported that a child from the <i>Chatsworth </i>had been buried on Moreton Island on Wednesday the 6th of August - this was likely 4 year old Ellen Tracey, who'd died from dysentery on the 5th of August as the ship approached Cape Moreton (not in the above list). However, Mathew Mathewson, a 2 year old boy who died on the 9th of August from measles whilst the vessel was still in quarantine at anchor off Cape Moreton, was likely also interred somewhere on Moreton. On the same day, <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4607316?" target="_blank">The Courier</a></i> noted that:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztwiXnEV8APSp7KawISsBX3Ukbo10CLYkqln6Z_NHPwN9PJvihL7IprWDksknXLRccUKm1UAgInUOKyFn6sofv4xh1ryjelwMsIRjLdg05Kyns0D6PDJJTplx3xXb4_8CRNUCbCiY3zU/s1600/Chatsworth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="732" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztwiXnEV8APSp7KawISsBX3Ukbo10CLYkqln6Z_NHPwN9PJvihL7IprWDksknXLRccUKm1UAgInUOKyFn6sofv4xh1ryjelwMsIRjLdg05Kyns0D6PDJJTplx3xXb4_8CRNUCbCiY3zU/s400/Chatsworth.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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What we do know, however, is that by the <u>12th of August at the very latest</u>, the <i>Chatsworth</i> had been moved on to St. Helena Island for quarantine, just as the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i> had been just over a week earlier. We know this due to a letter that was penned to Dr. Hobbs from the ship's surgeon, Charles J. Moran, dated the <u>12th of August</u>. In his correspondence, the surgeon stated that, "<b><i>I beg leave to forward you my report of the present state of health of this ship. There are only two cases of measles & in these the rash is disappearing. The health of the ship in all other respects is good. The greater number of the passengers have been landed on St. Helena Island & their clothes been washed. The ship has also been fumigated.</i></b>" Despite continued public assurances printed in <i>The Courier</i> that all traces of contagious disease had been purged from the <i>Chatsworth's</i> passengers, & the ship would likely be released from quarantine at any moment, the reality on board & amongst those camped on St. Helena was anything but assured - likely resulting from clothing & possessions being unpacked from trunks that had remained sealed since Liverpool, typhoid fever had broken out amongst some adult passengers.<br />
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On the 18th August, a letter was forwarded to the mainland from the <i>Chatsworth</i>, penned by James Jeffrey, an Admiralty Surveyor in the Royal Navy, & one of the many detained passengers. In his correspondence, he noted, "<b><i>About 50 of the passengers are landed on the Island of St. Helena, two children and one man died on the island last week, and one woman has been landed this morning, some of the passengers refuse to land."</i></b> Referring back to our excerpt of deaths aboard the <i>Chatsworth</i> by date, we can deduce these deaths correlate to Daniel Drew, a 2½ year old boy who died from convulsions on the 14th of August, Ellen Scotland, a 2 year old girl who died from measles on the 16th of August, & Joseph Bradshaw, a man who died from typhoid fever on the 17th of August (Joseph had previously been identified by Belinda on <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/prisonstory/" target="_blank">The St. Helena Island Community</a></i></b> in her article "<b><i><a href="https://sthelenacommunity.com.au/2018/04/07/3-graves-that-cant-be-found/" target="_blank">3 graves that can't be found</a></i></b>"). The author of the above letter seemingly failed to realise, in amidst the confusion that was no doubt raging on the Island, that Joseph Bradshaw's 2 year old son Edwin had also passed away on the 17th of August from dysentery - we can only surmise that his little body was buried with that of his father, & was hence mistaken as a single grave by the concerned passenger.<br />
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On the day after the above letter was penned, on the 19th of August, little John Drew (younger brother of Daniel, who'd died on the 14th of August), passed away from measles. And, by the 22nd of August, a further two deaths would occur - that of Eliza Blake from typhoid fever, as well as her infant son George, from measles. These would be the final two deaths linked to St. Helena Island, as the <i>Chatsworth </i>with passengers was finally relocated to the new quarantine grounds at "Dunage" (present-day Dunwich, on Stradbroke Island) on the 23rd of August. <i><a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4607582?" target="_blank">The Courier</a></i> would report the same on that day, in addition to a veiled clue at the death toll incurred whilst the vessel had lay at anchor off St. Helena - "<b><i>[W]e understand an arrangement has been made for towing over the Chatsworth from St. Helena to the permanent quarantine ground at Dunage. Whilst on this subject, we may remark that it has been considered a matter of surprise that no proclamation has been issued by the Government.</i></b>" And, with that, the <i>Chatsworth's </i>link to St. Helena was severed - one last death would occur amongst the ship's passengers prior to release from quarantine, that of William Williamson from typhoid fever on the 3rd of September, however this burial would become a part of Stradbroke Island's history as a quarantine ground.<br />
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So, up until last week, the above had been purely deduced from the <i>British Register of Births, Deaths & Marriages at Sea</i>, as the historical images of these seven deaths whilst the <i>Chatsworth</i> was anchored at St. Helena were not available through the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (similar to Margaret Killian's). However, on request from the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b>, the Department was again kind enough to scan the pages referring to to <i>Chatsworth's </i>deaths, which are now readily available via their online search platform...& it's through these documents that we can undeniably confirm that at least one death resulted in a burial on St. Helena Island - that of Elizabeth Blake, on the 23rd of August just as the <i>Chatsworth</i> was preparing to tow across to Dunwich:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhphx-6fc8gXlO2nM6Q5s5S0gBsypqiGDY8X78awfhQ6ePysoplLEwD_BHWVKL4iojn-YqxP0zPW8hVn7BBnzz31GQNDKVFRAA720PJSprDMyit7R22S5raSiuelePcjtcvI2S-CIUu64/s1600/Elizabeth+Blake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="406" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhphx-6fc8gXlO2nM6Q5s5S0gBsypqiGDY8X78awfhQ6ePysoplLEwD_BHWVKL4iojn-YqxP0zPW8hVn7BBnzz31GQNDKVFRAA720PJSprDMyit7R22S5raSiuelePcjtcvI2S-CIUu64/s320/Elizabeth+Blake.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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For clarity's sake, the full historical record of all seven deaths, courtesy of Queensland Births, Deaths & Marriages, is as follows:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42fn3SACPsg7iR1yDuESsFfhzN65nSK-dVob-qTmNyyDmx6cveex3rS_5iYe2fBNmo2urfSwWHtAqGkjDyj4J26lnK3lxwsW0-fGPn7jTh67jmAnGg4WJUBArU1_HKtc8oXQspBj2GwM/s1600/Chatsworth+deaths.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1140" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42fn3SACPsg7iR1yDuESsFfhzN65nSK-dVob-qTmNyyDmx6cveex3rS_5iYe2fBNmo2urfSwWHtAqGkjDyj4J26lnK3lxwsW0-fGPn7jTh67jmAnGg4WJUBArU1_HKtc8oXQspBj2GwM/s400/Chatsworth+deaths.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The official record above clarifies & confirms the following names:<br />
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<b><i>Daniel Drew</i></b> - 14th of August 1862 - 2 years, 6 months, from convulsions & measles<br />
<b><i>Mary Isabella Scotland</i></b> - 16th of August 1862 - 1 year, 10 months, from measles<br />
<b><i>Edwin Bradshaw</i></b> - 17th of August 1862 - 2 years, from dysentery & general debility<br />
<b><i>Joseph Bradshaw</i></b> - 17th of August 1862 - 29 years, from typhoid fever<br />
<b><i>John Charles Drew</i></b> - 19th of August 1862 - 10 months, from measles<br />
<b><i>Elizabeth Blake</i></b> - 22nd of August 1862 - 33 years, from typhoid fever<br />
<b><i>George Blake</i></b> - 22nd August 1862 - 2 years, 8 months, from measles<br />
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So, we now know that the <i>Chatsworth</i> arrived in Moreton Bay on the 6th of August, was placed in quarantine on St. Helena Island by the 12th of August, & was finally towed to the permanent quarantine ground at Dunwich on the 23rd of August. During this time, eight passengers died - one prior to the ship moving to St. Helena, with likely burial occurring on Moreton Island, & a further seven whilst the ship was quarantined at St. Helena. Of these seven, we can confirm that one adult female was buried on St. Helena due to the BDM records, & a further two children & one adult male were interred according to correspondence penned by a passenger whilst also in quarantine on the Island. However, I think it's very safe to say that all seven passengers who died whilst in quarantine on St. Helena Island, are buried on St. Helena Island. Which, taking into account one previous burial from the <i>Erin-go-Bragh</i> less than a week before the <i>Chatsworth's</i> passengers' arrival on the Island, raises one massive historical conundrum!<br />
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Humans are creatures of absolute habit, especially when it comes to matters of faith & the way in which we commemorate the departed. With two ships offloading into the same quarantine ground, & a steady string of eight deaths & subsequent burials over the space of a little more than two weeks, it's highly probable that all interments took place one after another, alongside one another, in an area of the island not too distant from the quarantine camp - keeping in mind that most deaths were children, & all those who died had remaining family still in quarantine, the graves would likely have been within short walking distance to the camp and were likely marked, even if crudely. So, now the real research work begins, in trying to narrow down the area used for quarantine, & in turn the most likely surrounding areas that would best accommodate a small immigrant cemetery of seven to eight interments. The next steps in potentially physically locating these previously-forgotten souls will not be an easy one, but where there's a will there's definitely a way. And, at the very least, we've succeeded in identifying five lost little children, & a mother, after almost 160 years.<br />
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Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-10933946816822041012019-06-26T02:26:00.000-07:002019-06-28T21:14:06.610-07:00The tragic little burial ground Moreton Bay never knew it had... [PART I]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyZsya5xaDbLdrq0blxipL0jbUxYwva9EEpQ-rV7R8jGTx-4sgievpDBQYu0Dcl7ddhTrwmHIXPG75EsV1iNa3_YQ39LJEyCEEeomo-R8aQMEUtpq0jhzuvT6A8C8U_vC357y4UKiIco/s1600/nla.obj-149762159-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1000" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyZsya5xaDbLdrq0blxipL0jbUxYwva9EEpQ-rV7R8jGTx-4sgievpDBQYu0Dcl7ddhTrwmHIXPG75EsV1iNa3_YQ39LJEyCEEeomo-R8aQMEUtpq0jhzuvT6A8C8U_vC357y4UKiIco/s400/nla.obj-149762159-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<i><b>Entrance to Moreton Bay</b></i>" - sketch, circa 1860.</div>
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(Courtesy <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/30480327?q&versionId=36999685" target="_blank">National Library of Australia</a>)</div>
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It's sometimes funny how the mind of an historical archaeologist works...forever on the lookout for the frustratingly missing fragment of historical information, that will finally provide closure on a previously incomplete body of work...or that perpetual drive - deep down - to provide a voice to those who have passed before us, or have slipped below the historical record's radar due to a perceived lack of fame or fortune, or who've ultimately been lost or completely erased from history due to the ravages of time. But...every so often, the stars align & a welcome series of current events (in contrast to those frustrating historical ones frequently puzzled over by researchers) transpire to provide the necessary kick-in-the-backside for tackling something truly monumental.</div>
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Welcome all to the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b>, & the very first article to grace the blog site in six long years - virtually to the day!</div>
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For those who've followed the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b> over the years, you're likely aware of the many projects upon which we've already embarked (via the blogsite, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Haunts-of-Brisbane-275966655755127/" target="_blank">facebook page</a> & the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJpFxubV5sLWY1G_wXODC8g" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>), in the hope of not only promoting a wider understanding of Brisbane's lesser-known history, but also via platforms that are <u>publicly available for all</u> & <u>completely free to access</u> (despite the sometimes considerable behind-the-scenes expenses incurred to research & produce content). With the advent of 2019, the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b> has also been lucky enough to partner with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fosbc/" target="_blank"><b><i>Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery</i></b></a> & the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/boggoroadprison/" target="_blank"><b><i>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society</i></b></a> to launch a schedule of special tours through both Toowong & South Brisbane Cemeteries - from which <u>every cent</u> of tour ticketing is rolled back into cemetery projects. 2019 is fast becoming a definitive year for the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b>, with a ramping-up of activity & an opportunity to hand back to the residents of the wider Brisbane region, in the form of our shared & forgotten history. The following article (in two parts), details a component of a much wider current project (personally funded, to date), which not only furthers our interpretation of a well-known historical asset located in Moreton Bay, but additionally fulfills the tenets of historical archaeology - "<b><i>Providing voice to the voiceless.</i></b>"</div>
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So, let's digress back to the 1980's...</div>
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One of my fondest childhood memories, given my overwhelming desire to become an archaeologist "when I grew up," was a pending primary school trip across Moreton Bay to the mystical isle of St. Helena. Classroom talk at school centered around the island's history, in-so-much as there'd been some "convicts" there, & it was a terrible place...complete with a fleet of man-eating sharks trained to attack anyone who tried to escape, & a massive cannon (presumably to ward off a pending pirate attack, we kids surmised!). However, in the immediate lead-up to the excursion, my mother imparted a genealogical clanger - my great-great-great grandmother & her newborn child were buried somewhere on the man-eating-shark pirate convict island, & I should question the tour guide as to whether their whereabouts were known. Irish immigrants, who'd boarded a ship in search of a better life in the southern hemisphere, they'd both passed away at sea & had been (I'd interpreted) unscrupulously dumped on the island in an attempt to cover up their deaths. Their immigrant ship was apparently on the $5 note, & the burial site had alluded any genealogical research to date. I still distinctly remember dropping my St. Helena grenade in front of the tour guide on the fateful day, complete with the stunned look I received in reply - my g-g-g grandmother's location would remain a mystery!<br />
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<img alt="Related image" height="207" src="https://www.maxstern.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/5-back-2.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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The ship depicted in the top right corner of the 1967</div>
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Coombs/Randall $5 note is, in fact, the <i>Waverley, not</i></div>
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my great-great-great grandparent's vessel.</div>
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Jump forward almost a decade to 1993. Now in high school, school-endorsed work experience reared its opportunistic head - as friends approached the local fast food outlets, I submitted an application with Queensland Parks & Wildlife, due to a very timely media segment detailing archaeological work taking place on the island at the time. To my actual shock, I was accepted, & traveled to St. Helena to live on-island for a week - whilst it transpired that all archaeological works had ended just prior to my arrival, the week was spent working away on constructing cattle fences, mixing & applying sacrificial render to the remaining building facades, wrestling with kevlar chaps whilst maneuvering whipper-snippers in the long grass, & generally exploring every accessible inch of the island in search of my ancestors' graves...to no avail. During my university studies, two additional opportunities arose in the late 1990's to spend a further two week-long stints on the island, whilst undertaking archaeological assemblages analyses...however, any further attempt to shed any amount of light on my g-g-g grandmother's final resting place still alluded me.</div>
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With the eventual advent of the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b> blog, & a renewed interest in producing historical content, I delved a little further into my g-g-g grandmother's story in August 2012, as a part of a wider article on a <a href="https://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-downfall-creek-tragedy-brisbane.html" target="_blank">murder at Downfall Creek</a> (current day Lutwyche). The foul deed, committed in the stables area of the Edinburgh Castle Hotel in 1889, indirectly involved my great great grandparents - one of whom was Michael Goodwin, the son of my mystery g-g-g grandmother, buried on St. Helena Island. As a child, he'd boarded an immigrant vessel at Gravesend in England on the 18th of February 1852, with his father, pregnant mother & nine siblings. Hailing from the port village of Foynes, within Ireland's County of Limerick, the family was likely rattled by the well-documented "Great Famine," which had run roughshod over swathes of western Ireland in the years leading up to 1849-1850. As word spread that English agents were advertising "bounty" schemes (assisted immigration), ofttimes with a promise of land in the new colonies, the family apparently heeded the call alongside a number of their fellow countrymen, & made their way to England & a new life in the southern colonies - boarding a ship by the name of the <i>Maria Somes </i>(<i>Maria Soames</i>), a vessel that had cut her teeth many times over on the Australia run, as a notorious convict transport.<br />
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After 116 days at sea, the <i>Maria Somes</i> finally came in sight of Mt. Warning & the promise of a new start in the Colony of New South Wales (Queensland's separation would not occur for another seven years, in 1859). On sailing a further three days in search of the entrance to Moreton Bay around Cape Moreton, the ship's Captain realised they'd horribly overshot their mark, & were now sailing past Sandy Cape on Frazer Island. In a panic at the oversight, & the fear of falling foul on reefs in the region, the Maria Somes went about in the hope of a quick return to Moreton Bay...unfortunately, the weather would dictate otherwise. No sooner had a reverse tack been made, than the ship was hit with a downward blast, "<b><i>strong enough to blow the masts out of the ship.</i></b>" After days of stormy weather & high seas, the Maria Somes finally anchored off Moreton Island....& it was here, after almost a week in delays & just short of landfall, that my heavily pregnant great-great-great grandmother Johanna went into labour.<br />
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Despite the best efforts of the ship's skilled surgeon, both Johanna & her baby died on board the Maria Somes, within sight of the Glasshouse Mountains & the mouth of the Brisbane River. Before the ship was boarded & inspected by the necessary authorities for granting pratique, Johanna & her newborn child were hastily buried on the shores of St. Helena Island - then nothing more than a wooded island on the approach to the free settlement of Moreton Bay, pre-dating the St. Helena Penal Settlement by fifteen years. The whole sad event, culminating at St. Helena Island & documented by the Reverend Henry Berkeley Jones, was published in the book, <b><i>Adventures in Australia in 1852 and 1853</i></b>:</div>
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<b><i>"There we interred a poor emigrant and her infant child, who died just as she had completed her voyage, leaving her husband the guardian of ten surviving children - a heavy charge and drawback to this poor man, who was a peaceable, well conducted Irishman."</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcJvcqM8lyhBVQNx4-jRK_mHZ2-s4rGgOX4WiyUFWB4qbJwALMwOLFfAzWS2GWhvD_H-bx_KgktvS1-FruwvvnFwvdYtNQhqkzKM32Mf6yjlgUX0ACMfUJNrZkYQBn4S90RYv2rXIeKw/s1600/nla.obj-134723485-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="1000" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcJvcqM8lyhBVQNx4-jRK_mHZ2-s4rGgOX4WiyUFWB4qbJwALMwOLFfAzWS2GWhvD_H-bx_KgktvS1-FruwvvnFwvdYtNQhqkzKM32Mf6yjlgUX0ACMfUJNrZkYQBn4S90RYv2rXIeKw/s400/nla.obj-134723485-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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"<b><i>St. Helena, Moreton Bay, 20th July 1853</i></b>"</div>
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(Courtesy <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21915736?q&versionId=26404197" target="_blank">National Library of Australia</a>)</div>
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And thus, the earliest identifiable European burial on St. Helena took place...an event that, short of a few vague 1852 newspaper articles & a brief mention in the above book, may well have slipped by unnoticed & unrecorded. Johanna's death & that of her child, occurring prior to landing on terra firma, went unrecorded in the official death registry. But for the space of two short years, their tragic passing may have at least rated a mention - from 1854 onwards, all births, death & marriages at sea were required to be recorded in ships' logs, with a further requirement that collected records would then be passed on to the Registrar General of Shipping & Seamen on reaching the next British Port, after which records were then to be forwarded to the General Register Office in England. Johanna & her child were not so lucky in 1852 - their deaths went virtually unnoticed beyond the living memories of the family they left behind to settle at Moreton Bay. </div>
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A few years after the <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i> article briefly touching on Johanna's story was uploaded, another fantastic historically-focused blog took form in late 2017. Published by Belinda, a very skilled fellow historian & storyteller, <a href="https://sthelenacommunity.com.au/" target="_blank"><i><b>The St. Helena Island Community</b></i></a> (& associated <a href="https://www.facebook.com/prisonstory/" target="_blank">facebook page</a>) published another great article identifying three immigrant burials on St. Helena Island, in April 2018. Entitled "<i><a href="https://sthelenacommunity.com.au/2018/04/07/3-graves-that-cant-be-found/" target="_blank"><b>3 graves that can't be found</b></a></i>," Belinda identified three individuals buried on St. Helena Island prior to the opening of the Penal Settlement, two being immigrants from immigrant vessels entering Moreton Bay in 1862, and a third being the wife of the Settlement's early building supervisor in 1865, prior to landing of prisoners on the island. On reaching out to add my g-g-g grandmother & her child to the list, Belinda followed up with an additional article entitled, "<a href="https://sthelenacommunity.com.au/2018/04/07/5-graves-that-cant-be-found/" target="_blank"><i><b>5 graves that can't be found.</b></i></a>" With that article, the total number of burials pre-dating St. Helena Island's conversion to a Prison Settlement has rested. Furthermore, given the sporadic unofficial record of burials - a double burial in 1852, 2 somewhat unassociated burials in 1862, & a further burial in 1865 - one could imagine that these individuals were interred in a hap-hazard manner, in isolation, at various unknown locations around the island's perimeter.<br />
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However...what if St. Helena Island's shores hold more than just five immigrant burials?? And...what if those burials likely rest within a forgotten little cemetery that has been completely lost to history, totally unrecorded, still to be located below the Island's sandy surface?? The <i>Haunts of Brisbane's</i> recent research cracks wide the above two questions, & markedly expands the interpretation of St. Helena Island's history!<br />
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<b>[<a href="https://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-tragic-little-burial-ground-moreton_28.html" target="_blank">Click for Part II here</a>]</b></div>
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Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-62512159525261500202013-06-12T15:07:00.000-07:002013-06-12T15:10:01.109-07:00THE DOUBLE EXECUTION - Ellen Thompson & John Harrison<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>**NOTE: The following is the exact transcript of an article published in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, page 3, from the 14th of June 1887 - I have taken the liberty of inserting related photographic material within the article body for effect. Ellen Thompson's & John Harrison's presumed guilt or innocence aside, the following article (written by a member of the Press who was present at the execution) provides a very detailed & troubling insight into the act of execution in Queensland around the turn of the century.**</b></div>
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The Gallows within Boggo Road Gaol's Number 1 Division,</div>
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in 1903 (<i>State Library of Queensland</i>).</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE DOUBLE EXECUTION</b></span></i>.</div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc2"> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span></b>hortly after 8 o'clock yesterday morning the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc3"> two prisoners, <span class="ocrhighlight">Ellen</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span> and John Har</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc4">rison, who were convicted at the April Criminal </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc5">Sittings of the Northern Circuit Court of the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc6"> murder of William <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span> (husband of the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc7"> female prisoner) near Port Douglas on the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc8"> 22nd October last, and who were sentenced to</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc9"> death by His Honour Mr. Justice Cooper,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc10"> suffered the extreme penalty of the law.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc11"> Some considerable time before the hour ap</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc12">pointed for the execution, the gaol officials, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc13"> those whose various duties required their atten</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc14">dance to witness the fearful spectacle, began</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc15"> to arrive, but the attendance of those</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc16"> whose curiosity led them to make application</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc19"> for passes for admission was very small. The rumours which had been current for some weeks previously respecting the almost un</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc20">precedented conduct of the female prisoner</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc21"> and her frequently expressed determina</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc23">tion to resist all attempts to hang her had created a great deal of public excitement. </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc24">But, although the condemned woman all along</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc25"> placed entire confidence in the belief that the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc26"> Governor of the colony would at the last</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc27"> moment grant her a reprieve, her demeanour,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc28"> when it was at last made clear to her that all</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc30"> hope was past, was anything but uproarious or unwomanly.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc31"> Both she and Harrison rose at an early</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc32"> hour yesterday morning. Shortly after</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc33"> daylight the prisoner <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span> was at</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc34">tended by two Sisters of Mercy, whose</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc35"> ministrations she appeared thankful to re</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc36">ceive, and to whom she continuously</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc37"> repeated her protestations of innocence of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc38"> the crime for which she was about to</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc39"> suffer the penalty. While denouncing the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc40"> Governor and the Executive for refusing to</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc41"> grant a commutation of her sentence, she ad</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc42">mitted that from a legal point of view she</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc43"> might be guilty of the charge of murder,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc45"> but urged that morally she was as innocent as an unborn babe. Her version of the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc46"> tragedy was briefly that her husband and Har</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc47">rison had been quarrelling, when she, with the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc48"> intention of making peace between them, in a</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc49"> jocular spirit remarked to Harrison that if he</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc50"> did not shut up, the old man, meaning Thomp</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc51">son, would shoot him. Harrison immediately</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc52"> took up the revolver, saying, "Will he? Well, </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc53">I will have first shot," at the same time firing.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc54"> Throughout the morning Mrs. <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span></span><span class="displayFix" id="lc55"> conducted herself with the greatest respect</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc56"> towards the Sisters of Mercy, and also towards</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc57"> Father Fouhy, who visited her in the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc58"> last half-hour of her life. She bore</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc59"> up bravely to the last, and even when standing</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc60"> on the scaffold her fortitude was remarkable.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc61"> Attended by Father Fouhy, she stepped on</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc62"> to the drop, and her voice was unshaken</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc63"> as she said, "Good-bye everybody; I</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc64"> forgive everybody from the bottom of my</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc65"> heart for anything they have wronged me</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc66"> in this world. I never shot my husband, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc67"> I am dying like an angel." Only</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc69"> once, within a few seconds of the fatal moment, was there a perceptible quiver</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc70"> in the unhappy creature's voice, when with</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc71"> almost her dying breath she murmured, "Oh,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc72"> my poor children; take care of my children </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc73">will you, Father". The next instant her</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc74"> body was swinging in mid air.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc75"> Harrison, is said to have been a soldier</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc76"> in the British army. To Archdeacon Dawes,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc77"> who was with him during his last hours, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc78"> with whose ministrations he appeared deeply</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc79"> impressed, he stated that both he and the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc80"> woman were implicated in the death of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc81"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>, but that although he did fire the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc82"> shots which killed him it was done in</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc83"> self-defence. When standing on the scaffold</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc84"> he spoke not a word, and in the expression of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc85"> his features could be traced not the slightest</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc86"> evidence of fear or nervous excitement.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc86">______________________________</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc87"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">TWO LIVES FOR A LIFE.</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc88"> <b>BY SKETCHER.</b></span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc89"> The main gaol building is a gloomy place at</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc90"> the best of times with its lofty ceiling and its</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc91"> tiers of cells and the scanty light that steals in</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc92"> through the few long-barred windows and falls</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc93"> on iron-barred doors and iron-barred ratings,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc95"> and on the cold stone floors and walls. It is gloomy and depressing even when the sunshine</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc96"> streams in of a summer day, and when light</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc97">some birds wing boldly in through the unglazed</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc98"> windows and perch twittering on the iron-</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc99">barred doors, but it was gloomier still upon</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc100"> this cloudy blustering June morning when a</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc101"> little crowd gathered quietly on the ground</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc102"> floor and gazed silently at the ready scaffold</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc103"> on the tier above. For a tragedy was to be</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc105"> enacted with this gloomy building for a theatre, and the ominous-looking scaffold</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc106"> which crossed from side to side for a stage; a </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc107">tragedy in which two fellow-creatures would</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc108"> be the prime actors, and in which that </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc109">mysterious thing which men call Law would</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc110"> move as Fate. And one was to be a woman; </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc111">a pitifully wicked woman.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc112"> She crossed the yard from the little hospital</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc113"> building so quietly that one could hardly</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc114"> imagine she was walking to her death</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc115"> with a companion woman, a female warder it</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc116"> appeared, by her side, and a guard, for</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc117"> form's sake, behind. She walked with head</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc118"> bent a little and with hands clasped,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc119"> in neat black garments, and with black</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc120"> bonnet thrust back a little from the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc121"> drawn and haggard face, the face of a woman</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc122"> whose whole life has been passed in ceaseless </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc123">toil. She had been brutal and violent, giving</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc124"> free vent to the bitterness of a despairing</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc125"> heart, shocking all who heard her with her</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc126"> blasphemies, and deafening the ear of mercy</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc127"> with unseemly cries; it was thought that there </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc128">would have been a struggle on the gallows.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc129"> But humanity prevailed at the last moment, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc130"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Ellen</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>, murderess, died quietly and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc131"> died "game". Vile as the crime was, how</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc132">ever necessary murder for murder may</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc133"> be, there is something that inspires esteem</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc134"> in the courage of the fellow-mortal who</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc135"> fears to die, who longs to live, and who</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc136"> yet, brought to bay, can stand unflinchingly on</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc137"> the edge of eternity. "I'll soon be in a world</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc138"> where they won't tell lies about me," she</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc139"> observed, as she mounted the steps and disap</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc140">peared up the inner stairway which leads to</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc141"> the condemned cell. When she appeared again</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc142"> it was as an actor in an awful scene.</span></div>
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Ellen Thompson (<i>Queensland State Archives</i>).</div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc143"> One heard the priest's voice raised in prayer</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc144"> as 8 o'clock drew near, the gloom seemed to</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc145"> deepen, and the wind seemed to moan pas</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc146">sionately as it came in through the bars. A</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc147"> sturdy warder, pale-faced, stepped on to the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc148"> scaffold, there was a rustle, the prayer sounded</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc149"> louder, and in a moment the murderess</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc150"> stood on the trap, under the fatal rope.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc151"> She was white as marble, and her teeth</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc152"> set hard, but she never faltered, and she looked</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc153"> such a poor little woman as she stood there</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc154"> waiting to die. Her hands were clasped still,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc155"> and she held a little crucifix in the right one;</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc156"> she protested her innocence, she bade good-bye</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc157"> to her children, and then she prayed in Catho</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc158">lic fashion − not passionately, but as one who</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc159"> labours under a burning sense of wrong. She</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc160"> never moved from where she stood, but she</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc161"> swayed as one fainting when the noose was drawn</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc162"> about her neck, her hand clasped convulsively</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc163"> over her crucifix, and it seemed as though her</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc164"> lips, under the death-cap, moved silently</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc165"> in prayer. The strapping warder, who stood on</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc166"> the scaffold, held out his hands to steady her,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc167"> but she braced up in a moment and did not fall.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc168"> The executioner shook the rope to clear it, he</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc169"> and the warder stepped to the side corridors. </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc170"> At 8 precisely the bolt was drawn.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc171"> Her last thought was for her children. </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc172"> Thud! That was the only sound, for the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc173"> wind had lulled, and nobody seemed to breathe. </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc174"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Ellen</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span> fell straight as an arrow</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc175"> through the trap, her knees drew up</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc176"> spasmodically, and then <span class="ocrhighlight">Ellen</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>'s</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc177"> body dangled lifeless. The rope had cut</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc178"> into the neck, severing the jugular vein, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc179"> in a moment a patch of red appeared</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc180"> on the white cap and a crimson stream poured</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc181"> over the black dress, falling in a pool on the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc182"> stone floor. It was pitiful before, but it was</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc183"> still more pitiful now, this execution.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc184"> The woman who had accompanied her</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc185"> across the yard washed the hands from the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc186"> blood which stained them. A coffin was placed</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc187"> on the blanketed earth which two prisoners had</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc189"> brought in and heaped over the crimson pool. They lowered her tenderly, removed the rope</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc190"> from her neck, and the execution was over. It</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc192"> had not taken fifteen minutes altogether. The executioner is a tall, gray-bearded, gen</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc193">tlemanly-looking man, whom no one would take</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc194"> for the holder of such a vile action. He is</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc195"> businesslike and he never shrank, as the warders</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc196"> did, from the touch of the dead woman. But he</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc197"> felt annoyed when in the interests of science the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc199"> cap was removed for Professor Blumenthal to measure the head.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzew8d1L18k0s_qSGAdXiOXV0WNvdqBcVC0MpCUKO4Y9ibF86_gRxtcf900AmAIgC8QX707uDaG3Ru2ZNDXjOqn0_RrfclSPRUYmbEJbTlq9VOg1yTXhj4wSBwSEx6RG-S589t54udTc/s1600/John+Harrison+1887.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzew8d1L18k0s_qSGAdXiOXV0WNvdqBcVC0MpCUKO4Y9ibF86_gRxtcf900AmAIgC8QX707uDaG3Ru2ZNDXjOqn0_RrfclSPRUYmbEJbTlq9VOg1yTXhj4wSBwSEx6RG-S589t54udTc/s1600/John+Harrison+1887.bmp" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
John Harrison (<i>Queensland State Archives</i>).</div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc200"> It was 8:20 when <span class="ocrhighlight">Ellen</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>'s plain</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc201"> coffin was carried away and when the trap</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc202"> was shut again, and when the rope lay</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc203"> ready for another victim. The little </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc204">crowd that the first execution had sickened</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc205"> waited quietly, and talked in subdued tones;</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc206"> but had it not been the duty of officials,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc207"> doctors, and reporters to see it all over the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc208"> crowd would have melted away. They talked</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc209"> of ghastly things; the doctors of how the </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc210">bleeding happened; the officials of whether or </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc211">not Professor Blumenthal should have been</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc212"> permitted to measure; some of the </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc213">woman's guilt, or some of her possible</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc214"> innocence. And always everyone kept looking</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc215"> at the stage beyond, beneath which a mound of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc216"> earth now rose like a grave, and in every man's</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc218"> mind was the conviction that whether the death penalty be right or not, hanging is a</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc219"> barberous and a brutal thing. As 8:30 ap</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc220">proached there was another rustle without,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc221"> but through the doorway Harrison could be</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc222"> seen, treading the path which his paramour</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc223"> had trod half an hour before. He passed to</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc224"> the stairway in a moment; surprisingly soon </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc225">he reappeared as the woman had done and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc226"> stood where she had stood when she last thought</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc227"> of her little ones. He looked like a man</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc228"> as he stood on the trap without a tremour,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc229"> without even a paling of the face or a</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc230"> twitching of the eyelids. He looked tall,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc231"> and straight, and sailor-like, in coloured shirt</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc232"> and moleskin trousers, and he looked straight</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc233"> in front, after casting his eyes about.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc234"> He had a peculiar face, with rather</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc235"> receding forehead, and with bushy eye-</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc236">brows, which nearly met, and he had heavy</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc237"> sensual lips which looked rather out of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc238"> place with his long face and with the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc239"> sandy beard which grew thinly on the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc240"> cheeks. He never spoke a word that</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc241"> could be heard below, though he had</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc242"> shaken hands as he stepped on the scaffold</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc243"> with those who had to slay him. There was</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc244"> the same formula of feet-tying and cap</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc245"> drawing and rope-setting; the official stood </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc246">clear again, and even as Archdeacon Dawes</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc247"> prayed, the trap opened again, with a sharp</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc248"> click, and the rope fairly rang as the heavy</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc249"> weight of the condemned straightened it. </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc250">And again the same throat-cutting happened; </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc251">though less profuse, the bleeding was enough</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc252"> to dye cap and clothes, and to drip </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc253">sickeningly from the dangling feet to the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc254"> ground. We reporters came away, and left</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc255"> him hanging.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc256"> But beyond these unfortunate accidents</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc257"> the executions were perfect of the kind,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc258"> killing instantaneously. After the spas</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc259">modic drawing up of the knees neither of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc260"> the <span class="ocrhighlight">executed</span> moved a muscle, a most unusual</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc261"> thing. Dr. Ellison states that the spine was</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc262"> dislocated between the first and second vertebrae,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc263"> at which point the medulla oblongata, or pre</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc264">sumed seat of life, is situated. This was</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc265"> ruptured, and death must have been instan</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc266">taneous. The long drop, such as used by the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc267"> present executioner, aims at dislocation at this</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc268"> spot, for if it happens lower down death</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc269"> results from asphyxiation, and the suffering of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc270"> the condemned is needlessly increased beyond</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc271"> what it might have been had asphyxiation</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc272"> alone been attempted, which is the aim of the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc273"> short drop.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc274"> Professor Blumenthal found that the respec</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc275">tive measurements of <span class="ocrhighlight">Ellen</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>'s and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc276"> Harrison's brains were: largest measurement,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc277"> 22¾in. and 21½in., and from neck to root of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc278"> nose 13in. and 13½in. A phrenological</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc279"> examination showed that in the woman com</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc280">bativeness and destructiveness were both large,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc281"> the domestic affections were fairly full, the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc282"> animal or selfish propensities were full,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc283"> the moral propensities were small, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc284"> sexual love−amativeness, exceedingly large.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc285"> In Harrison combativeness was exceedingly</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc286"> large, destructiveness large, amativeness rather</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc287"> small but tending to sensuality, as shown by</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc288"> the noticeably heavy lips. His domestic affec</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc289">tions were also small. Judging from this it</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc290"> would seem that the woman was the moving</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc291"> spirit in the plot, and that her passion for</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc292"> Harrison inspired her. She was active,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc293"> cunning, and masterful, capable of doing</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc294"> kindly acts and of attachment to her children. </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc295"> Harrison, on the contrary, cared for nothing</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc297"> but himself, and wanted old <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>'s money far more than he did old <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>'s wife.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc298"> Several theories are advanced as to the cause</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc299"> of the severance of the veins which occurred in</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc300"> both cases, the most plausible being one</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc301"> ascribing it to the thin skin of the <span class="ocrhighlight">executed</span></span><span class="displayFix" id="lc302"> persons, for the drop itself was the same as</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc303"> that used some weeks ago for Pickford,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc304"> who, although much heavier than the woman</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc305"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span>, met with no such injury. It</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc306"> should also be said that in spite of the disgust</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc307"> which the very idea of the bleeding naturally</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc308"> causes, there would seem to have been far less</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc309"> suffering than had the spine been dislocated</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc310"> elsewhere and the neck not been injured.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="displayFix" id="lc311"> PETITIONS FOR MERCY.</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc312"> The woman <span class="ocrhighlight">Thompson</span> addressed two letters</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc313"> to the Governor as follows:</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc314"> "H.M. Gaol, Brisbane, 4th June, 1887.−</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc315"> On my knees I beg for mercy. Consider</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc316"> my character and the dreadful lies sworn</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc317"> against me. When you were visiting Port</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc318"> Douglas I was one of the women who</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc319"> followed you on horseback. I asked Sir Samuel</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc320"> Griffith for a schoolmaster, to bring my children</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc321"> up the right way, as my husband was so</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc322"> cranky. I banished all the children so that</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc323"> they would not annoy the poor old man. I</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc325"> swear by the cross I now hold in my hand that —'s evidence is a lie, and made up by himself.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc326"> . . . . Do as you think proper with me, but</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc327"> have mercy on the unfortunate man who is</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc329"> innocent. On my dying oath, my husband's door was shut when I looked up from my own</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc330"> house after I heard the shot and his moans.–</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc331"> <span class="ocrhighlight">ELLEN</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">THOMPSON</span>."</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc332"> "H.M. Gaol, Brisbane, 8th June, 1887.– I</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc333"> have already made a pitiful appeal to you on</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc334"> behalf of the young man, John Harrison,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc335"> whom I believe to be innocent. It meant ruin</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc336"> and poverty for me to lose my husband, and I</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc337"> will never consider it a murder, when I am</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc338"> dying on the gallows; it will be the taking of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc339"> my life that will be the murder. Our lives, I</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc340"> know, were completely sworn away through</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc341"> false swearing. I have three demands to make</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc342"> of the Government: Firstly, in the event of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc343"> my innocence being proved, that each of my</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc344"> four children receive the sum of £500; </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc345">secondly, that all my statements be re</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc346">turned to me, that I may destroy them;</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc347"> and thirdly, that Pope Cooper may</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc348"> never be allowed to sentence another</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc349"> woman in Queensland without first hearing</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc350"> both sides of the story. I want these requests</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc351"> to be granted in writing, and Mr. Knight and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc352"> the Rev. D. Fouhy are to be trustees for my</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc353"> children. If these demands are not granted</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc354"> I will stick out for my rights at the foot of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc355"> the gallows; if they are I will walk on to the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc356"> gallows like an angel</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc356"><span class="displayFix" id="lc330">.–</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc331"></span> <span class="ocrhighlight">ELLEN</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">THOMPSON</span>."</span></div>
Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-47520348396575690482013-01-30T04:31:00.001-08:002013-01-30T04:31:42.765-08:00The Tale of 4BC's Spectral Maintenance Man: a new "how to" for the avid ghost researcher...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrb-3OmykivuuY1EdpyV0X4D9b629wVfqk5_ccESFUAZrAvqexiKnamFEvnxLEzbCbq32Snbm_4rypxitLM7Oio5Yiwn6r3bh1vv1icQHMYZfmCQhh0b50Fk3gx18OMbJI4HXvHau0P4M/s1600/Thurlow's+Building+1901.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrb-3OmykivuuY1EdpyV0X4D9b629wVfqk5_ccESFUAZrAvqexiKnamFEvnxLEzbCbq32Snbm_4rypxitLM7Oio5Yiwn6r3bh1vv1icQHMYZfmCQhh0b50Fk3gx18OMbJI4HXvHau0P4M/s400/Thurlow's+Building+1901.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The <i>R. W. Thurlow & Co</i>. building, 1901</div>
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(Taken from <i>The Queenslander</i>, 27th April 1901)</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>W</b></span>elcome back to 2013's first (full) article from the <i><b>Haunts of Brisbane</b></i>! Much has occurred since our last ghostly <span class="st">exposé - we all dodged a bullet as the Mayan Calendar allegedly ended (& restarted as predicted), Christmas & New Years came & went without incident, the unbelievable <a href="http://www.facebook.com/betterfutureforboggoroad?ref=stream" target="_blank"><i>Boggo Road Gaol saga</i></a> occurred (which we're still attempting to rectify), & yet another natural disaster has befallen us, courtesy of ex-Cyclone Oswald...needless to say, the past 8 weeks have been anything but restful! </span>As a result, our regular articles focusing on Brisbane's haunted history were put on the back-burner...until now! So, strap yourself in, put your "ghost sleuth" caps on, & let's welcome in a new year of articles focusing on the darker side of Brisbane's history!<br />
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Over the past few months, I've received many emails from individuals, local history groups, & media outlets, all asking, "<i><b>How do you manage to dig up all the information used in Haunts of Brisbane articles??</b></i>" In honesty, consolidating raw data (from multiple sources) into a seamless story that flows from <b><i>Point A</i></b> to <i><b>Point B</b></i> takes a lot of work...however, gathering the raw data from which the articles are written isn't difficult - we covered this process almost a year ago in an article entitled, "<a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/petrie-mansions-how-to-for-avid-ghost.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Petrie Mansions - a "how to" for the avid Ghost Hunter...</i></b></a>" Unfortunately, when it comes to the interwebs (& specific ghost/"historical" tours offered in Brisbane), it's very difficult to know whether you're actually being educated with historical fact...or being fleeced with bullsh*t specifically tailored to pilfer your hard-earned money. So...how can you tell?!?<br />
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In anticipation, I've chosen a well-advertised, internet-based Brisbane ghost story, which apparently took place in the CBD - amongst a list of local ghost stories on the <b><a href="http://www.brisbanehistory.com/ghosts_of_brisbane.html" target="_blank"><i>Brisbane History</i></a></b> website, the story goes thus: "<i><b>A few blocks away on the corner of Adelaide
and Wharf streets stood the old Radio 4BC building. It too has fallen under the
demolisher's hammer. Originally a pickle factory, the building had a staff tea
room at the rear. There was an opening in the tea room floor that had once
housed a food lift. In the time of the pickle factory a worker fell down the
shaft while trying to fix the lift. Years later 4BC night-time radio announcers
swore that the room would suddenly turn icy cold and the sound of someone crying
for help could be heard coming up the shaft.</b></i>"<br />
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So...<u><b>how do we get to the bottom of this story, in an attempt to judge its validity</b></u>?? If the building was demolished, as per the statement, are we unable to confirm the death?? Was the building actually utilised by 4BC, & was it originally a pickle factory? Did a basement exist beneath the building, necessitating a lift?? Did an employee actually die whilst repairing the lift during its life as a pickle factory?? Or...as is regularly the case in workplaces, was an urban legend formulated to scare the night-time radio announcers?? Let's break it down from the top, shall we?<br />
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What do we know about the history of 4BC?? According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4BC" target="_blank">Wikipedia's listing on 4BC</a>,"<i><b>4BC was one of the first radio stations in Brisbane. It was established in 1930 by John Beals Chandler, an electrical appliance retailer and later Lord Mayor of Brisbane. In March 1937 the station was sold for £50,000 to the Australian Broadcasting Company who took control in April </b></i>[1937]." From this, we know that searching prior to 1930 (when the station was founded) is pointless...so where to from here?? Jumping across to the <i>National Library of Australia's <b>Trove Database</b></i>, with the search string, "<a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=4bc%20building%20AND%20brisbane" target="_blank"><i><b>4bc building AND brisbane</b></i></a>" - the following comes up at the top of the list, in <i>The Courier Mail </i>on 9th of December 1948:<br />
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So...is this where the 4BC studio ended up, on the corner of Queen & Wharf Streets?? Is our ghost story already faltering?? Alas, not - with patience, continuing to search through the results on the <b><i>Trove Database</i></b>, a further record pops up on in <i>The Courier Mail</i> on the 19th of November 1952:<br />
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So...in 1952, 4BC purchased Thurlow's building on the corner of Adelaide & Wharf Streets, for the sum of <span class="displayFix" id="lc9"> £30,000 - we've now confirmed our first component of the ghost story! Furthermore, as residents of Brisbane, we know that Thurlow's building was demolished well over a decade ago to make way for a newer 12-storey building (plus basement) - the second detail of our ghost story confirmed!</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">What do we know about the history of Thurlow's building? Was it actually a Pickle Factory, did it possess a basement below ground-level, did a lift exist, & did someone die within it??</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">Again, on searching the <i><b>Trove Database</b></i> with the search string, "thurlows building," an article from <i>The Argus</i> crops up from the 17th of September 1952, detailing the sale of Thurlow's Building on the corner of Adelaide & Wharf Streets, in Brisbane. According to the advert, the building contained a basement, ground and three upper floors (so, a possibility of a lift?). Most importantly, it also provides us with with details about the prior owner, Robert Woods Thurlow. For the Brisbane history buffs, this name should ring a bell - Robert Woods Thurlow was a very prominent businessman & merchant in Brisbane (as well as a one-term Mayor of Brisbane in 1896), running <i><b>R. W. Thurlow & Co.</b></i>, best known for their fine, imported foodstuffs & <i>Crescent Vinegar</i>. These fine groceries were dispensed from the Company's custom-fitted warehouse & "department store" on the corner of Adelaide & Wharf Streets. Further digging in the <i><b>Trove Database</b></i> turns up another article in <i>The Brisbane Courier's</i> edition of the 7th of February 1901, entitled, "<i><b>Messrs. R. W. Thurlow and Co. - Opening of New Building</b></i>" - this article details a party held to celebrate the opening of the Company's new premises.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc9"> </span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">We now know that the building was opened in 1901, & was purchased for use by 4BC in 1952 - this narrows our search for the unfortunate accident down to a 51-year window. Unfortunately, we've debunked the "pickle factory" component of the story...however, given that <i>Crescent Vinegar </i>(a well-loved brand at the time) was brewed on-site, it's no more than a minor oversight...</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">So...what about this lift & the fatal fall??</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">That's where our ghost story unfortunately comes to an abrupt halt. Searching every which way possible, utilising every available search string, the <i><b>Trove Database</b></i> comes up trumps...nothing...nil - no record exists regarding the death of a lift repairman at the site...that being said though, multiple records exist of accidental deaths, suicides & murders within the buildings located on the three other corners of Adelaide & Wharf Streets. At this stage, we can refer to one further article we discovered whilst doing our initial building search - a 3-page spread, complete with amazing pictures, published in <i>The Queenslander</i> on the 27th of April 1901, at the time the venue opened for business. This fantastic article intricately details the design features of the building, including the lifts & their safety features...& this is where the story gets a little interesting! According to the article:</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">"<i><b>Near the base of this wall </b></i>[back of building]<i><b>, on a level with cart and dray when "backed," are two lifts - each 8ft. by 8ft. 6in., capable of hoisting a three-ton load - the one passing up to each floor of the warehouse, the other to each floor of the factory. The work of the lift is controlled by means of electric bells, connected with each floor. As a precautionary measure against accident where other than experienced workmen are employed in the locality of the lift, sliding gates of strong wire, 5ft. high, are placed at the lift apertures on each landing, and are only removable by the lift when flush with the floor, so that to enter the shaft when the lift is not in position necessitates a climb to surmount the gates referred to.</b></i>"</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">So, lifts definitely existed at the site - we know that for sure. However, given the safety features installed to ensure people didn't fall down the lift shaft, it's somewhat unlikely that someone died by falling down the lift shaft...although, stranger things have happened! Either way, without having been able to locate a record of an accident that matches our ghost story, we're unable to either absolutely confirm or deny the existence of a spectral maintenance man at the site...however, we have managed to confirm, & deny, the story's other details regarding the building itself. This is usually the frustrating point when I shelve a story regarding Brisbane in the hope that one day I'll stumble across the missing clue whilst researching another article.</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">And...there you have it - another lesson in how to pull apart ghost stories & dig for details to get to the truth...the process isn't difficult, it's merely time consuming! </span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">However...in the interests of adding one last little twist, we'll end with a snippet of information that may be coincidence...or may be more!</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc9">Cast your minds back to the initial article regarding the negotiated purchase of a building on the corner of Queen & Wharf Streets, for use by 4BC, in 1948 - Empire Chambers. This building was used for many years as a conference, lecture & dance venue, by a number of different groups. On the afternoon of the 11th of April 1924, Spring Hill resident Harold Duggleon was standing in the vicinity of the building's lift...it's unclear whether he was visiting the building for one of the many events that occurred there, or was working on the lift as a maintenance man. Either way, Duggleon stuck his head into the liftwell (many were open to an extent back in those days) to look down the shaft...right as the ascending lift carriage arrived on the same floor! Duggleon suffered a fractured skull & shattered nose as a result of the unanticipated impact, & was rushed to Brisbane General Hospital in a very serious condition. Unfortunately, no further information is provided regarding Harold's recovery - is it possible that he passed away from his injuries whilst in hospital & ended up haunting the liftwell of Empire Chambers?? Could 4BC's 1948 link with the building have brought about the ghost story at their final premises in Thurlow's Building 4 years later?? We'll never know...but it's fun to speculate, right?</span>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-1903991281562239492013-01-17T15:00:00.000-08:002013-03-10T07:08:04.568-07:00So...what constitutes "Heritage Work?" Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim knows...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_5ae-rjUc2jgBi3vn5neB6M_CEXQ9O9Nlw6mwrDKmYts1I3hVGumhK3UvzpwyiqOgtQ4ipB7UHSVnzUKPUxPUIINoKBnBMTBUtklHS9z_hL1B45jPG0HhJ1ncIkedxER0i696xqVrFk/s1600/Oatlands+Courthouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_5ae-rjUc2jgBi3vn5neB6M_CEXQ9O9Nlw6mwrDKmYts1I3hVGumhK3UvzpwyiqOgtQ4ipB7UHSVnzUKPUxPUIINoKBnBMTBUtklHS9z_hL1B45jPG0HhJ1ncIkedxER0i696xqVrFk/s400/Oatlands+Courthouse.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yep, that's me in the top right corner, painstakingly excavating the back yard of a Court House built with convict labour in 1829, & exposing the cobbled floor of a long-forgotten stables complex pending drainage works scheduled by the local Council. That day, we openly invited & encouraged the local population to visit us to witness their heritage being unearthed, we recovered numerous & surprising artefacts for display in the local museum, we intricately mapped the entire site by hand down to the square millimetre for future reference, & we then retired back to our site foreman's house for well-earned beers knowing that we'd made a markable difference to the surrounding community. The photo above was taken a few years back when I was working as an archaeological consultant in Tasmania (voluntarily on this occasion, as I've done regularly since), carrying out <u>legitimate heritage works</u> benefiting local communities - this project ran whilst I was completing my Masters Degree in Cultural Heritage Management on the back of a Degree in Anthropology & Archaeology, & I relished every second of it!<br />
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So...where are we going with this, I hear you ask??<br />
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Well...quite amazingly, in yet another ill-conceived effort to convince the residents of Brisbane that he actually cares about the heritage values of Boggo Road Gaol (rather than the dollars it can generate), Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim claimed yesterday that, "<i><b>Our Tour Guides are passionate about the significance of Boggo Road in Queensland’s history – when not taking tours or re-enacting they have been hard at work removing non-original material deposited from years of abuse.</b></i>" Apparently, Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim's staff have been painstakingly focusing their efforts, to such a large degree on "heritage work" within the gaol's walls, that an entire "blog" article needed to be written to document it on the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Pty Ltd</b></i> website, entitled "<a href="http://boggoroadgaol.com/heritage-work/" target="_blank"><b><i>Heritage Work.</i></b></a>"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr00oAfbI_Q8izYMH8PO0ol8AEPIfwOYodFm09hd3b4q73l7fUuX2Jizccwg6mda0Jc9OXUvlBLslqgW7LvDJkj4PRej1Zm_pJ_PGBJHctKkZ4dq67UGFlkLQwT6tZOLm05-Kg6xsFQ2E/s1600/Bluetac+Toby+Martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr00oAfbI_Q8izYMH8PO0ol8AEPIfwOYodFm09hd3b4q73l7fUuX2Jizccwg6mda0Jc9OXUvlBLslqgW7LvDJkj4PRej1Zm_pJ_PGBJHctKkZ4dq67UGFlkLQwT6tZOLm05-Kg6xsFQ2E/s400/Bluetac+Toby+Martin.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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<i><b><br />"Heritage Officer" Toby Martin</b></i>, engaging in crucial "Heritage Work."</div>
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So...what critical, ground-breaking "heritage work" is going on at Boggo Road Gaol at the moment, driven by Cameron Sim & the staff of <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Pty Ltd</b></i>?? Have a number of priceless artefacts been recovered from beneath the gaol's foundations?? Has a missing collection of prison documents & photographs been located within the walls of the gatehouse?? Have the cellblocks been stabilsied, single-handedly by the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Pty Ltd</b></i> Staff, to ensure their survival in perpetuity?? Nope...nothing of that calibre has occurred within the gaol's walls...however...<br />
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<i><b>Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim's staff have been craftily utilising their copious free time <u>not running tours or re-enactments</u>, scouring the gaol in the hunt for stray Blu-Tack™ & cello-tape!</b></i> That's right...your eyes deceive you not - <i><b>the greatest threat to Boggo Road Gaol's future as a viable tourism venue, lies not in the Deed of License issued to a shonky commercial ghost tour operator, but in the alleged wads of Blu-Tack™ apparently plastered to the walls! </b></i><br />
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Ironically, very few spots of Blu-Tack™ & cello-tape exist around the gaol - from September 2011 until September 2012, the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society</b></i> held monthly "Clean-up Days" within the gaol's walls, during which the grime within the gaol was pressure-blasted, hosed & swept out. Of the few Blu-Tack™ marks that still exist on the walls of the gatehouse, many are attributable to warning signs posted by <i><b>Department of Environment & Heritage</b></i> staff through the 1990's when it was under State Government control, & the remainder are likely attributable to <i><b>Ghost Tours Pty Ltd's </b></i>operations & promotional posters posted between 1999 & the gaol's closure in 2005...more ironically, no mention is made in the above <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Pty Ltd</b></i> "blog" to the contemporary graffiti easily identified on the cell walls of E-Wing, or candle-wax stains on the benches & floors, directly attributed to <i><b>Ghost Tours Pty Ltd's</b></i> "Haunted Sleepovers" during the same period. Even more ironically again, Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim claims in his "blog" that, "<i><b>New signage throughout the Gaol is being fixed in place with easily removable adhesive tape and will routinely be checked and replaced as it ages.</b></i>"<br />
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Having been university-trained in heritage management, site preservation & conservation technique, & having worked for a number of years as a heritage professional, <i><b>I can vouch with 100% accuracy that no adhesive tape is "easily removable," & no similar product would ever be recommended for adhering any signage...to any surface...in any heritage-listed site</b></i>. That said, perhaps Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim could also examine the three laminated A4 signs he's adhered to the steel front gates of Boggo Road Gaol...with Blu-Tack™...advertising his tours:<br />
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Pray tell...what vandal Blu-Tacked those <b><i>Boggo Road Gaol Pty Ltd</i></b> signs</div>
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to the front gates of the gaol?!?</div>
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Ultimately, if Cameron "Heritage Work" Sim is keen on "<i><b>removing non-original material deposited from years of abuse</b></i>" at Boggo Road Gaol, I have a poignant word of advice to share with him as a qualified heritage professional - pack your bags & hit the road, as your statement above more than adequately describes your business's unpalatable presence at the gaol - <u><b>non-original, & responsible for years of abuse</b></u>.Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-36632317733851972302012-12-22T04:45:00.004-08:002012-12-22T19:33:41.771-08:00Recipe for a "Disaster Cocktail": 1 rotten egg, liberal dash of Snake Oil, agitate thoroughly, serve in sugar-coated, rose-coloured glass...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXB0kVhDAqPg2RGg2ilLkIj0RYGkzmCbWiSjHxDB4x8v0pzh9GqGVQvB4EJGE4_DhUL66w-_pGzEwLMRIt_1tIaLQSuMHQ8wKgeRPVmLi6vTjUEGQVHiO6NCU3AIkseGOnjXk5DE-_ohc/s1600/23112012261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXB0kVhDAqPg2RGg2ilLkIj0RYGkzmCbWiSjHxDB4x8v0pzh9GqGVQvB4EJGE4_DhUL66w-_pGzEwLMRIt_1tIaLQSuMHQ8wKgeRPVmLi6vTjUEGQVHiO6NCU3AIkseGOnjXk5DE-_ohc/s400/23112012261.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Current-day "F Wing"...the only cell block accessible at the gaol.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="huge bqQuoteLink"><i>"Silver and gold are not the only coin; virtue too passes current all over the world"</i> - Euripides (c. 480 - 406 BC)</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="huge bqQuoteLink"><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span>elcome to a <b>"special edition"</b> article from the <i><b>Haunts of Brisbane</b></i> - the fact that you're now reading this confirms that the Mayan Gods postponed the impending apocalypse to allow access to this informative public brief...</span></div>
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<span class="huge bqQuoteLink">As many of you are aware, the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b> has been tirelessly fighting alongside the <b><i>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society</i></b> regarding the current commercial operating structure implemented at Boggo Road Gaol, & any future public access system the site may adopt. The current <i>Deed of License</i> was issued despite numerous meetings with frequently-rotating Government Officials from the </span><span class="huge bqQuoteLink"><i>Department of Housing & Public Works</i></span><span class="huge bqQuoteLink">, whilst Cameron "Jack" Sim & his posse of obscure "employees" sat in & stifled every attempt to engage in sensible & open negotiation - despite the unpalatable outcome, I'm proud to say that I was personally present at these meetings, helping to represent the position of the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society</b></i> alongside current Historical Society Secretary Chris Dawson. As such, & given certain events that have occurred over the past two weeks, I believe it's well within the public interest to address a number of unfounded accusations, insinuations & outright lies that have been perpetuated by Cameron "Jack" Sim in his attempts to justify the gaol's opening under his company's management...</span><br />
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For those who are aware that Boggo Road Gaol has re-opened under the commercial management of Cameron "Jack" Sim, you're likely asking yourself, "Why the hell did a Government Department give overriding management access, inside a publicly-owned historic site, to a small-time commercial ghost tour operator??" Well...before you jump to the conclusion that <b><i>Ghost Tours Pty Ltd</i></b> were issued with a <i>Deed of License</i> to access the site (which you couldn't be criticised for thinking, given that Cameron "Jack" Sim hasn't even remotely attempted to clarify his business dealings), the <i>Deed of License</i> was issued to the independent company <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Pty Ltd</b></i> - ironically also owned by Cameron "Jack" Sim, & staffed by the same motley crew as <i><b>Ghost Tours Pty Ltd</b></i>!</div>
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So...in order to address the current political situation at the gaol, let's focus on the happenings of Thursday the 20th of December (2 days ago) - on that day, 2 separate (yet connected) media events occurred, that went a long way in bringing this sorry state of affairs into the public sphere...<br />
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<span class="huge bqQuoteLink">On Thursday night, Channel 7 News ran a story (above) entitled, <b>"Fight over Boggo Road Gaol,"</b> in which Stephen Gage publicly aired the concerns of the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society </b></i>regarding the non-transparent installation of a commercial entity within the site. For the record, Steve Gage is a highly respected long-term ex-Officer of Boggo Road Gaol, authored one of only a few factual books regarding the working history of Boggo Road Gaol (</span><span class="huge bqQuoteLink"><span class="userContent"><a href="http://www.boggoroadprison.com/" target="_blank"><b><i>Boggo Road Prison: Riots to Ruin</i></b></a>), & is the current Vice-President of the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society</b></i>...needless to say, he is a powerhouse of information regarding Boggo Road, & is very well placed within the Historical Society. Steve eagerly attended the <i>7 News</i> interview in front of the gaol on Thursday morning, & voiced some of the concerns that the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society</b></i> have (as do many members of the public), regarding the 4 month interim commercial instalment at the gaol...& that's where things went downhill. So...let's start with the <i>7 News</i> article...</span></span><br />
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<span class="huge bqQuoteLink"><span class="userContent">**Keep in mind that <i>7 News</i> interviewed Cameron "Jack" Sim first, hence receiving their general information regarding the site directly from him**</span></span></div>
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<span class="huge bqQuoteLink">We're informed straight away that Boggo Road Gaol "<i><b>hasn't been open to the public in 8 years</b></i>" - in actual fact, regardless of multiple public statements by Cameron "Jack" Sim in recent weeks, <u><b>Boggo Road Gaol closed its doors in December 2005, 7 years almost to the day</b></u><b>!</b></span><br />
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<span class="huge bqQuoteLink">Next, we're told that Cameron "Jack" Sim started taking tours at the gaol almost 15 years ago - in actual fact, Cameron Owen Sim registered his new ghost tour business <u><b>on the 5th of June 1998</b></u> (14 </span><span class="st">½ years ago), started running basic walking tours through the CBD of Brisbane around August/September 1998, & finally gained access for tours at Boggo Road Gaol in early 1999 (just under 14 years ago) - amusingly, Mr Sim claims in the introduction to his book <a href="http://www.jacksim.com.au/shop/product/item112553/the-ghosts-of-boggo-road-gaol--ghosts-and-gallows---jack-sim.html" target="_blank"><i>The Ghosts of Boggo Road Gaol: Ghosts & Gallows</i></a>, <b>"In January 1998 I tentatively walked up to the imposing gates of Number Two Division - the only section still standing of Boggo Road Gaol. I rapped on the gate, as visitors to this section of the prison had for over ninety years. I was greeted by a man with a thick Yorkshire accent who introduced himself as the curator of the Boggo Road Gaol Museum. [W]e sat down at a table and he asked me did I have my insurance as requested over the phone, 'Yes', I replied, 'would you like to see it?'. 'No', he said, 'we have a gentleman's agreement'. With that he handed me a large ring with a huge set of keys to the front gates of Boggo Road Gaol."</b> So...apparently, 6 months prior to Cameron Sim registering his new business (& organising his associated public liability insurance), he dropped by Boggo Road Gaol & secured a set of keys from the then proprietor Don Walters under false pretences/fraudulent business practice...or so he'd have us think!</span><br />
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<span class="st">Skipping Steve Gage's response to some of the major concerns regarding the commercial focus now placed on the gaol, we hit the first major issue of the article...whereby we're told by the reporter that "<b>the decision to open the gaol under the private model, was made by then Public Works Minister Bruce Flegg</b>" - </span>after five weeks of fruitless meetings with <i>Department of Housing & Public Works</i> staff, a meeting was finally organised with the<span class="huge bqQuoteLink"> prior DHPW
Minister, Dr. Bruce Flegg, at close of business on the 13th of November...during this meeting, Dr. Flegg made repeated mention of his enthusiasm <u>for ongoing broad public access at Boggo Road Gaol</u>. Unfortunately, Dr. Flegg posted his resignation less than 24
hours later, during the day's Parliamentary sitting on the 14th of November...yet we're expected to believe that the outgoing Minister passed a decision to grant Cameron Sim a <i><b>Deed of License</b></i> over Boggo Road Gaol, in his final hours?? Sadly, in the three weeks proceeding Bruce Flegg's resignation, the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society </b></i>made repeated enquiries, as did I, regarding the opening of Boggo Road Gaol, as we'd been told the Government planned to open the site on the 1st of December - when the 1st of December came & went, a further meeting was scheduled for the 5th of December to provide the <i><b>BRGHS</b></i> with "an update on how the plans for the gaol were progressing." During that meeting, the shock announcement was made that a <i>Deed of License</i> had been issued to Sim, & <u>the gaol would be opening in a couple of days</u>...imagine our added surprise when we arrived home to discover on the Courier Mail website that the DHPW Minister, Tim Mander, had officially opened the site that morning - <u>at the very same time our meeting had been taking place</u> with DHPW Officials!<b> </b></span><br />
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Ironically for Cameron "Jack" Sim, who wishes to claim that Boggo Road Gaol's been closed for 8 long years <b>**<u>FALSE</u>**</b>, that he ran tours at the site 15 years ago <b>**<u>FALSE</u>**</b>, & that Bruce Flegg issued a <i>Deed of License</i> for Boggo Road Gaol in the scant hours prior to his public resignation <b>**<u>FALSE</u>**</b>, there's far more to the story...stay tuned, as tomorrow night we'll expose further details about the current re-opening that will likely stand your hair on end, & help you all better understand why the <i><b>Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society </b></i>felt they had no other option than to withdraw from the current commercial arrangements, & why the <i><b>Haunts of Brisbane/Naked Zombie Radio/BRGHS</b></i> <i>Haunted Cellblock Tours</i> are still pending...</div>
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Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-56748147367428156092012-11-09T02:45:00.000-08:002012-11-20T07:23:34.834-08:00The Booval Estate: When seemingy straightforward research turns into a major engagement <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Booval House</i> looking worse for wear c.1991</div>
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(Ipswich Library & Information Service)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>W</b></span></span>ow...it's been a little while since out last article - five weeks to be exact! So, in the interest of wrapping up our our "Haunted Ipswich" series, I thought we'd do something a little different...because we can! We're going to venture a little way from central Ipswich to Booval, in order to examine another of Ipswich's most important early homes - <i>Booval House</i>. The reason for doing so is two-fold - firstly, <i>Booval House</i> is <a href="http://www.realestateview.com.au/Real-Estate/booval/Property-Details-buy-residential-4420671.html" target="_blank">currently listed for sale</a>...an event that has only presented itself a handful of times in the house's 154 -year history; secondly, whilst I've never heard of any ghost stories surrounding <i>Booval House</i>, I have fond memories of driving up Cothill Road as a kid in the late 1980's & wondering what stories existed within the walls of the ailing mansion. The <i>Booval House</i> of today is very different to the one I remember as a child, having undergone massive renovations in the late 1990's - needless to say, the house continues to fascinate me for its ghost/haunting potential, so why not take the opportunity to examine it, right? Little could I have known that in doing so, I'd be led on another wild goose-chase similar in nature to that of our last article on <i>Claremont</i>...after going through the relevant material published by the <i>Ipswich City Council</i> & the house's Heritage Register listing lodged with the <i>Department of Environment & Resource Management</i>, I quickly realised that multiple errors, inconsistencies & omissions existed regarding <i>Booval House</i> in the official documentation.<br />
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So...let's get to it, & examine the corrected story of this amazing colonial mansion!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGbfvTkOtlutsN_Vl0ORE2GVQSrTYbsosz79OLRmTiJeVCImuayimlKvOYxXFk45vvhlaH-DBmKw-DyWz4oRyfmvlKHaJ6MJjxXTGMSZJ3JvRhC3UKzc_NAScZTr87P6pEBxtcFyER4g/s1600/George+Faircloth+1853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGbfvTkOtlutsN_Vl0ORE2GVQSrTYbsosz79OLRmTiJeVCImuayimlKvOYxXFk45vvhlaH-DBmKw-DyWz4oRyfmvlKHaJ6MJjxXTGMSZJ3JvRhC3UKzc_NAScZTr87P6pEBxtcFyER4g/s400/George+Faircloth+1853.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Advert for the new <i>Bank of Australasia</i> in Ipswich<i></i></div>
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(<i>The Sydney Morning Herald</i>, 13 Sept 1853)</div>
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The exact birth date of <i>Booval House</i>, on <i>Booval Estate</i> as the property was originally known, is somewhat unclear. However, we do know that the story begins all the way back 1853, with the arrival of George Faircloth in Ipswich. Having lived for a number of years in Maitland in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Faircloth had been employed as a Manager for the Bank of Australasia. Wishing to expand their business, the Bank took up residence in Ipswich's Brisbane Street & transferred George, his pregnant wife Maria & 2 year old daughter Agnes north on appointment via the steamship <i>City of Melbourne...</i>the new premises would open on the 31st of October 1853. It appears as though the family lived on the premises, a fairly common occurrence for Bank Managers many years ago, & they were soon blessed with the birth of their first son on the 8th of January 1854. Tragically, their joy would be short-lived, with little George William Burdett Faircloth passing away at just 19 days of age on the 27th of January. Life continued on for the Faircloths, with the birth of another son, Charles Henry Moreton Faircloth, on the 26th of July 1855 - at this stage, we know that the family were still living within the Bank on Brisbane Street.<br />
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Throughout 1856, George Faircloth focused on using his public standing to endorse a number of projects for the betterment of Ipswich - he played an integral part in lobbying for Ipswich's first hospital, he stood with a number of other influential Ipswich gentlemen for the establishment of an Immigration Depot in the town, he acted as Treasurer to the <i>Ipswich Equitable Investment & Building Society</i>...& all whilst Manager of the Bank of Australasia. However, George also had one other venture under way, & it's this specific venture that provides us with the first solid clue to the birth of <i>Booval House</i>. On the 28th of October 1856, an article ran in <i>The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser</i>, stating, "<b>We had an opportunity last week of inspecting a sample of wheat, the produce of Mr. Faircloth's farm, at Booval, in the neighbourhood of Ipswich. It was grown from some Chilian seed-wheat, by way of experiment, Mr. Faircloth having learned from a gentleman well acquainted with the wheat districts of Chili, that the climate of Moreton Bay was very similar, and that the wheat would in all likelihood do well here. The experiment has been eminently successful, and a splendid crop has been the result.</b>" The 350 acre area known as <i>Booval Estate</i> had been broken up into 33 allotments & sold at auction on the 10th of January 1855, & it's highly possible that George Faircloth purchased his farm at this time...either way, the property came into Faircloth's possession sometime between 1855 & 1856.<br />
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<i>Booval Estate</i> Auction (<i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>, 6th Jan 1855)</div>
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It's estimated in all official accounts regarding the site's genesis, that <i>Booval House</i> was constructed sometime between 1858 & 1859, intertwined with the birth of the Faircloth's second daughter Maria in January 1858 . We can fairly safely assume that the house was habitable by October 1859, as an advert appears in <i>The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser</i> on the 25th of October 15, seeking, "<b>a COOK, either Male or Female; also, a LAUNDRESS, and a good NEEDLE-WOMAN. Apply at the BANK OF AUSTRALASIA; or, to Mrs. FAIRCLOTH, Booval</b>" - the Faircloths were clearly seeking suitable servant staff, & were already residing at Booval. However, we definitely know the premises was occupied by December 1859, due to one very important event in our State's history. On the 6th of June 1859, after a protracted period of lobbying, Her Majesty Queen Victoria signed the <i>Letters Patent</i> declaring Queensland's separation from the colony of New South Wales. On the evening of the 9th of December, the <i>Cordelia</i> sailed into Moreton Bay carrying Queensland's first Governor, Sir George Ferguson Bowen, & his wife Lady Bowen. After making Brisbane the next morning on the 10th, they were escorted, through the thronging crowd, to <i>Adelaide House</i> (a rented premises which was to act as an interim Governor's residence), where the official Proclamation declaring Queensland a separate Colony was read from the balcony to the residents of Brisbane amongst much fanfare.<br />
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Advertisement seeking Servants</div>
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(<i>The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser</i>, 25th Oct 1859)</div>
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After touring around Brisbane for over a week, & settling into their new residence, the time came for The Governor & Lady Bowen to visit the outlying regions of their new State. Departing Brisbane at 10am on the 20th of December, the couple & their entourage headed for the town of Ipswich, enjoying the green country views along the way. However, & this is where the story gets interesting, the party intended on stopping just shy of Ipswich in order to provide Governor & Lady Bowen the opportunity to take in refreshments, & for George Furguson Bowen to change from his travelling attire into his uniform, before making their way into Ipswich proper...& the venue chosen, was George Faircloth's new mansion at Booval. According to <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i> on the 24th of December 1859, the scene outside <i>Booval House</i> was impressive - "<b>[T]hose who had come thus far from Ipswich to escort him into town, assembled in the roadway. Since leaving the old country, we never remember having seen so numerous a cavalcade of horsemen. All Ipswich seem to have turned out <i>a cheval</i>, and there must have been at least 400 who thus came to do the honour to the first appearance of their first Governor amongst them.</b>" Thus, our first definitive record of <i>Booval House</i> exists, playing host to Queensland's first Governor, ten days after Queensland was officially proclaimed a separate Colony.<br />
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Likely over the moon that their new house had played such an important role in the genesis of Queensland, George & Maria Faircloth were likely unaware that they were expecting another child at the time. Nine months later, almost to the day on the 19th of September 1860, their third daughter Edith Elizabeth was born. Life for the Faircloths was grand at the time - they'd comfortably consolidated their position in the upper echelon of Queensland Society, & George was a successful businessman having invested wisely. However, their fortunes were about to be dashed once again shortly after...on the 25th of March 1861, at the tender age of six months, Edith passed away at <i>Booval House</i>, becoming the first unfortunate soul to perish within its walls. On the back of such terrible tragedy, however, George's fortunes continued to shine in the same year. With the advent of the American Civil War, & the need for cotton, George invested in the cotton industry & planted his property with cotton. At the time, the Faircloth's land was surrounded by cotton crops being grown by the Ipswich Cotton Company, headed by John Panton (who was responsible for the construction of <i>Claremont</i>, <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/magnificent-claremont-home-to-cotton.html?showComment=1352100858604#c1275391466276305242" target="_blank">detailed in our last article</a>). However, this venture would also falter by mid-1862, with many investors losing considerable money...one of these investors was likely George Faircloth, as <i>Booval House</i> was listed for sale in September 1862, although we know that no sale was officiated.<br />
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For Sale Notice for <i>Booval Estate</i>.</div>
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(<i>North Australian and Queensland General Advertiser</i>, 20th Sept 1862)</div>
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The Faircloth's persevered at <i>Booval House</i>, & by late 1863 they were again expecting. Amidst the turmoil of their losses a year earlier, through both the failure of their cotton plantation & loss of their second daughter, they were blessed with the birth of another son, Sidney Clarence Faircloth, on the 11th of June 1864. As their newborn child settled into the pace of the household, the Faircloths must have breathed a sigh of relief...their finances may have been struggling, however their family was now stronger than ever...within three weeks, however, their hopes would be further shattered. On the 8th of July, at just three weeks of age, their infant son Sidney passed away within the property...the third Faircloth child of six to perish under the age of six months. Amidst their compounded grief, the Faircloths were soon granted a miracle - within 10 weeks of Sidney's passing, Maria Faircloth was expecting again - Seaton John Faircloth was born on the 12th of June 1865, & would be the youngest of the Faircloth's children to live within <i>Booval House</i>. Continuing to struggle with their finances, the Bank of Queensland (initially the Bank of Australasia) eventually reclaimed the house from the Faircloths, listing it for sale by public auction on the 17th of August 1868.<br />
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<i>Booval House</i> auction advertisement</div>
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(The Brisbane Courier, 29th July 1868)</div>
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Now...this is where the history of <i>Booval House</i> gets seriously interesting. According to the <i>Department of Environment & Resource Management's</i> <a href="https://www.derm.qld.gov.au/chimsi/placeDetail.html?siteId=15324" target="_blank">Queensland Heritage Register listing</a>, "<b><i>Booval House</i> was auctioned in August 1868 under instructions from the liquidators, the Bank of Australasia.
The purchaser was John Ferrett, the former Trustee of Ipswich Cotton Co.</b>" This is backed up by documents available through the <i>Ipswich Library</i>, <a href="http://blog.library.ipswich.qld.gov.au/lh/2012/01/05/ipswich-houses-booval-house/" target="_blank">in their "By the Bremer" blog</a> - "<b>In 1868 Booval House was purchased for approximately 500 pounds by Mr
John Ferrett, who later became a member of the first Queensland
Parliament.</b>" Sadly, even the <i>Ipswich City Council's</i> <a href="http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/documents/heritage/booval_citations_1.pdf" target="_blank">Heritage Study</a> in 1991 skips almost a decade in the house's history between 1868 & 1876...transitioning from George Faircloth's ownership, immediately to that of John Ferrett's. So, what do we know of the 1868 public auction of the site at the hands of the Bank of Queensland, the approximately <span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc6">£500 paid, & the purchaser at the time??</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc6">Well, from the above auction notice, we know that <i>Booval House</i> was placed on the market & sold at auction on the 17th of August 1868. However, we also know from <i>The Brisbane Courier</i> on the 18th of August 1868, & <i>The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser</i> on the 20th of August, that, "<b>The well-known Booval estate, near Ipswich, on which some thousands of pounds have been expended, was sold in Brisbane on Monday for </b></span><span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc6"><b><span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc6">£</span>560, terms equal to cash.</b>" However, the purchaser of the property in 1868 was, in fact, William Welsby. A migrant from Cornwall, England, William was an influential Ipswich business man, best known for his construction of <i>Belmont</i> on Burnett Street in 1865, & his son <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/welsby-thomas-9044" target="_blank">Thomas Welsby</a> - a Queensland political hopeful in the late 1800's, & keen historian. Thomas' reminiscences of his early life in Ipswich were published throughout March 1939 in <i>The Courier Mail</i>, including details of his childhood at <i>Booval House</i>. Unfortunately, & likely a result of being 81 years of age, Tomas's article in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i> on the 11th of March 1939, states that, "<b>In 1874, after my father's death, it </b>[<i>Booval House</i>] <b>was sold and passed into the hands of John Ferret </b>[sic]<b>, a retired squatter.</b>"</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc6">Unfortunately, this same detail is listed on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Welsby" target="_blank">Thomas Welsby's Wikipedia entry</a>, whereby, "</span><b>Welsby aspired to study medicine at Sydney University however this became impossible following the death of his father </b>[William] <b>in 1874.</b>" For the record, William Welsby passed away in 1876, whilst living on Leichhardt Street in Brisbane, & was buried at Toowong Cemetery on the 11th July 1876...his wife Hannah lies alongside, interred on the 28th of May 1891. So...where does John Ferrett enter into our story?? On the 10th of July 1875, Ferrett's name appears in <i>The Queenslander</i> - "<b>We regret to hear that news has reached town to the effect that Mr. John Ferrett was thrown from his horse a few days ago on his station at Wallan </b>[Central Queensland]<b>, and that the horse rolled on him, injuring him severely.</b>" However, in June 1876, John Ferrett was challenging rates due on his property "in the eastern suburbs of Ipswich" (Booval) - just prior to William Welsby's death in Brisbane. Ultimately, we can place John Ferrett at Booval House come early to mid 1876, on the back of William Welsby's ownership from 1868 - something <i>DERM</i> & <i>Ipswich Library</i> were clearly unable to do...<br />
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William Welsby's Funeral Notice</div>
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(<i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, 11th July 1876)</div>
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After managing Booval House for nearly a decade himself, John Ferrett was beginning to weary in years by the 1880's - on the 23rd of October 1884, he met with a serious accident - "<b>He had just left his residence, and was driving in his buggy down a slight decline, close by, when the horse stumbled and fell, Mr. Ferrett being dragged right over the splashboard. In the fall he received an injury to the back of his head, and was much shaken. Mr. Ferrett, however, did not think it necessary at first to call in a doctor, but one was consulted next day, and he found the sufferer very ill indeed. Very few friends have been permitted to see the injured gentleman since; but, on inquiry yesterday afternoon, we were pleased to learn that he was slightly better, though we fear that it will be some considerable time before he is quite right again.</b>" By August 1887, John Ferrett was unable to attend a dinner in celebration of <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/groom-william-henry-3675" target="_blank">William Henry Groom's</a> 25th Anniversary as the Speaker of the House of Assembly, on the grounds that he "<b>was compelled to decline all invitations to go out after nightfall, as his increased feebleness prevented him from doing so.</b>"<br />
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After seeing out another nearly seven years, John Ferrett's ailing health finally got the better of him. At 7:30am in the morning, on the 4th of June 1894, John Ferrett's housekeeper called on him in his room to raise him for breakfast. After confirming that he'd be dressed & up for his meal shortly, the maid heard a bizarre gurgling sound & rushed back into the room to find John dead in his bed. A subsequent autopsy would show that John had passed away due to heart disease, an ailment that many of his close friends had feared for some years prior to his demise. Having no children of his own, Booval House's future looked bleak...although a close nephew had been named in the Will - Harry Ferrett. Harry continued the family name at <i>Booval House</i> until 1921, without incident, when Bishop Duhig purchased the property for <span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc6">£900 on behalf of the Catholic Church. After sitting vacant for a further nine years, & then undergoing major renovations to suit the purpose, <i>Booval House</i> was reopened </span>as <i>St Gabriel's Convent</i> for the Sisters of Mercy. The site served its purpose as a convent school for the next fifty years, until it again fell into disrepair in the 1980's after lack of interest...after lying dormant again for a number of year, <i>Booval House</i> finally passed back into private hands in the late 1990's, & has been in private hands ever since after further renovations to restore its former glory.<br />
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So...does something linger within <i>Booval House</i> dating back to the days of the Faircloths?? Does John Ferrett still wander the halls looking for the breakfast he never received?? All in all, for anyone who ever passes by <i>Booval House</i>, & for those who walk though its halls with the intention of purchasing this stately old mansion, one can only wonder...with the history this premises holds, anything is possible!<br />
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<br /><i><b>**POST-SCRIPT**</b></i><br /><br />A big thank you to one of our fans, <b><i>Alice Black</i></b>, for pointing out an inconsistency in our article - in the original draft, we noted that Governor & Lady Bowen, "were escorted, through the thronging crowd, to the newly built Government House, where the official Proclamation declaring Queensland a separate Colony was read from the balcony to the residents of Brisbane amongst much fanfare." In actual fact, the original Government House, which was located in George Street, was not completed until 1862. As a result, a house was hastily rented on Ann Street to act as an interim Governor's residence - it was from this house's balcony that the Proclamation declaring Queensland a separate colony was read by Sir George Ferguson Bowen. <br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Welsby#cite_note-MSQ-0"></a>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-26893787294069601392012-10-02T09:56:00.002-07:002012-10-02T09:56:49.003-07:00Magnificent Claremont: home to a cotton pioneer, the "Father of Ipswich" & a short-term Premier of Queensland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMLyXnkeL4tx3QXHTc_2SWsoy0eUui4K06PhTLzF5ssHoMr5VjwfPrdYwQRCqxQ0lexak8iHSmt3orzRyb3UMwB6Hy0hppzkzq_wEn9u-cIX_oDK-8JSZeYIJhZCmT-W5zBOs0wHynn0/s1600/Claremont+1890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMLyXnkeL4tx3QXHTc_2SWsoy0eUui4K06PhTLzF5ssHoMr5VjwfPrdYwQRCqxQ0lexak8iHSmt3orzRyb3UMwB6Hy0hppzkzq_wEn9u-cIX_oDK-8JSZeYIJhZCmT-W5zBOs0wHynn0/s400/Claremont+1890.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hunting party at <i>Claremont</i>, c.1890 (State Library of Qld)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>L</b></span></span>ast article, we focused on the stately mansion of <i>Gooloowan</i> on the slopes of Denmark Hill, & the exploits of the Cribb family with their multitude of contributions to the now vibrant City of Ipswich & State of Queensland. However, having now focused on three sites to the west of the CBD, it's time that we swung over to the east of Ipswich to examine a few more sites renowned for both their amazing histories & the ghosts who inhabit them. For this week's story, we're going to venture back even further than we did with <i>Gooloowan</i>, to an era when Ipswich was known as Limestone Station & was nothing more than a convict outpost inland from the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement...<br />
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Our story begins with a young man named George Thorn in the mid 1820's. Having grown up in a farming family, within the small town of Stockbridge in south-east England, George showed a propensity for astuteness & ambition from a young age. Like many other young men at the time, George enlisted at the age of 19 in the hopes of bettering his lot in life, a manoeuvre that would see him placed with the 4th King's Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment...little could he have known the whirlwind of events that would take place over the next two decade of his life. Having successfully carried out deployments in Portugal & the British Isles, George's biggest adventure would begin in 1831, when orders were received to chaperone Convict Transports to the fledgling colony of Australia half a world away. On arrival in the colony, Thorn was pressed into service as an orderly for the newly-appointed Governor of New South Wales, Richard Bourke, a position that would allow him to witness a number of amazing events in the early history of Australia. 1837 became a major turning point in George Thorn's life, bringing about a twelve month period that would consolidate the rest of his days - early in the year, the 4th King's Own Regiment received orders to head to India. Given the choice of either following his Regiment back overseas or buying his discharge from the military & remaining in Australia, George chose the latter.<br />
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Entering into service with the Commissary Department, George Thorn wasted no time in marrying & fathering the first of many children in Sydney, before heading north to the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement in the dying days of 1838. Within a short period of time, given his prior military experience, George was offered the position of Superintendant of Stock (horses, cattle & sheep) at the distant convict outpost of Limestone Station. The position would afford him a £60 per annum wage, as well as a thatched-roof residence coincidentally in the very near vicinity of the current-day <i>Claremont</i>. On Ipswich's closure as a convict outpost not long after, George took full advantage of his situation - he was one of only a few free men in the area, with considerable money in comparison to others in the Moreton Bay region, in a newly opened town without business competition - his ambition shining through, George immediately began to purchase parcels of land, & established a business in the Queen's Arms Hotel. By the late 1840's, George possessed considerable land holdings throughout the region, & sold his Hotel in order to move his business into the merchant market - a further manoeuvre that would increase his profits markedly over the coming decade.<br />
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By this time, the township of Ipswich was a rapidly expanding centre west of Brisbane Town, & entrepreneurs were moving into the area in search of business & fortune. Enter John Panton - the son of the Post-Master General of New South Wales, John had earned a reputation in Sydney as a shrewd businessman & innovator, setting up a successful business partnership in Sydney, becoming an elected Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, & earning the enviable position of Magistrate. However by the early 1850's, Panton began to look for new enterprises, a search which drew him north to the recently opened towns of Brisbane & Ipswich. On making a number of trips to the region, John realised the potential of the area & moved north to take advantage of the situation. With the support of Sydney-based company Messrs. Smith, Campbell & Co., John established the Ipswich company of Panton & Co. in 1851, trading from a store front in Brisbane Street...& business boomed. In the mid-1850's, as business expanded, Panton constructed a large warehouse on Limestone Hill, followed by a stately Georgian-style villa built of sandstone quarried at Woogaroo near current Wacol. Panton would name his new residence <i>Claremont</i>, & it's this same premises that has endured 154 years of history through until the present day. <br />
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With the advent of the American Civil War in 1861, the market for cotton was at an all-time high - hoping to corner the market, Panton drew heavily on his assets & established a considerable cotton plantation at Woodend...however, his aspirations would lead to a temporary downfall. In 1863, the financial institutions with which Panton had dealings called in their debts, & Panton was left with no other option but to sell off the majority of his assets, including <i>Claremont</i>. Re-enter George Thorn - having been elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1860, on the back of Queensland's separation from New South Wales the prior year, George happily accepted his position of member for West Moreton. In 1862, he had also become an Ipswich Alderman, & by 1863 he was very keen to move from his lodgings at the Palais Royal Hotel in Brisbane Street to somewhere more befitting his roles & growing family. On <i>Claremont</i> being offered for sale in 1863, Thorn jumped at the opportunity & purchased the property - the stately villa would become the Thorn family home for over forty years.<br />
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At this point, it's best that we examine the ghost stories associated with <i>Claremont</i> before we proceed any further...& believe me, they're quite varied from one end of the spectrum to the other. In more recent years, I've spoken to a number of people who volunteered at <i>Claremont</i> when it was still under the caretaker-ship of the <i>National Trust of Queensland</i>, & all had a number of stories to tell - old objects within the house left in one position would turn up inexplicably at the other end of the building, disembodied footsteps could be clearly heard within the house on numerous occasions when no one else was present, the cellar beneath the property always had a bizarre feeling about it & seemed to exude a coldness that defied explanation, & unexplained household sounds regularly emanated from rooms that were vacant. As a result, those who volunteered their time at <i>Claremont</i> did their best to vacate the site as fast as they could upon closing time...all believed that the ghosts of Ipswich's past still dropped in from time to time. However, whilst still a teenager in Ipswich in the mid 1990's, another well-known story used to persist about <i>Claremont</i>...an outlandish legend had it that the site was home to three ghosts whose mortal fates were intertwined...<br />
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The supposedly "true" story, as it was told to me on numerous occasions by friends also living around Ipswich, went like this - <b>Early last century (1900's), an old man who lived at <i>Claremont</i> used to regularly taunt & beat a maid that worked at the property. At some stage, the maid in question fell pregnant, & it was assumed that the child had been fathered by the old man...due to complications during the birth of the illegitimate child, it's said that both mother & baby died, & as a result the old man went insane in the ballroom of the house shortly after. As a result of this tragic tale, it's said that all three (baby, maid & old man) still reside within the walls of Claremont & make their presences known from time to time.</b> Needless to say, I've never been able to locate a single piece of historical evidence that even remotely supports this story...furthermore, it rings similar to so many other stories spread about old houses throughout South-east Queensland without merit. Needless to say, though, accounts of unexplained occurrences have endured at <i>Claremont</i> for many years...so let's delve back into the history of the site to see if we can identify any other possible origins for the site's haunted atmosphere...<br />
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George Thorn's business endeavours continued to thrive, as did his political career over the next decade...in his free time, he undertook a number of civic duties around Ipswich & aided in the establishment of many of the town's facilities, such as the Anglican Church, the School of Arts, Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich Grammar
School and the
Queensland Pastoral and Agricultural Society, amongst others. During this time, George's son (George Henry Thorn jnr.) was also making a name for himself in Queensland political circles - whilst also residing at <i>Claremont</i>, George jnr. was elected as the member for West Moreton in the Legislative Assembly just as his father had been only seven years earlier. Representing West Moreton until 1874, George jnr.'s political career finally hit a high note in that same year, taking up the position of Postmaster-General under then Premier Arthur Macalister. However, the joy of this achievement would be somewhat short lived, with the death of his father some months after on the 28th April 1875 - George Thorn snr., considered the "Father of Ipswich," passed away in his bed at <i>Claremont</i> at 5:30am in the morning, at the ripe age of 70. Remaining on at <i>Claremont</i> with his mother Jane & younger siblings, George jnr. became the man of the house & continued his political aspirations. In 1876, on the resignation of Premier Macalister, George jnr. was unexpectedly launched into the role of Premier of Queensland - a responsibility he held for nine months until he too tendered his resignation. <br />
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<i>Claremont</i> Auction listing (<i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, 13th November 1877)</div>
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In the same year, <i>Claremont</i> was advertised for sale by public
auction as a component of George Thorn snr.'s estate - George jnr. would
purchase the property, continuing the Thorn's residency at the site. George jnr. would continue in politics off and on for the next 25 years, holding a variety of titles, including the enviable position of Commissioner to the 1878 Paris Exposition, where he held the responsibility of representing Queensland. In between his exploits, however, George would also lose his mother within walls of <i>Claremont</i>. On the 14th of April 1883, Jane Thorn passed away unexpectedly in the family home, much to the shock of the residents of Ipswich. Similarly to her husband, Jane had done much to support the charitable foundations throughout Ipswich during her lifetime, & it was reported that her funeral cortege was one of the largest seen in Ipswich for many years as her remains were transported to Ipswich General Cemetery to be laid beside her late husband. Fortunately, Jane's death would be the last at the site for many years, with the Thorn's residency continuing on for a further twenty years before the house was to finally change hands. <br />
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By 1902, there seems to be some small amount of confusion regarding the Thorn's residency of <i>Claremont</i>. On the 18th of January 1902, <i>The Brisbane Courier</i> recorded details of a massive storm that had struck Ipswich four days previously. In the article, it was noted that, "<b>a number of galvanised sheets of roofing were carried from the residence of Mr. G. Thorn M.L.A., in Thorn-street</b>" - this property was clearly <i>Claremont</i>. However, by June 1902, adverts were being run in the newspapers listing <i>Claremont</i> as a rental property, "<b>recently occupied by the Hon. George Thorn.</b>" By late 1904, <i>Claremont</i> was advertised for sale by public auction, & the property was noted as being tenanted at the time by Mr McGill. Around this time, George & Celia Thorn were listed as residing at <i>Corona</i>, a house located on <i>Booval Station</i> (the current suburb of Booval) which was owned by their prominent bacteriologist son St. George Thorn. It was on this property, on the 13th of January 1905, that George Henry Thorn would pass away at the age of 66. For some years he had been suffering from gout, which in the period leading up to his death had seriously impeded his ability to walk - it's highly likely that the move to his son's nearby Booval property from <i>Claremont</i> was due to his need for extended care. However, <i>Claremont</i> appears to have remained in the Thorn family until mid-1906, when it was again listed for sale by public auction - between George's death in 1905 & this renewed effort to sell the property in 1906, it appears as though Celia Thorn was still using the residence on an infrequent basis for entertaining.<br />
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<i>Claremont</i> Auction Notice (<i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, 7th July 1906)</div>
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However, the property was successfully sold as a result of the 1906 public auction, & ownership of <i>Claremont</i> changed hands. The purchaser was George Rennie Wilson, who in turn allowed his brother John Cecil Norman Wilson & his young family to take possession of the building. Both George & John were descended from another pioneering family of Ipswich, both being sons of George Harrison Wilson - in 1853, George Harrison Wilson established a wholesale & general merchant business by the name of <i>G. H. Wilson & Co</i>., in direct competition with Benjamin Cribb's <i>London Stores</i>. Both sons dedicated their lives to the family business, with George Rennie taking control of the company on his father's death in 1899. For John & his family, life proceeded quietly at <i>Claremont</i> without record of incident, until 1922 when a bizarre turn of circumstance saw ownership of the premises change hands yet again. On the 12th of April 1922, John Cecil Norman Wilson passed away (possibly at <i>Claremont</i>). Ironically, his brother George Rennie Wilson, who owned the premises, had passed away two weeks previously on the 25th of March 1922. As such, at the time of John's death given his brother's prior demise, <i>Claremont </i>had already been locked up in George's estate. As George's wife, daughter & one son had predeceased him, his estate including <i>Claremont</i> was left to his one surviving son, Ralph Somerset Wilson.<br />
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The Wilsons in front of <i>Claremont</i>, c.1912 (State Library of Qld)</div>
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According to the <a href="https://www.derm.qld.gov.au/chimsi/placeDetail.html?siteId=15364" target="_blank">CHIMS Heritage Database listing for <i>Claremont</i></a>, maintained by the <i>Department of Environment & Resource Management</i>, the premises was utilised as a boarding house between 1924 & 1939. However, we know a little more about this period in the site's history from external records. From Electoral Roll records, we know that Harriet Louisa Wilson, John Cecil Norman Wilson's widow, remained at the site until at least 1925, before moving to Brisbane - it's unclear as to whether <i>Claremont</i> had been converted to a boarding house prior to this time. We also know that Ralph Somerset Wilson & his wife Evelyn moved into <i>Claremont</i> from their previous residence at Booval in the later months of 1925, most likely at the same time of Harriet Wilson's departure. From 1925 onwards, Ralph & Evelyn remained at <i>Claremont</i>, likely as part-time caretakers whilst Ralph was still employed elsewhere. By 1939, <i>Claremont</i> was again put up for sale by Ralph Wilson, after which time both he & Evelyn moved to Brisbane...however, it's during the building's life as a boarding house that we come across a further event that may have given rise to one of the ghosts that are said to roam the premises.<br />
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In December 1932, in the lead-up to Christmas, Kate Chellew Barkell was staying in the boarding house that <i>Claremont</i> had become. Her husband James was based in Ipswich, but was regularly away on business trips...Kate had spent countless years accompanying him on these journeys, but in her older age had begun to cut back on the regular travel. Having spent a number of years as an assistant at the Ellenborough Street Methodist Church, the Assistant Master in English at the Ipswich Technical College, a member of the North Ipswich Methodist Choir & a member of the Women's Church Help Society, Kate had moved into semi-retirement but still helped out where she could in the community. Unfortunately, on the 21st of December 1932, only four days before Christmas, she passed away in her bed within her room inside the <i>Claremont</i> Boarding House. Her death was acutely felt across Ipswich, & Kate became the last recorded person to perish within the building prior to the 1950's. In the early 1940's, <i>Claremont</i> was converted into flats, finally being sold to the Queensland Sub-Normal Childrens Welfare Association in 1964 for use as a school. By 1975, the property had become run down & in need of repair, & was sold to the National Trust of Queensland who embarked on a major restoration program to return the house to its former glory. In recent years, it's my understanding that the site has again been sold, & is now a private residence.<br />
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Clearly, it's impossible to know exactly who haunts <i>Claremont</i>, however with the incredibly vibrant history to which the house has played witness over the past 154 years, it's not hard to believe that at least a few spirits likely drop in from time to time. That said, it's a nice thought to imagine that George & Jane Thorn, who both passed away inside the house in which they raised their family & took such a keen interest in Ipswich's development, still wander the halls of <i>Claremont</i> from time to time...&, if they still do, I'd love to know their impressions on current-day Ipswich in comparison to the outpost of Limestone Station they first laid eyes on all the way back in 1839!Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-64135446781408315362012-09-20T01:05:00.002-07:002012-09-20T01:05:38.541-07:00Denmark Hill's Gooloowan: a site from which Ipswich's prosperity grew, & the new State of Queensland became a better place.<div style="text-align: center;">
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Gooloowan, c.1888 (State Library of Qld)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>P</b></span></span>erched on the southern slopes of Denmark Hill in Ipswich, an imposing house known as <i>Gooloowan</i> stands...clocking in at 148 years old, one can only imagine what information would come to light if the walls of this old house could talk! Welcome to the third instalment of our "Haunted Ipswich" series, focusing on some of the greater & lesser-known haunted sites around the inner-Ipswich area. For this week's article we'll be focusing on <i>Gooloowan</i>, a site that holds an amazing place in both the evolution of the current city of Ipswich, as well as that of the State of Queensland. However, in order to understand Gooloowan, we first have to understand the Cribb family...& for that, we have to travel all the way back to 1849 & the fledgling colony of Brisbane Town & Ipswich...<br />
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As any fan of Brisbane's history would know, a very important turning point in the small town's history occurred in 1849. In the year prior, three vessels left England as part of <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lang-john-dunmore-2326" target="_blank">John Dunmore Lang's</a> assisted immigration scheme. Initially intended to land at Port Phillip, where each immigrant was to be granted a parcel of land on which to turn a living, Lang's first vessel the <i>Fortitude</i> hit a major snag...on arrival in New South Wales, the Colonial authorities reneged on the land deal they'd arranged with Lang, & the <i>Fortitude</i> was turned away. Lang's hopes being dashed, & with a vessel carrying 270 immigrants, the <i>Fortitude</i> pulled back out to sea & tracked north to a small town that had only been opened for free settlement seven years previously - Brisbane. A couple of months later, Lang's second & third vessels the <i>Chaseley</i> & <i>Lima</i> followed suite, & both landed in Brisbane where their human cargo was offloaded to begin a new life in what was little more than a frontier town. Aboard the <i>Chaseley</i>, 42 year old Benjamin Cribb & his first wife Elizabeth held high hopes of a new life, with their three children in tow, & both intended to make the most of their skills in a new country.<br />
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Through his twenties & thirties, Benjamin Cribb built a solid business selling household goods in London - an occupation that would determine his future prosperity in Australia. On boarding the <i>Chaseley</i> in England, Cribb paid to export a quantity of commercial goods with him on the voyage...once the Cribb family arrived in Moreton Bay, Benjamin made the decision to move further inland to the still fledgling town of Ipswich to seek his fortune. Utilising the goods he had brought all the way from England, Cribb sought out a suitable site on which to start up a Grocers' store, & was in business only months after arrival. Locating his venture in Bell Street, Cribb named his enterprise the London Stores, & soon the business was booming as his name became well-known amongst the residents of Ipswich. Benjamin's reputation continued to grow as his business flourished, however tragedy struck the Cribb household on the 4th of March 1852, with the death of his wife Elizabeth. After mourning her loss, including a short sojourn to Brisbane, Benjamin remarried on the 30th of March 1853 - this second marriage to Clarissa Kendal Foote would change Benjamin's life in ways he could not possibly imagine, & would consolidate his place in the history of Ipswich & in the fast approaching State of Queensland.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnKBoiQTsFWLGGfBmlU6YfH2e-o-yi6RdtOnE1pyxY40WWMwA6UgrU8n7LWpakoUaZxRTCFCYcFQtgV5onNiaUsTt6EV82Y-oz8WuRillW-XsNmRg3hD8Nmp9nN9ZhenU-lccub9P3VM/s1600/London+Stores+1850%27s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnKBoiQTsFWLGGfBmlU6YfH2e-o-yi6RdtOnE1pyxY40WWMwA6UgrU8n7LWpakoUaZxRTCFCYcFQtgV5onNiaUsTt6EV82Y-oz8WuRillW-XsNmRg3hD8Nmp9nN9ZhenU-lccub9P3VM/s400/London+Stores+1850%27s.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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London Stores, c.1850's (<a href="http://picture.ipswich.qld.gov.au:8080/awweb/main.jsp?flag=browse&smd=1&awdid=1" target="_blank">Ipswich Library & Information Service</a>)</div>
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Benjamin's second marriage brought him directly into contact with John Clarke Foote, Clarissa's brother. Having left Plymouth aboard the fated ship <i>Emigrant</i> for Australia, John quickly found himself trapped on a vessel rampant with Typhoid Fever. Helping out where he could, having trained as a Chemist prior to his departure in England, John was able to not only aid those onboard, but also managed to escape the fatal end many other passengers suffered as a result of the disease mid-voyage. After landing at Moreton Bay, John resided in Brisbane for a couple of years before being offered a managerial role at the London Stores by his new brother-in-law Benjamin Cribb. Within a year, John & Benjamin signed a partnership together & formed Cribb & Foote Merchant Bankers in 1854. From that moment forward, the partnership grew...earning a reputation for aiding farmers in the area with security-exempt loans, the firm of Cribb & Foote eventually moved into retail above & beyond Benjamin Cribb's original London Stores, & also branched into the cotton trade as well as other varied business interests. In time, the Cribb & Foote business would become a household name in Ipswich, providing countless jobs for those who resided in the area.<br />
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By 1855, Benjamin Cribb was a founding member of the <span><a href="http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/sessionalview/sessional/act/1855-mbi.pdf" target="_blank">Moreton Bay Immigration and Land Company</a>, which purchased large tracts of available wasteland which in turn were split into small farms & sold to suitable immigrants - the company hoped that by doing so, skilled workers from the British Isles would be encouraged to migrate to Moreton Bay & aid in the expansion of the region. Entering the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the beginning of 1858, & also becoming the Member for Stanley Boroughs (the Southeast Queensland region comprising four separate towns of North Brisbane (current CBD), South Brisbane, Kangaroo Point & Ipswich), Benjamin also fought staunchly for the separation of the northern colony - a battle, with the aid of a handful of other men, which was won on the 6th of June 1859 when Queen Victoria signed the Letter Patent declaring the colony of Queensland a separate entity from New South Wales. Throughout this turbulent separation period, Benjamin Cribb also fought alongside his brother Robert, who was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly, for the cessation of convictism in Australia & forced labour which utilised Kanaka slaves...both Robert & Benjamin Cribb were true visionaries, aiding not only in the creation of Queensland as a State, but also setting in place the foundations of both Brisbane & Ipswich.</span><br />
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<span>His position being transferred to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, Benjamin continued on in both his business & political life, representing the West Moreton region from 1861 to 1867 - he became one of the founding members of Ipswich Grammar School which opened in 1863 as the first of its kind in Queensland, he was heavily involved in the Ipswich School of Arts, & all the while took a very keen interest in aiding the less fortunate in the growing Ipswich community. In 1864, construction began on the new Cribb household that would become Gooloowan - a magnificent house on the slopes of Denmark Hill that still stands to this day. A beautiful mansion surrounded by manicured gardens, Gooloowan became one of the social & political hubs in early Ipswich - visited by both ambassadors & community members alike. Many of Queensland's early political decisions were formulated & conducted within Gooloowan's rooms, alongside the many important decisions & business meetings affecting the growing Cribb & Foote business - amazingly, Benjamin Cribb balanced both his political & business career carefully, & seemed to manage both with complete prowess.</span><br />
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<span>So...having parked ourselves in the 1860's, it's probably time we touched on the ghost stories of Gooloowan, right?? Well...having grown up in Ipswich, I can admit that Gooloowan always appeared as an imposing site when I was young...a large mansion, recessed behind bushy gardens and a border fence...the kind of place that was strictly out of bounds...the kind of private place where stories exist. In later years, in the late 1990's, I finally started asking questions around Ipswich about Gooloowan, & came up with a number of stories that roughly matched what I had been told as a child...people who have resided within Gooloowan, or those who have visited, have seen young women dressed in maid's outfits walking the halls & the grounds on many occasions. Very distinct presences can be felt in certain rooms of the house, as though a previous owner is present & is not all too happy that a stranger is intruding in their domain. And, aside all others, one major story exists about Gooloowan...although we'll touch on that shortly after we expose the first tragic event to occur at the premises...</span><br />
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<span>Gooloowan in its early years (John Oxley Library)</span></div>
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<span>On the 11th of March 1874, Benjamin Cribb's success in business & politics was abruptly cut short. Having recently returned re-energised from a trip to Melbourne after a bout of ill health, Benjamin walked the couple of hundred metres from Gooloowan to the nearby Congregational Church to sit in on the Wednesday night service...a trip he had made countless times before. Throughout the day, he'd overseen his business interests with vigour, & had been commended on his unusually fresh appearance. However, during the second hymn of the service, Benjamin put down his hymn book & sat, appearing to be in some pain. It was initially thought that he was suffering from indigestion, & his daughter handed him a smelling-bottle (a bottle filled with either <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smelling_salts" target="_blank">smelling salts</a> or perfume as a restorative), however Benjamin's head lolled back onto the pew & those surrounding him jumped up in panic. He was immediately carried into the vestry of the Church, where Dr Rowlands attended to him...however, a fairly grim verdict was given, & the decision was made to transport Benjamin back to Gooloowan via stretcher. On literally being passed through the doorway of Gooloowan, Benjamin Cribb drew his last breath, & he was pronounced dead within the house. In one tragic instant, Benjamin's death became the first within the stately mansion he'd commissioned only twelve years beforehand, & also ushered in a new age regarding the Cribb & Foote business.</span><br />
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<span>On Benjamin's death, his wife Clarissa took control of the family share in the Cribb & Foote business...a fairly ironic turn of events, as Clarissa now balanced the Cribb family fortune against the Foote family fortune held by her brother. However, it was during this period of Gooloowan's history that its major ghost story originates. For many decades, one paranormal story of Gooloowan has persisted above all others - it is said that at one stage, around the turn of the century, a maid killed her baby by throwing it down a well behind the mansion. Supposedly, the maid in question had fallen pregnant to another worker at the house, & did what she felt was necessary to conceal her pregnancy. Rumour had it that on quiet nights, a baby could be heard crying in the vicinity of the well, & anyone who crept into the grounds after dark could hear it for themselves. Needless to say, I'm sure countless kids in Ipswich have stewed over this story when it's been relayed to them...& they've more than likely believed it, given that a multitude of stately houses around South-east Queensland hold similar legends about babies down wells. However, whilst it's an easy undertaking to prove that other homes lack the slightest shred of evidence confirming deaths regarding their wells, or have no evidence of wells existing at all, Gooloowan's story stands out from the pack...because, believe it or not, the story's true...</span><br />
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<span>On the 2nd of August 1889, a terrible event occurred at Gooloowan...at about 10am in the morning, James Dodds, who was employed as a groom & coachman at the house, approached the well located at the rear of the premises. It had been noticed that the water in the well was slowly turning rancid, & James had been sent to investigate...lifting the cover from the well, James reeled back in shock at the sight of a little body floating below. The Police were immediately sent for, & Senior Constable George Bain attended the well & removed the body. A search of the staff rooms was immediately conducted, & within a short period of time a young maid by the name of Rose Dold was arrested & charged with wilful murder. On being questioned, Rose admitted that the baby had actually been born on the 25th of July, a full week prior to the body being discovered in the well. At the Police Court hearing on the 9th of August, Dr Von Lossburg testified that, according to his examination of the body, the baby had been born alive. However, P. A. O'Sullivan, who appeared in Rose's defence, argued that no clear evidence existed to definitively prove that the baby had been born alive...as this was the case, Rose could not be charged with wilful murder, & should therefore only face a far lesser charge of concealing the birth of a child - a contradiction in terms...</span><br />
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<span>On the 25th of February, Rose was finally brought before the Ipswich Circuit Court on the charge of concealment of a birth - when asked how she wished to plead, Rose gave the answer of "guilty." Much testimony was given throughout the trial, with all providing evidence stating that Rose was of excellent character. She had been in the employ of the Cribbs for approximately five months, & throughout that time had been a conscientious worker. Rose's defence requested that the provisions of the Offenders' Probation Act be applied to her case, which in essence requested a lesser sentence for offenders who could likely be reformed, however the Judge intimated that the limitations of the Act did not extend to a case such as this. In sentencing, the Judge stated, "<b>He felt it to be his duty - and it was a painful duty - to have to send her to gaol, but if any after application was made for her release he would not oppose it. He would take into consideration the fact that she had a good character previously and had been five weeks in gaol </b>[prior to the trial]<b>, and the sentence was that she should be imprisoned for nine months in Toowoomba Gaol with hard labour.</b>" Thus ended one of the most tragic sagas in the life of Gooloowan, & the town of Ipswich in general.</span><br />
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<span>Headline in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, on the 27th February 1890.</span></div>
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<span>Over the following years, the ownership of Gooloowan changed hands a number of times as a result of a number of deaths, many of which occurred within the house. On the 14th of December, Clarissa Cribb passed away at Gooloowan after having been house-bound for over a year due to her ailing health. Having been a senior partner of Cribb & Foote since the death of her husband decades earlier, Clarissa Cribb was best known for her extensive charitable work throughout Ipswich, & her death was acutely felt throughout the town. After her death, Gooloowan passed into the hands of her son, Thomas Bridson Cribb. A Member of the Legislative Council just like his father Benjamin, Thomas was very well respected throughout Ipswich & Queensland. In 1896, Thomas ran for the electorate of Ipswich in the State Government election, & due to his overwhelming popularity he gained the highest number of votes ever received by a candidate for Ipswich. In later years, he would step into the role of Treasurer under Premier Robert Philp. Unfortunately, after suffering from failing health in late 1913, Thomas & his wife Marian caught the train to their second house in Southport in the hope a few days rest would aid Thomas...a trip from which he would not return. At 11pm on the 4th of September, Thomas sadly passed away, leaving his wife Marian to make the trip back to Ipswich & Gooloowan a widow.</span><br />
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<span>Marian continued to hold ownership of Gooloowan for a further twenty years, unfortunately spending the majority of this time as an invalid. On the 29th of December 1932, Marian passed away at the age of 78, within the walls of Gooloowan, after having lived her entire life in Ipswich. On her death, ownership of Gooloowan was transferred to her daughter Vera & son-in-law James Ernest Walker. The Managing Director of the Ipswich Woollen Company, James had originally studied law, however gave up his plans to become a barrister due to being hard of hearing. As a result, he spent much of his life working as a solicitor, spent some time as a Nationalist candidate in Ipswich, & focused all the while on the Ipswich Woollen Company. On his death in 1939, ownership of Gooloowan passed to his wife Vera, who continued to live at the premises with her spinster sister Estelle Cribb. Estelle held the distinguished honour of being one of the first Queensland women to receive a University degree, graduating with a Masters of Arts in Sydney. Returning to Ipswich, she took up a teaching position at Ipswich Girls Grammar School, where she worked the majority of her adult life. On the 5th of November 1949, Estelle too would pass away within the walls of Gooloowan, leaving a lasting legacy through her many years spent educating many of Ipswich's young women.</span><br />
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<span>In more recent years, Gooloowan has had a number of owners. However, the bulk of the house's amazing history comes from its first 90 years up until the 1950's. So...is Gooloowan really haunted, or do the stories of ghosts walking the halls & the grounds simply result from years of speculation by those who have passed its amazing fascade off Quarry Street? Ultimately, that's for each of you to decide. However, one very important fact cannot be denied - the economic & social prosperity of Ipswich, & in turn Queensland, was due largely in part to the amazing men & women who lived & died at Gooloowan. Surely, the essence of the myriad dreams, aspirations & accomplishments of those who called Goloowan home, must still linger within the halls of this grand old mansion...&, if the time & conditions are right, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they replayed themselves from time to time...</span>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-43753414763357724942012-09-11T05:47:00.001-07:002021-10-29T15:06:24.664-07:00A Publican's tale of two ghostly girls & a spectral pup: a day in the life of the Hotel Metropole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hotel Metropole c.1976 (State Library of Qld)</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></span></b>ll the way back in 1999, I was given an opportunity to interview the Publican of the Hotel Metropole in regard to the ghosts that were said to wander the building. Whilst the facade of the Hotel may seem misleading, clearly displaying the year of 1906 in which the current building was constructed, the history of the venue dates back far, far earlier towards the establishment of Ipswich itself. Located on the corner of Brisbane & Waghorn Street, the <a href="http://hotelmetropole.com.au/" target="_blank">newly refurbished Hotel Metropole</a> features "a modern bistro, outdoor cafe and beer garden, a lounge bar, and nightclub." However, the early years of the Hotel, under the name of the Harp of Erin, is somewhat confusing.<br />
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Harp of Erin advert (published in <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i> on the 26th June 1847)</div>
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On the 26th of June 1847, Martin Byrne ran an advert in <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i> stating that he would soon open a new establishment in Ipswich, under the sign of the Harp of Erin, on the 1st of July - he'd been granted a new license to do so at the annual Licensing Board meeting on the 20th of April 1847. At this stage, the address given for the venue was Nichols Street...however, an application for a Publican's License was granted to John Perry for the Harp of Erin, at the Licensing Board meeting on the 15th of April 1851, finally giving the address as Brisbane Street. As a very interesting aside, eight months later on the 3rd of January 1852, Martin Byrne ran another advert in <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i> under the banner of the Harp of Erin...in the advert, it stated that he'd recently returned from the Turon, which gives a very important insight into the history of Australia at the time. <br />
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Martin Byrne's trip (published in <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>, 3rd Jan 1852)</div>
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In mid-1851, gold was discovered on the Turon River outside Ballarat on
the central plains of New South Wales - through the later months of
1851, men flocked to the area in the hopes of making their
fortunes...many went in pursuit of gold, however a few shrewd
entrepreneurs realised that an exploding population of miners with gold
burning holes in their pockets would mean for ready pickings. Makeshift
Hotels & General Stores, most being no more than tents, sprung up
all over the goldfields & very quickly turned massive profits...it's
highly likely that Martin Byrne had tapped into this ready market. Within two months of his return, Martin Byrne's health began to fail & he put the Harp of Erin up for lease...a move that would see a number of Licensees & owners over the coming years. The life of the original Harp of Erin was coming to a close by 1890, however, when the Licensing Board met to renew licenses on the 3rd of April 1890. When the Hotel's license came up for renewal, Sub-Inspector Graham suggested that in his opinion, the license should not be renewed as the Harp of Erin was no longer fit for business.<br />
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According to his testimony, he "<b>found the hotel building in a dilapidated condition, and, in his opinion, it was no longer fit to be licensed. The boarding on the veranda had, to some extent given way, some of the bedrooms were not ceiled, and, as far as he could judge, the roof was not in a very safe condition. Most of the bedrooms were very small, and were not of the standard required by the 25th section of the Licensing Act of 1885. Witness brought the matter under the notice of the licensee, especially the small room behind the bar, in which room one could almost touch the roof with one's hand, and it was not ceiled. The licensee said he knew the hotel was in a very bad state, but that he could not help it.</b>" After much argument between the Licensing Board, the Publican Robert McGrory & the owner Alexander Andrews, the Hotel was given a reprieve on the grounds that improvements be made immediately. This charade continued for over a decade, with the Licensing Board putting the Hotel on notice & threatening to revoke the license, & the owner & publican promising to make immediate improvements that were never to come. By 1906, the game was finally up...the old wooden hulk affectionately known as the Harp of Erin Hotel was torn down, & a new brick establishment under the sign of the Hotel Metropole was built in its place - the very same establishment that exists to this day.<br />
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So...after taking a slight detour down memory lane, what do we know about the ghosts of the Hotel?? Well...harping back to 1999 & my discussion with the then Publican, we know a little about the supernatural goings-on at the venue. It seems that prior to the Hotel's most recent renovations in 2004, the site suffered from a number of paranormal events, so much so that the Publican & his wife began to double guess themselves regarding events within the building. On numerous occasions, televisions within locked & vacant rooms would turn themselves on at full volume for no apparent reason, at ungodly hours late at night & in the early morning. Similarly, beds in locked rooms would be made up by housekeeping only to be found in a shambles a day or two later, when it was certain that no one had entered the specific lodgings. The Publican even took the time to point out a specific floorboard on the top level of the Hotel that let out a very noticeable creak when weight was placed on it...at various times throughout the night, when the Publican & his wife were alone in the Hotel, the floorboard would let out a tell-tale creak, signalling a footstep they knew couldn't have resulted from a flesh-&-blood patron.<br />
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With so many unusual events at the Hotel during the time said Publican was in control of the venue, I couldn't help but ask the million dollar question - "<b>Why do you think your Hotel is haunted?</b>" Without a second's thought, I was given an answer regarding the supposed ghosts who walked the halls of the Hotel! According to the Publican, based on information that he'd received, the unusual occurrences within the building were due to the ghosts of two young girls. "Extensive research" had unearthed information that a fire had torn through the venue many years beforehand, & as a result of the fire two young girls had been trapped in a front room on the top floor of the Hotel. In a vain yet futile attempt to escape the flames, they had huddled beneath a bed in the room in question...unfortunately, their attempt at survival was for naught. When the fire damaged sections of the Hotel were eventually accessed, it was confirmed that the girls had perished as a result, & it was supposed that their spirits continued to walk the current establishment creating mischief where they could. As an extra aside, the Publican added an extra aspect to the story...on multiple occasions when his 3 year old grandaughter visited the Hotel, she'd consistently mention seeing a spectral black dog running about the premises, supposedly linked to the two ghost girls.<br />
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With this information in mind, let's get to the bottom of the Hotel's history...what can we find that lends credence to the Publican's stories & the two girls that died in a hotel fire?? Looking at deaths at the Hotel, we'll jump back & forward from the aspect of "not due to fire" to "due to fire"...bear with us...<br />
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The first & last early death that occurred at the Hotel not due to fire was that of Alexander Fairley, on the 5th of June 1894. Having immigrated to Australian in 1852, Alexander also tried his hand on the goldfields of Victoria, similarly to the Harp of Erin's original owner Martin Byrne...having likely earned a small payout in gold, Fairley moved north to Queensland in 1864 where he worked a number of properties before settling at Ipswich. He took control of the Ulster Hotel with his wife for a couple of years before moving on to the Harp of Erin during its declining days in the early 1890's...ultimately, in 1894, Alexander Fairley would drop dead in his new Hotel from apoplexy, an early term that indicated a cardiovascular incident or likely stroke.<br />
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Our second death involves the most destructive fire at the Hotel Metropole, although not in the way that you'd likely think. On the 17th of September 1940 at 2am, Hotel boarder George May ran out into the hallway screaming "fire!" Within seconds, eight other boarders & the Publican's family were grasping for their valuables & heading for the exits...however, two borders by the name of Mr & Mrs Nightingale failed to run from their rooms, as their usual route was blocked by the flames. Taking stock of their situation, the elderly couple ran out onto a balcony & managed to skirt around the flames & escape down the main stairs to the street...just before the roof collapsed in on the top floor where they'd all been sleeping. All in all, the damage bill was estimated at <span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc28">£2000, which came as a crushing blow to the licensee Orlando Andresen. Six months later, Orlando would be found dead by his wife, after having shot himself in the head at their residence in Kangaroo Point. A veteran of WWI, having fought on the Western Front, Andresen had shouldered the brunt of the damages inflicted on the Hotel Metropole, a repair bill he was likely unable to cover. Fortunately, the only destructive fire to rip through the Hotel site during its long life failed to claim a single soul directly...although its aftermath claimed the soul of the Hotel's owner, who was likely unable to live with the loss.</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc28">However, the site saw one other fire during its lifespan, all the way back in 1885 when it was still known as the Harp of Erin. On the 24th of September 1885, in the middle of the night, a fire took hold in Webb's old cordial factory on Brisbane Street. Before long, the fire spread to the stables behind Saunders' Grocers Store, which were full of hay...& then leapt the remaining gap to the back of the Harp of Erin where more hay in the stables provided a happy breeding ground for the ensuing sparks. The Fire Department were soon on the scene & laid their hoses out as best they could. Saunders' stables were soon cut away from the back of the Grocer's Store & extinguished, however the stable behind the Harp of Erin posed a more dangerous threat. Fortunately, the backyard blaze was extinguished before it reached the skirting of the Hotel itself...everyone involved breathed a sigh of relief when it was confirmed that all lives at the Hotel had been spared...although this soon proved to be incorrect. Margaret Bourke, the 70 year old mother of the Publican's wife Maria McGrory, resided in the rooms above the Hotel...on hearing the shouts & cries around her in the middle of the night, the excitement was clearly too much for her aging heart. By the time the flames had subsided & the threat to the Hotel had been abated, Margaret was found dead in her bed, & her death was attributed to the shock she had endured as a result of the fire.</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix hovered" id="lc28">So...records of little girls & a dog we have not - if I were able to go back in time & ask the Publican which "historian" he'd received his information from I would! However, whilst we're able to discount the tale of the two young girls who died beneath a bed in a tragic fire, we've managed to uncover a number of deaths at the Hotel & linked with the Hotel. Does Margaret Bourke still wander the building in a panic that a long since extinguished fire might engulf the building? Does Alexander Fairley still preside over the Hotel that he ran for a number of years after dropping dead from a stroke within its walls? Has Orlando Andresen returned to the Metropole after losing his life savings as a result of the 1940 fire & subsequently taking his life? Or...has Martin Byrne returned to his original 1840's Hotel site, with a pocket full of gold dust & a gleam in his eye?? Either way, whoever you deem the ghosts to be at the Hotel Metropole, the Hotel & its predecessors deserve respect in the early evolution of the now expanding city we know as Ipswich.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-19369911942228669752012-09-03T10:48:00.000-07:002012-09-03T10:48:32.818-07:00The day the Shamrock's luck ran out: an evolutionary tale of the Settler's Inn, & its supposed resident ghost.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0CPFHR1uc3AbqCAu_D23SqUF_6idQPkFwJ2PueIuLyZt-ctjmVU2RS7lVV6d-wrgJRH7hXjQaTWb62hdCHkyGgMr9NFSTQTB_Y7h3J7yVyWr4wS0KCSig-Q9J57P_z0eQzAA0XU3Mjw/s1600/Settlers+Inn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0CPFHR1uc3AbqCAu_D23SqUF_6idQPkFwJ2PueIuLyZt-ctjmVU2RS7lVV6d-wrgJRH7hXjQaTWb62hdCHkyGgMr9NFSTQTB_Y7h3J7yVyWr4wS0KCSig-Q9J57P_z0eQzAA0XU3Mjw/s400/Settlers+Inn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The <i>Settler's Inn</i>, just prior to 2012 (courtesy of <a href="http://www.computerworld.com.au/nbn/location/springfield-lakes#closeme" target="_blank">Computer World</a>)</div>
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Welcome one & all to our first instalment of "<b><i>Haunted Ipswich</i></b>" - a five-part series over the month of September, focusing on a few more of the ghosts & haunted sites within my childhood home town. For anyone who lives (or has ever lived) in Ipswich, you'll likely be aware of the city's history - an amazing region that dates back almost as far as Brisbane, with a heritage that is by no means any less important to the early evolution of Queensland. Haunted sites in Ipswich date back virtually to the original settlement of Limestone (as Ipswich was called in its early years), & the subsequent ghost stories have been passed down through the generations to the current day.<br />
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One of these stories relates to the old Settler's Inn at the "top of town" on Brisbane Street. Rumours persist of a mischievous spirit that would make its way around the pub during opening hours. Whilst this spirit would never be seen, his exploits were definitely noticed by regulars & staff alike...objects being moved when no one was around, strange presences being felt in the bar when no one was in the vicinity, & doors inexplicably being opened & closed by unseen hands. According to folk legend passed between locals at the Hotel, the spirit was said to originate from an earlier era of the site...popular belief had it that the ghost was that of a poor fellow who'd lost his life in a major fire at the Hotel many years previously. So, what can we dig up about this unfortunate chap & the fire in which he perished so many years ago??<br />
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Shamrock Hotel Advert (<i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>, 11th Oct 1851)</div>
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The existence of the Shamrock Hotel (or Inn) in Brisbane Street dates back to about 1850 - the earliest mention of the establishment is located in <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i> on the 22nd of March 1851, at which time the proprietor Henry Savary placed an employment advert for "<b>a first-rate cook.</b>" According to the advert, in less than perfect English, "<b>None need apply who does not perfectly understand his business.</b>" By late 1851, Savary ran a number of adverts in <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>, thanking his patrons for their support & promising extensive improvements to the Shamrock Hotel...an undertaking it appears he completed over the next six months. In the years leading up to his foray into the Publican's life, Henry Savary had earned a living in North Brisbane as a baker - a slightly unusual change of profession, although it seems to have been a very profitable one. It's likely that Savary kept a hand in the baking profession to a lesser extent whilst trading at the Hotel, & saw it as a necessary adjunct to the sale of liquor - in March 1853, Alexander Noble took occupancy in part of the Shamrock Hotel, likely set up as a baker's shop, in order to produce "<b>fancy bread & biscuits.</b>" In the years that followed, the Hotel would change hands a number of times. In April 1857, the Shamrock's license passed into the hands of Edmund Egglestone, by 1861 it had passed to Michael O'Malley, & by 1871 it had again been passed on to Alexander McLean.<br />
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For the first three decades of the Shamrock Hotel's life in Brisbane Street, trade appears to have been quite placid...either that, or any major indecent dealings were craftily hushed from the authorities. However, on the 31st of January 1885, the Shamrock's peaceful existence was about to come to a calamitous end, the specific event from which the building's ghost is said to have arisen. At 1am in the morning, the shrill din of a fire bell rang out along Brisbane Street, immediately raising nearby residents & traders from their slumber. The initial fire took hold in an empty building recently leased by a Chinese shop-keeper, however before any of the nearby residents were able to act, the flames spread rapidly to the neighbouring building - the Shamrock Hotel. Given the Shamrock was by that stage an aging wooden building, it immediately went up like a tinderbox...reports of the disaster stated that the fire took hold so quickly that occupants within the building barely managed to escape with more than a handful of clothing, which they'd scooped up on their way out of the building. The fire would continue through two more buildings to the west of the Hotel, & the roof would collapse in a building two doors to the east. All in all, four buildings along Brisbane Street would be completely lost, & one more would be so badly damaged it could no longer be utilised as a business place. <br />
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By sheer virtue, a vacant allotment to the west of the blaze aided in breaking the spread of fire through further buildings...an incredibly lucky break given that the main fire hose being used by the Fire Brigade burst early into the battle. Fears were also held for buildings on the opposite side of Brisbane Street given the massive heat emanating from the blaze, however a public bucket brigade managed to cool the exposed timbers of the buildings at risk. At the time the blaze took ahold of the Shamrock Hotel, a number of horses were stabled in the back yard of the premises...through very quick thinking, the stable doors were sprung as the Hotel erupted, & the horses ran clear of the blaze. However...the same could not be said for two victims trapped within the Hotel as the fire took hold & raced through the corridors...two victims that would perish as a result of the flames. On the night of the fire, Dr Long was staying at the Hotel on an extended trip to Ipswich. In the confusion that occurred at 1am in the morning through the Hotel's halls, not only was he unable to grab his surgical equipment, he was also unsuccessful in rounding up his two poodles which were travelling with him. Both of the poor canines perished within the blaze, & were the only two living things that perished that night...not a single human soul was lost in the 1885 fire.<br />
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So what of our ghost story, I hear you ask - nobody died in the fire that destroyed the Shamrock Hotel?? Well...let's continue along the evolutionary path of the site...<br />
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After the destruction of the original Shamrock Hotel, a new establishment was slowly rebuilt on the same site under the new moniker of the Club Hotel. Trade seems to have travelled well until 1892, when the license of the venue came up for renewal. In July 1892, Mrs Nolan applied for the licence of the Club Hotel, an application that would be refused by the Police on the grounds that a married woman with husband could not hold a licence. A Melbourne Supreme Court ruling was put forward in Mrs Nolan's defence, & the Licensing Board allowed the application to pass & receipted the necessary fee from the woman...however, the State Treasury refused to accept the money from the Licensing Board, & demanded the Police Commissioner close the establishment at once. As such, the Club Hotel was closed indefinitely by the Police on the 4th of July, despite the Licensing Board's ruling. Mrs Nolan was forced to contest the decision of the Treasury on the grounds of the <i>Married Womens' Property Act</i>, a new piece of legislation that would, in turn, allow her to hold a licence for the Club Hotel. What seems a ridiculous & highly sexist notion now, was quite a bone of contention just over 100 years ago...<br />
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And thus, after having been reopened, the Club Hotel rolled on for almost 14 years without major incident or concern...until another disaster threatened its well-being. In the <i>Ipswich City Council's </i>"<b>Rubbidy-dubs to Pubs Then & Now</b>" brochure, which can be downloaded from <a href="http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/documents/planning/city_pubs_.pdf" target="_blank">their website here</a>, it's stated that the Club Hotel was, "<b>also damaged by fire in 1916 but was repaired</b>" - could this possibly be the fire that gave rise to the building's haunting?? Unfortunately, for both our ghost story & accurate history, this statement is not entirely correct...On the 4th of December 1915, at approximately 2am on a Saturday morning, a fire broke out in a row of buildings adjoining the Club Hotel. The fire ripped through 3 shops containing a fruiterer, a bootmaker & some tea rooms - all three shops were grossly under-insured for such a disaster, & were completely enveloped. However, before the fire could progress to the Club Hotel next door, the Fire Brigade managed to contain the blaze & the Hotel was spared by a hair's breadth. Apart from a slight scorching & some minor water damage, the Club Hotel escaped unscathed...hence, in contradiction of common belief, the Hotel was not in essence damaged by fire & repaired, & nor did the event occur in 1916...furthermore, not a soul was lost in the blaze that claimed the adjoining three premises.<br />
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For the next 90 years, the Club Hotel plied its trade, watching patrons come & go without injury or death. In the 1990's, the venue underwent a further name change for the third time in its life - it would become known as the Settler's Inn. It would continue under this new name up until a couple of years ago, at which time the building was purchased by an investment conglomerate for redevelopment. Finally, about two months ago, this beautiful old building at the "top of town" saw a gala reopening, as the Stumps Hotel & Tapas Tree Restaurant - a very ritzy establishment in comparison to the site's humble beginnings. Does the Settler's Inn ghost still inhabit the building after the extensive renovations & reopening?? Only time will tell...however, what do we make of this ghost story & the apparent resident haunting of the building?? We know that no deaths occurred during the 1885 blaze & near-miss fire in 1915...no incidents occurred in or around the Hotel with a direct link to the site that might give rise to a haunting...after having pulled the site's history apart, not a single death could be located...except one...<br />
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Death Notice (<i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i>, 24th July 1852)</div>
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On the 5th of July 1852, after having fallen ill & suffering from deteriorating health over a three day period, the original proprietor of the Shamrock Hotel passed away within his original Hotel. After having invested his heart & soul in the premises, only six months after undertaking extensive renovations, Henry Savary passed away at the age of 40. Could the ghost of the Settler's Inn be the spirit of Henry returning from time to time to watch over the evolution of his pub? It may just be a long-shot...but how wonderful a notion it is to imagine one of Ipswich's earliest residents might still be keeping an eye on the place!Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-42862614482842916292012-08-27T10:08:00.000-07:002012-08-27T10:08:47.698-07:00The Downfall Creek Tragedy: a Brisbane murder lost to history<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Edinburgh Castle Hotel, c. 1929 (State Library of Qld)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>S</b></span>ome time ago now, we promised that from time to time we'd focus on "Forgotten Brisbane" - stories about our city that have been lost to time. Usually, during my travels through the historic record, I come across many stories that fit this category...however, on the back of <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/sundays-at-normanby-another-beer.html" target="_blank">last week's article about the Normanby Hotel</a>, & the death of 26 year old omnibus driver George Pearson, a specific story immediately came to mind. Our story dates back to the very dying days of 1889, however if we're to get a better understanding of the story overall, we really need to travel back a few more years to the early months of 1885...& a little further again...<br />
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In April of 1885, 43 year old Michael Goodwin applied to the Licensing Board for a Publican's Licence which would allow him to sell "fermented and spirituous liquors." Having immigrated to Australia at the age of nine from the port town of Foynes in the mid-west of Ireland, Michael's arrival in Australia had been rough - having boarded the <i>Maria Soames</i> at Gravesend in England on the 18th of February 1852, with his father, pregnant mother & nine siblings, Michael's life would change in ways he could never imagine. After having been at sea for nearly 120 days, the <i>Maria Soames</i> anchored off Moreton Island...& Michael's mother Johanna went into labour. Despite the best efforts of the ship's surgeon, both Johanna & her baby died onboard, a tragic but all to common occurrence in the early days of immigration to Australia. Before the ship made port in Brisbane, Johanna & her infant child were laid to rest on the shores of St Helena Island - then nothing more than an island, pre-dating the St Helena Penal Settlement by fifteen years. The sad event is documented in Henry Berkeley Jones' book, <i>Adventures in Australia in 1852 and 1853 </i>- "<b>There we interred a poor emigrant and her infant child, who died just as she had completed her voyage, leaving her husband the guardian of ten surviving children - a heavy charge and drawback to this poor man, who was a peaceable, well-conducted Irishman.</b>"<br />
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After struggled through his formative years in between his siblings, Michael married Bridget Walsh, another Irish immigrant from Thomastown in south-east Ireland, at the age of 19 in 1861. The couple would themselves have ten children, although life in those days was rarely easy...in 1863, they lost their first-born son William at 13 months old. This tragedy would replay itself twice more over the following fifteen years, with their second daughter Elizabeth passing away in 1873 just ten days shy of her third birthday, & their second youngest John slipping away due to complications in 1878 less than a week after his birth. Having soldiered through such terrible events, however, by 1885 Michael & Bridget had formulated a plan to ensure the continued well-being of their remaining seven children...& hence began their connection with the Edinburgh Castle Hotel. The premises, located alongside the Brisbane to Gympie Road (now simply known as Gympie Road), had been built in 1865 by a man named William Orr. However, the location of this establishment differed to the current site of the Hotel, having existed on the other side of the current Edinburgh Castle Road where the BP Service Station now exists. At that stage in history, Kedron lay on the absolute outskirts of Brisbane, with the Hotel being almost the last bastion of civilisation for many miles north on the route to Gympie.<br />
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Michael's Publican's Licence Notice (<i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, 4th April 1885)</div>
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Within their first year at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, life for Michael & Bridget was booming...business was solid, & they had expanded their holdings to include an omnibus service - an undertaking that would eclipse the revenue brought in from the Hotel. Their expansion into public transport in 1886 would see the first horse-drawn buses brought to the area, plying their trade between the centre of Brisbane & the outlying areas around Kedron. Robert Goodwin, Michael & Bridget's 22 year old son, would act as one of the business's head coach drivers...a position he would hold for over 6 years, amidst multiple summonses & fines for breaching the omnibus regulations as stipulated by the Council. For the purpose of this week's article, Robert played a major role in the drama, however that story is soon to come. Unfortunately, in 1893 Robert would become the victim of a tragic accident, falling from his horse whilst traversing floodwaters outside the Kedron Park Hotel...immediately after being dismounted, bystanders managed to cast a rope out to Robert, who clung on for dear life. In a sad twist of fate, whilst being pulled in, the rope parted in the middle & Robert was sucked into Kedron Brook beneath the flood surge, his body finally being recovered downstream a few days later.<br />
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However, business at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel continued unabated until April 1888, when Michael's Publican's Licence came up for renewal. At the meeting of the Licensing Board, his renewal was opposed on the grounds that, "<b>the premises having become dilapidated, were no longer fit to be licensed. After inspecting the plans of proposed improvements, the bench granted the application, subject to the completion of proper sanitary arrangements.</b>" However, Michael had grander plans for his establishment, as advertisements appeared in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i> a few weeks later calling for tenders in the construction of the new Edinburgh Castle Hotel - a new Hotel would be erected to the design of architects John Hall & Sons, alongside the original establishment on the grounds of the current Edinburgh Castle Hotel (Edinburgh Castle Road didn't exist at the time). According to Wikipedia, which always seems to be a highly dubious source at best, the new Edinburgh Castle Hotel <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kedron,_Queensland" target="_blank">was completed in 1892.</a> Unfortunately, a number of other sites on the internet blindly follow suite, however we know this simply was not the case...& we know purely for one reason, which is the basis for this week's article...but why??<br />
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Edinburgh Castle Tender (<i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, 27th April 1888)</div>
<br />
On the 28th of December 1889, a woman by the name of Wells entered the Edinburgh Castle Hotel well under the influence of alcohol...she'd previously been drinking at the Kedron Park Hotel all afternoon with her husband (William) Henry Wells, who had punched her in the face on the grounds that she would not leave him alone. Both were eventually evicted from the premises, & went their own ways...Mrs Wells had immediately travelled the two kilometres up the road to the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, arriving at around 5:30 in the afternoon. On arriving at the Edinburgh Castle, Bridget Goodwin ordered the woman out, who subsequently fell asleep on the back step of the Hotel. Her husband Henry, guessing the whereabouts of his wife, hailed down a spring-cart owned by Patrick Mackearn shortly after, & hitched a ride north to the Goodwin's establishment where he arrived at about 6:30pm. On finding his slumbering wife there, the couple re-entered the bar & ordered more beers. Half an hour later, however, Thomas & Margaret Ingram witnessed Henry strike his wife three more times in the Hotel's parlour, stating "<b>If you don't go out, I'll knock your head off.</b>" Thomas rose to his feet in defence of Mrs Wells, & Henry attacked him, the two men trading blows in the hallway of the Hotel. After Henry had been knocked to the floor, Mr & Mrs Ingram left the Hotel, not wanting to play any further part in the affair.<br />
<br />
Over the space of the night, however, a third party became involved - John Joseph O'Halloran. Whilst the testimonies put forth in both the Magistrate's & Supreme Court are sketchy at best with regard to detail, the insinuation exists that whilst Mr & Mrs Wells were brawling within the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, John O'Halloran provided Mrs Wells with a sympathetic ear. Of those who knew O'Halloran, he was a very peaceable, amicable young man, who even when drunk was highly tolerant & understanding. The Hotel closed at 10:30pm that night, & John O'Halloran purchased two bottles of beer to take home with him. On her final walk-around, Bridget found both Henry Wells & his wife standing outside & told them both to head home. Michael & Bridget locked the doors, cleaned up as necessary, & readied themselves for bed about midnight...when all hell broke loose. From the back of the hotel, loud cries of "police" & "murder" echoed, to which Michael immediately ran downstairs & out into the back yard - there he found John O'Halloran & Henry Wells with his wife. On Michael's appearance on the scene, Henry immediately insisted that John O'Halloran had beaten him, & insisted on Michael examining his face. Needless to say, Michael had likely dealt with similar behaviour before, & told the group to "clear off"...a sentiment that Bridget also broadcast at the top of her voice from the upper balcony of the Hotel!<br />
<br />
Afterwards, all was quiet alongside the Brisbane to Gympie Road...for a few hours. At about 2am in the morning, Robert Goodwin was roused from his sleep by a woman screaming, "<b>Get off, you are hurting me; Oh! Harry.</b>" Immediately afterwards, he heard repeated blows, coupled with a woman shouting, "<b>Don't kill him Harry!</b>" This was coupled with a man shouting, "<b>Yes, I will kill the bastard!</b>" Running to his parents' room, Robert woke his father Michael, & the pair moved into the yard of the Hotel to find the body of a man lying alongside their woodpile. The man was bleeding profusely from the head, had a wooden paling lying across his chest & not a soul could be seen in the vicinity. Robert immediately jumped on a horse & rode for Nundah, where he knew the Police were stationed, & Michael kept the crime scene clear for their arrival. Ultimately, the body alongside the Edinburgh Castle Hotel was identified as John O'Halloran - his clothing was handed to the Government Analyst Robert Mar, & his body underwent a thorough post mortem examination. The blood on the clothes, as best could be determined in 1890, was found to be mammalian, however the autopsy would be far more telling - Dr Tilston who performed the examination on the body found multiple contusions about the head & neck with blood exhuming from the right ear, nose & mouth. Further bruising on the cheek, jaw & mouth suggested that the victim had been struck many times about the head by a blunt object...most likely the lump of wood that was found lying on his chest.<br />
<br />
Henry Wells, having been arrested the next morning at Alexander Melrose's residence nearby, swore that he had acted in self defence - on being questioned about the murder, Wells stated, "<b>I know all about it, Sergeant; I did it, but I did it in self-defence.</b>" Harry would continue with this testimony throughout his extended trial. According to Harry's testimony, O'Halloran had forced himself on Mrs Wells, & when he had interjected, John O'Halloran had attacked him - even though this testimony would fly in the face of the evidence, which would show that O'Halloran had suffered his wounds from the wooden weapon whilst lying down. Ultimately, despite his best efforts to sway the Judge to believe he acted in self defence, & given the overwhelming testimony put forward by multiple witnesses regarding the Wells' activities that night, Henry Wells was found guilty of manslaughter...&however, this is where the case becomes somewhat bizarre...<br />
<br />
Despite witnesses testifying that Henry had punched his wife at least twice whilst at the Kedron Park Hotel, & further witness testimony that Henry had punched his wife at least three times whilst at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, all testimony was overlooked. So was the evidence that declared that John O'Halloran had received the first blow from a lump of wood whilst lying down on the ground, clear indication that he posed no threat to Henry Wells before he struck the victim numerous times about the head & neck...despite Wells' feeble testimony that he had been acting in self defence. At the end of the Supreme Court trial, & at the request of the Jury who recommended mercy be shown in sentencing, William Henry Wells was sentenced to three months for his crime. This request for mercy on behalf of the defendant was based on the notion that he had been provoked whilst under the influence of liquor. As a result, having already served three months in remand during the trial process, Henry Wells was released as a free man, after having assaulted his wife & murdered another man in cold blood. Unfortunately for Michael Goodwin, the trial's conclusion coincided with Publican's Licence renewals...according to an article in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i> on the 3rd of April 1890, the head of the Licensing Board, Mr Pinnock, spoke merely from his own impressions whereby "<b>in accepting the jury's rider, </b>[he] <b>considered at least that the jury must have sufficient grounds to justify them in arriving at that decision.</b>" As a result of the trial & Henry Wells' virtual acquittal, Michael's license was almost cancelled...almost...<br />
<br />
Their business having barely survived the murder that took place in the back yard of their Hotel, the Goodwins finally managed to continue on in both the liquor & public transportation trade. Sadly, fifteen months later in 1891, Michael would pass away from Cirrhosis, as would his wife Bridget fifteen years later in 1906 - both husband & wife breathed their last breaths within the Hotel they'd toiled for so many years amidst triumph & tragedy. The story of the Downfall Creek Murder, the Edinburgh Castle Hotel & the Goodwins holds a special place in my heart - Michael & Bridget Goodwin were my great great grandparents.<br />
<br />
So...do Michael & Bridget Goodwin still visit the Hotel they built, & does John O'Halloran still linger around the BWS Drive-thru built on the land behind the Edinburgh Castle Hotel where he was brutally murdered so many years ago?? To be completely honest, I have no idea...that's a question for the current owners to answer...Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-25903087848278863842012-08-19T05:22:00.004-07:002012-08-19T05:22:59.368-07:00Sundays at the Normanby: Another beer, perhaps, or should we just move on to spirits?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVmrYYyKaeJD5jwPrfIdDPuVo3mpcGXKn2xyTVYACEhBr6EcNRQB8nu6mU_n-IsZ_Zos-HAh3yEuILCABH84GoquezyWdtOj41dqFZ2D83rO0dP3Nl6RZcdWwYbhtVNIURMe5f4psd-k/s1600/Normanby+Hotel+1890.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVmrYYyKaeJD5jwPrfIdDPuVo3mpcGXKn2xyTVYACEhBr6EcNRQB8nu6mU_n-IsZ_Zos-HAh3yEuILCABH84GoquezyWdtOj41dqFZ2D83rO0dP3Nl6RZcdWwYbhtVNIURMe5f4psd-k/s400/Normanby+Hotel+1890.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Architectural sketch of the new Normanby Hotel, c1890.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(State Library of Qld)</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>F</b></span>or
many who live in Brisbane, meeting friends for a lazy Sunday session at
the Normanby Hotel is an absolute institution. I've spent many Sunday
afternoons sitting beneath the amazing Moreton Bay Fig in the beer
garden, enjoying a beer whilst listening to a local band play below.
However, whilst the present Normanby Hotel is considered the "place to
be" over the weekend, its current sharp & stylish internal
appearance only dates back just over a decade ago - prior to the major
renovations carried out around 1999-2000, the venue had a very different
layout. Throughout the later years of the 1990's, when I was first
introduced to the Normanby, the main bar & rooms accessed off
Musgrave Road were dark & heavily dated, & the area downstairs
where the <i>Bovine Restaurant</i> now exists was nothing but a dingy,
musty exposed-brick room, that conjured images in one's mind of being
trapped inside the catacombs of Europe.<br />
<br />
It was during
this time, around 1997, that I was first introduced to the ghosts that
allegedly call the Normanby Hotel home - over a decade before the advent
of "Jack" Sim's now-defunct <a href="http://www.ghost-tours.com.au/Pages/tour_haunted_pub_tour_details.htm" target="_blank">pub-crawl tours</a>
through the venue. Stories were told of a male figure that inhabited a
room just off to the side of the main bar on Musgrave Road, now a
brightly lit arena complete with pool table & TV screens...accounts
were passed back & forward between the Hotel's staff & the
handful of regulars that frequented the quiet venue, sharing experiences
of the time they'd spied the silhouette of a gent moving about the
Hotel's main level. However, according to Normanby folklore, the real
paranormal activity took place downstairs, in the brick-lined catacombs
beneath the building. Multiple stories existed of people seeing bizarre
balls of light weaving between the brick pillars throughout the room,
of strange mists that would appear & disappear & of massive
drops in temperature for no apparent reason. So rampant were the
rumours, that I participated in a documentary about the paranormal that
was shot, in part, in the downstairs room at the Normanby Hotel in 1998 -
needless to say, it was an interesting experience! Unfortunately,
however, the Hotel was closed shortly after due to safety concerns about
its structural integrity - after part of the beer garden was resumed to
widen Kelvin Grove Road, & the Hotel underwent a massive renovation
project, it was reopened with the downstairs area transformed into a
dining room which has now become <i>Bovine Restaurant</i>.<br />
<br />
So...what
do we know about the Normanby Hotel's history that could have possibly
given rise to such an active ghostly environment?? Well...the Normanby
has had a couple of guises dating all the way back to 1872, when the
area on which it stands was nothing more than scrub overlooking the
growing town of Brisbane. Constructed by Matthew & Elizabeth
(Sophia) Burton, on land they had owned since 1865, the original
Normanby Hotel was nothing more than a two-storey, shingle-roofed wooden
dwelling fronting Kelvin Grove Road. In its early years, given its
isolation from the main hub of Brisbane, the main customers were
timber-carters...there is no doubt, however, that the Burtons hoped
that Brisbane's expansion towards current-day Paddington would expand
the Hotel's trade. Unfortunately for the Burton's plans, however, fate
intervened - on the 29th of August 1873, within the original Normanby
Hotel, Matthew Burton passed away at the age of 46, leaving his wife to
take care of the Hotel's affairs. Elizabeth would do so on & off
for a number of years, in between holding the licence for the venue.
Unfortunately, during this time, Elizabeth would lose another member of
her family within the Hotel's confines - her sixteen year old daughter
Sarah, on the 30th of January 1879. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcBa4OQldpiGwezfhOrhyphenhyphen-dbqD0FaM3ov3GS9JyGWLohEO88Q5PaCyeT_LWo7svqZdKLt5Mhhc_4I709qZHPG0Prt29ZhOd-Jz8DooPQt4_l1_mNy4JCEeiPf4qpHakwWlTFOehQtI5M/s1600/Matthew+Burton+1873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcBa4OQldpiGwezfhOrhyphenhyphen-dbqD0FaM3ov3GS9JyGWLohEO88Q5PaCyeT_LWo7svqZdKLt5Mhhc_4I709qZHPG0Prt29ZhOd-Jz8DooPQt4_l1_mNy4JCEeiPf4qpHakwWlTFOehQtI5M/s400/Matthew+Burton+1873.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The first death at the Normanby Hotel was the owner, Matthew Burton.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, 2nd of September 1873)</div>
<br />
Just
over a year later, & shortly before the licence of the Hotel was
transferred to Elizabeth's soon-to-be son-in-law William Valentine, a
third soul would be lost within the Hotel - a 26 year old omnibus driver
(the term "omnibus" was used for a horse-drawn carriage, which acted in
similar fashion to a taxi or council bus in current-day Brisbane). On
the 24th of April 1880, George Pearson passed away unexpectedly in his
room at the Normanby Hotel, due to consumption, with which he had been
struggling for some time - at the time, the term "consumption" was used
when a patient was suffering from tuberculosis, an infectious disease
that attacks the lungs & in many cases causes death. One can only
imagine that during the night, given the advanced stage of George's
disease, he coughed & coughed, bringing up wads of blood from his
lungs, before finally succumbing to his ailment...an horrific &
likely horrifying way to spend your last minutes on the mortal coil.
Fortunately for the original Normanby Hotel, George's tragic death
appears to be the last. By 1889, the licensee William Valentine was
working on a new plan, which would see the destruction of the wooden
structure he'd inherited, & the construction of a masonry Hotel that
would far exceed its predecessor in size & prestige.<br />
<br />
In 1889, tenders were taken for the design &
construction of the new Normanby Hotel...Architect John Nicholson was
chosen to design the new building (as per the sketch at the top of our
article), & the new Hotel was constructed throughout 1890.
According to <i>The Brisbane Courier </i>on the 2nd of December 1890, "<b>The
new Normanby Hotel, erected by Mr. Valentine, was formally opened last
night. In one of the large dining-rooms, some fifty gentlemen sat down
to an excellent supper.</b>" The opening of this new building was a
sight to behold, inspiring every visitor that passed beneath its new
Queen Anne styled facade at the end of Petrie Terrace...William
Valentine, having instigated the reconstruction, would have been proud
of his new venue...you'd think? However, just over three months later,
William Valentine transferred the licence of the new Hotel to his
mother-in-law Elizabeth Burton, & the Burton's control of the site
once again continued. Two years later, virtually to the day on the 8th
of April 1893, the Normanby Hotel would again play host to another
death.<br />
<br />
On that fateful night, a man named Patrick Foley
approached an acquaintance by the name of Patrick Ryan, over a debt of
15 schillings. On demanding the debt to be paid, Ryan called Foley a
liar & denied any debt, & the fight was on - Foley punched Ryan
in the face & dropped him to the floor, however Ryan was fast to his
feet. Grasping a tumbler from the bar, Ryan launched the glass at
Foley in retaliation, an action that would see him punched to the floor
again on the end of Foley's fist. After being helped up by Elizabeth
Burton's son William, Patrick Ryan was dragged to the door in an
insensible state, bleeding from the head, nose & mouth. After being
escorted to his home nearby on Petrie Terrace, by the wife of his
attacker, Ryan was put straight to bed under the supervision of his
wife. The next morning, however, Patrick seemed even worse for wear,
& his wife gave him a snifter of brandy in the hope it would bring
him around...it failed to do the trick. Languishing through a second
night, Patrick died in his bed within view of the Normanby Hotel, where
he'd been attacked only two nights beforehand - the cause of death was
attributed to a fractured skull & blood clot on the brain. As a
result, Patrick Foley was brought before the Court & was charged
with manslaughter...an indictment for which he would serve prison time.<br />
<br />
The
new Normanby Hotel would stand for a further 8 years before it would
claim its next soul - that of its matriarch. On the 3rd of February
1901, Elizabeth Sophia Burton passed away, within the new Normanby Hotel
on the same site where she had lost both her husband Matthew &
teenage daughter Sarah. After Elizabeth's death, the Hotel passed into
the hands of her three sons, John, Francis & Richard Burton. The
trio would manage the hotel for a further five years without loss of
life until the 23rd of December 1906. On that morning, Francis (Frank) Burton approached Constable John Donohue on Musgrave Road near the Hotel at 5:30am, to report that a man was lying at the base of the steps in front the building. As it would play out at the subsequent Inquest, it was discovered that John Hall, the hapless victim, had been drinking at the Hotel on the night of the 22nd of December, & had taken a nasty fall down the Hotel's back stairs whilst worse-the-wear for liquor. Frank Burton found the hapless Hall, bathed his bleeding head & put him to bed in the Hotel to sleep off the alcohol in anticipation of the next morning, at which time he could be sent on his way. Unfortunately, it seemed that John Hall had other plans, & had attempted to leave the Hotel via the front door a few hours later, tumbling down the steps out alongside Musgrave Road. An ambulance was called for, strangely after the Police's attention had been raised to Hall's predicament (& not before), & John was transported to his house in Hale Street...another bizarre decision. On being attended to by a doctor, Hall's condition was considered serious, & he was then transported to the General Hospital where he died soon after from fracture of the skull & cerebral haemorrhage.<br />
<br />
The next death at the Hotel would come shortly after on the 25th of March 1909. On that specific Thursday morning,
an elderly man named Charles George Skinner, who lived in nearby Red
Hill, was tending to his duties at the Hotel. Whilst carrying out his
daily tasks, Charles walked behind a horse in the Hotel's yard...only
Charles knows exactly what happened next, however the historic record
tells us that for reasons unknown the horse lashed out & kicked
Charles to the ground with severe consequences. The poor gent was
immediately rushed to the General Hospital (now the Royal Brisbane
Hospital) just down the road, where doctors attempted to treat his
serious injuries...unfortunately for Charles, there was little that the
Hospital staff could do & he slipped away at 4am the next morning.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScCWuXpnr759MIXUNmLsB2RNnTMovpU6DMbPiKu96OzbXEHWYyx3mnYtjyYO-FbOgG0FtoRxHdavM2TMHxcdo5IKHtz8-A-5Q7DHfyp53Y3cXXQSyxyixGnAJKGSwnYuSnB0Mw-gDRqg/s1600/Skinner+1909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScCWuXpnr759MIXUNmLsB2RNnTMovpU6DMbPiKu96OzbXEHWYyx3mnYtjyYO-FbOgG0FtoRxHdavM2TMHxcdo5IKHtz8-A-5Q7DHfyp53Y3cXXQSyxyixGnAJKGSwnYuSnB0Mw-gDRqg/s400/Skinner+1909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Seven
more years would pass until the 1st of April 1916 - April Fool's Day of
all days. On opening the Hotel for the day's trade early in the
morning, an horrific discovery was made on the ground alongside the
Hotel. At some stage during the night, Alfred William Comyn, who had
been staying at the Hotel whilst visiting his brother, fell through the
window of his room & plummeted nearly ten metres to the ground
below. When he was discovered, poor Alfred had been dead for some
hours, & it was reported that he had suffered horrendous injuries to
his head & had badly fractured both legs - it was supposed that
death would have come fairly swiftly, & the man in his seventies
would not have suffered long. Alfred's death is interesting from an historic viewpoint, with regard to the brother he was visiting - Dr George Comyn. Dr Comyn was a highly regarded surgeon who had worked in a number of hospitals stretching as far west as the Darling Downs & as far north as Ravenswood. He lived with his wife in a house at Red Hill, aptly named <i>Woodstock</i> after the town in County Galway in Ireland from which their father originally hailed.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, three more decades would pass before the Hotel would again see another death within its walls. At about midday on the 13th of February 1947, 55 year old Thomas Cranney was enjoying a drink at the Normanby. Out of the blue, & to the complete shock of the Hotel staff, Thomas keeled over in the bar & collapsed to the floor. The ambulance was called for immediately, & Thomas was taken from the building & loaded into the vehicle for transportation to the General Hospital just up the road...unfortunately, Thomas would not survive the short journey, passing away before the hospital was reached. And thus, prior to our self-imposed cut-off of 1950, Thomas's death will be the last we'll examine in conjunction with the Normanby Hotel. So...of the nine deaths we've located at the Normanby up until 1950, could any one, or a combination of many, have given rise to the unexplained phenomena that take place at the venue?? Interestingly, there's one more story...<br />
<br />
Over the weekend, I was contacted by a fan of the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b>, who wanted to share an experience she'd had at the Normanby Hotel a few years ago. Whilst attending a birthday party at the Hotel, in the crowded beer garden at the back of the venue, she happened to look up towards the building itself & spied a lady dressed in 1800's-style attire peering out over the crowd...apparently, the mystery woman didn't appear too pleased, & our witness not only had the impression that maybe the woman's unimpressed countenance was due to the number of people milling about in the Hotel's lower area, but was also highly surprised to witness something of the sort whilst so many people were present. With that said, could this possibly have been the Normanby's matriarch Elizabeth Sophia Burton, looking out over what her precious Hotel has become in modern days?? Obviously, we can only ever speculate...however, it's a pleasant thought, isn't it?<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-72152893101225101312012-08-12T02:11:00.004-07:002022-11-17T01:26:13.769-08:00Wellington Point's Whepstead House: Where the ghost stories are plentiful, & so are the inaccuracies...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUhamqObv0henQWKM9YjI-wP8FZq60UZ-yKtTq-xIuN55iftPAkaJn18EWlwRgLUB4GXnXUbJNfJEDoFvtv4nvil1E60Lzd_AkVaf29WtWAvjeRxMWODHa05JAxzscpjzaQe4gwky2Zw/s1600/Whepstead+1909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUhamqObv0henQWKM9YjI-wP8FZq60UZ-yKtTq-xIuN55iftPAkaJn18EWlwRgLUB4GXnXUbJNfJEDoFvtv4nvil1E60Lzd_AkVaf29WtWAvjeRxMWODHa05JAxzscpjzaQe4gwky2Zw/s400/Whepstead+1909.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whepstead House, c. 1909 (John Oxley Library)</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span></b>n Tuesday night this week, I posted a link on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Haunts-of-Brisbane/275966655755127" target="_blank">our Facebook page</a> leading to an international website showcasing the alleged "<a href="http://www.funzug.com/index.php/crazy-pictures/top-8-scariest-houses-on-earth.html" target="_blank">Top 8 Scariest Houses on Earth.</a>"
When
I stumbled across the link, I was shocked to find that Whepstead House (or "Whepstead Manor" as it's become recently known, due to its days as a restaurant),
an imposing villa at Wellington
Point on Moreton Bay, had been listed in second place right behind the
Amityville House in Long Island, New York...and was even more shocked
to discover that the photo
used for the spiel on Whepstead House was not Whepstead House at all -
it was, in fact, a photo
of one of the cell blocks within the still surviving Number 2 Division
of Boggo Road Gaol! Inspired by this highly embarrassing photo error, I
announced on Tuesday night that we'd be
examining Whepstead House as this week's feature site, including a
critical analysis of the multiple ridiculous ghost stories that are consistently regurgitated about this venue. Imagine my surprise when, the very next night, an outfit going by the name of <i>Paranormal Paratek Queensland</i>,<i> </i>published an article on a brand new blog site, entitled, "<a href="http://paranormal-paratek.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/whepstead-manor-ups-and-downs-of.html?spref=fb" target="_blank"><b>Whepstead Manor - The Ups and Downs of a Historic Haunted Home.</b></a>"<br />
<br />
In what was clearly an underhanded attempt to earn some notoriety and beat the <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i> to the punch, this group stole our topic for the week and very hastily slapped together a competing article. Even more disappointingly, they did so by simply
"cutting-&-pasting" large chunks of information <u>from two other
websites</u>, with a few minor tweaks to the wording - a very poor
reflection on a group that outwardly claims to "extensively
research" the history of sites they investigate. The first <span class="st">⅔ of their article is plagiarised virtually word for word from the <i>Wellington Point history PDF</i>, a 16 page history document that can be downloaded for free on the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110301222107/http://www.redland.qld.gov.au/AboutRedlands/History/OurSuburbs/Pages/Wellington-Point.aspx" target="_blank">Redland City Council website</a>. The last </span><span class="st">⅓
of their article focusing on the ghosts of Whepstead House is also
plagiarised, virtually word for word, from the "Whepstead Manor" listing
on <a href="http://www.theparanormalguide.net/apps/forums/topics/show/7660530" target="_blank"><i>The Paranormal Guide</i> website</a>. In doing so, however, </span>we actually owe <i>Paranormal Paratek Queensland</i>
a huge debt of gratitude...just like the vast bulk of paranormal websites on
the internet, they've once again blindly regurgitated the very <span class="st">ghost stories we were intending to set straight in our article this
week!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st"><b>And just for the record, we're certain that <i>Paranormal Paratek Queensland</i> blatantly stole the topic from us, and it was not a simple case of coincidence, due to one overarching and very glaring error in their article</b>
- they were quick enough to read my comment on our facebook page on
Tuesday night, stating we'd be tackling Whepstead House this week, and they were quick enough to click on the link for the "<a href="http://www.funzug.com/index.php/crazy-pictures/top-8-scariest-houses-on-earth.html" target="_blank">Top 8 Scariest Houses on Earth.</a>"
Unfortunately for their credibility, however, they
weren't quick enough to read the rest of our post that night, clearly
pointing out that the photo in the "Top 8" link was actually a picture
of a Boggo Road Gaol cell block, and <u>not Whepstead House</u>...which they</span><span class="st"> blindly proceeded to use in their article the next night as a photo of Whepstead House - very, very amateur stuff!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st"></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lIQm-fHwvBP3TQZSkr7OSz7tWzJYu5cH_tTmmu-xWVCC3zPyWVqsfcbvupmFWRYRQSlE06G3RODnb7dqLzz9qH_-AQk7NRuT_Oz1tbBQjHmD8AqpVxO9uCmFUrF-rB_5hvBg2bg_Njg/s1600/Paratek+-+Whepstead.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lIQm-fHwvBP3TQZSkr7OSz7tWzJYu5cH_tTmmu-xWVCC3zPyWVqsfcbvupmFWRYRQSlE06G3RODnb7dqLzz9qH_-AQk7NRuT_Oz1tbBQjHmD8AqpVxO9uCmFUrF-rB_5hvBg2bg_Njg/s400/Paratek+-+Whepstead.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="st"><i>Paranormal Paratek Queensland's</i> article about Whepstead, complete</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="st">with the incorrect photo of a Boggo Road Gaol cell block attached. </span></div>
<br />
So, "amateur hour" aside, let's tackle Whepstead House head-on and get to the bottom of those rampant ghost stories!<br />
<br />
Apart from a long list of alleged supernatural events (<span class="fw_sanitized">candles lit by unseen persons, appearing/disappearing stains on the carpet, objects being thrown across rooms, people having their hair pulled, cutlery being rearranged on tables etc), which can be found on any number of paranormal websites across the globe, let's focus purely on the supposed identities of the ghosts that apparently haunt Whepstead House. Paranormal websites, including our recent acquaintances at <i>Paranormal Paratek Queensland</i>, claim that the site is home to four distinct spirits:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span class="fw_sanitized"></span><span class="fw_sanitized">The ghost of Gilbert Burnett's wife, Martha Ann Burnett -
it's said that her passage through the building can be detected by the
smell of lavender perfume, which she wore in life, and by brief
glimpses of a face in the upstairs windows.</span></li>
<li><span class="fw_sanitized">The ghost of Gilbert Burnett's daughter, who vanished without a trace. This story has specific variants where the daughter either disappeared on the mudflats during a walk, fell through an upper window to her death, or plummeted from the upper balcony with fatal consequences.</span></li>
<li><span class="fw_sanitized">The ghost of Gilbert Burnett's son, who was afflicted with a "wilted" leg - according to legend, the ghost of this young lad is regularly seen peering through the banisters on the central staircase.</span></li>
<li><span class="fw_sanitized">The ghost of an elderly man, who is alleged to be a servant, is seen randomly about the house dressed in a bowler hat and "butler's uniform." Alternate versions have an apparition of a man appearing in the attic, or reflected in various mirrors throughout the house.</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="fw_sanitized">Before we go any further, we first need to take a few major factors into account</span>. Gilbert Burnett had two very distinct families - he fathered ten children to his first wife Martha, between 1870 and 1885. After Martha's death in 1896, Gilbert remarried in 1903 to Ellen Thompson - as a result of this second marriage, he bore a further five children between 1905 and about 1918. Of these two marriages and families, however, it was during Gilbert's first marriage with Martha that he lived at Whepstead House. Furthermore, and most importantly, the Burnett family resided in Whepstead House <u>for only two short years</u> - from its completion in 1889, until Gilbert Burnett was declared insolvent in 1891 and the family were forced to move. Keeping these essential details in mind, let's now examine the four ghosts of Whepstead House!<br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The ghost of Martha Ann Burnett</b></span></u><br />
<br />
It's said that Martha Ann Burnett's ghost haunts Whepstead House, however let's examine the facts: Martha gave birth to all ten of her children prior to moving into Whepstead House in 1889 (her youngest was four years old at the time); she spent two short years with her family at Whepstead before being evicted in 1891; her husband Gilbert constructed another house nearby (Fernbourne) in which she lived with her family for a further five years before her death in 1896; she passed away in her daughter's house at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane, "<b>after a short and painless illness.</b>" Having lived in a happy family home at Fernbourne for five years before passing away in her daughter's house at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane, can we really contribute the "hint of lavender" at Whepstead House to Martha's ghost?? Furthermore, given that Martha passed away in 1896 (116 years ago), who exactly remembers her wearing "lavender perfume" and has attributed the smell to Martha specifically in recent years?!? Given that Whepstead House has acted as a restaurant-come-wedding reception venue for at least the last 15 years, is it beyond the realm of possibility that the smell of lavender might just come from scented candles or potpourri as a result?? At the risk of sounding overly sceptical, the likelihood of Martha Burnett haunting this site is highly dubious at best.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7GQMU1R3yUJfiKJxk02dveAJJJ6hyoKOoW7yXyvCRCuqV1svwGpHKw1E8KpCss3eVz7yt-Lp0N90LORCwXnCXbKUM5C-K2PuSzLp1iJi_vOW54mkXxd9c5yeCrR7ZT2g-99BMkGm0Ck/s1600/Martha+Burnett+1896.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7GQMU1R3yUJfiKJxk02dveAJJJ6hyoKOoW7yXyvCRCuqV1svwGpHKw1E8KpCss3eVz7yt-Lp0N90LORCwXnCXbKUM5C-K2PuSzLp1iJi_vOW54mkXxd9c5yeCrR7ZT2g-99BMkGm0Ck/s400/Martha+Burnett+1896.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Martha's Death Notice, published in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
on the 9th of October 1896.</div>
<br />
<u><b>The ghost of Gilbert Burnett's vanishing daughter</b></u><br />
<br />
Of Gilbert and Martha's ten children that lived at Whepstead House between 1889-1891, three were daughters - at the time they moved into the house, Alice Maud Burnett was 11, Edith Helena Burnett was 14 and Matilda Martha Burnett was 17. However, contrary to the legends, not a single one disappeared without a trace...nor did any fall from an upstairs window, or plummet from the upper balcony. All three daughters left Whepstead House in 1891 with their parents, lived at their subsequent home Fernbourne for a number of years, and then moved out into the world to pursue their adult lives...as such, any insinuation that one of Gilbert Burnett's daughters vanished without a trace at Whepstead, and still haunts the property, is completely and utterly bogus. For clarity's sake, the historical record provides the following information about Gilbert and Martha's daughters:<br />
<ul>
<li>Matilda Martha Burnett, born on the 8th of October 1872, passed away at the age of 32 on the 8th of June 1905, at her sister's house in Manly (Queensland).</li>
<li>Edith Helena Burnett, born on the 18th of June 1875, passed away at the age of 33 on the 18th of December 1908, at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Brisbane.</li>
<li>Alice Maud Burnett, born on the 24th of November 1878, passed away at the age of 82 on the 19th of February 1961, within the borders of Brisbane.</li>
</ul>
As a very interesting aside, Edith Helena Burnett married Frederick Charles Barnes on the 26th of June 1895. Upon her death on the 8th of June 1905, virtually 10 years to the day that she'd been married, her husband Frederick was left to care for their four children. On the 19th of March 1910, almost five years later, Edith's youngest sister Alice married Frederick and became an Aunty-come-stepmother to Edith's children...the couple went on to parent a number of their own children, who essentially became cousins to their step-siblings.<br />
<br />
<u><b>The ghost of Gilbert Burnett's crippled son</b></u><br />
<br />
Of Gilbert and Martha's ten children that lived at Whepstead House
between 1889-1891, seven were sons - at the time they moved into
the house, Herbert Dawson Burnett was 19, Percival Francis Burnett was 18, Walter Woodward Burnett was 16, Egerton Gilbert Burnett was 12, Albert Ernest Burnett was 8 and Norman Victor Burnett was 6. However, contrary to the legends, not a
single one of the Burnett's sons appears to have suffered from a "wilted" leg...six of the seven sons went on to own properties where they worked as either dairymen, stockmen or farmers, whilst the odd son out became a warehouseman and travelling salesman. We know this due to the historical record, and any insinuation that one of Gilbert Burnett's sons haunts the building, who was afflicted with a "withered" leg, is nothing more than candy for the gullible. For clarity's sake, the historical record provides the following information about Gilbert and Martha's sons:<br />
<ul>
<li>Herbert Dawson Burnett, born on the 23rd of January 1870, passed away at the age of 85 on the 3rd of June 1954, at Colinton west of Kingaroy - throughout his life, he had managed Lahey Bros. Sawmill at Christmas Creek, had farmed near Beaudesert and managed his property at Colinton for a further 47 years.</li>
<li>Percival Francis Burnett, born on the 4th of September 1871, passed away at the age of 81 on the 20th of October 1951, at Camp Hill in Brisbane - during his life he had been a dairy farmer at Christmas Creek for some years.</li>
<li>Walter Woodward Burnett, born on the 15th of November 1873, passed away at the age of 79 on the 13th of March 1953, at Rathdowney south of Beaudesert - throughout many of his years, he worked a farm in the area.</li>
<li>Egerton Gilbert Burnett, born on the 25th of February 1877, passed away at the age of 85 on the 8th of December 1961, at Rathdowney - during his life, he worked properties at both Collinsville south of Bowen, and also at Rathdowney.</li>
<li>Albert Ernest Burnett, born on the 9th of April 1881, passed away at the age of 67 on the 26th of January 1948, outside Clermont - throughout his life, he had worked properties in Cleveland, Beaudesert and Clermont. </li>
<li>Norman Victor Burnett, born on the 23rd of April 1883, passed away at the age of 79 on the 19th of March 1963, at Beaudesert - for his entire adult life, he had been a dairy farmer in the area.</li>
<li>Harold Edward Burnett, born on the 16th of April 1885, passed away at the age of 64 on the 24th of August 1948, at Wooloowin in Brisbane - he had lived most of his life in Brisbane as a Warehouseman and Travelling Salesman.</li>
</ul>
As a very interesting aside, Percival Burnett (Percy) was present on the Dunwich Jetty on Stradbroke Island, when a large shark was hauled ashore on the 5th of January 1906. After walking from the jetty to the beach, where the three metre beast had been dragged up, he noticed that the belly of the shark was bulging. Taking a knife and cutting the fish open, he was shocked to find "<b>a human skull, with some brown hair attached to the crown; also the lower jaw, some teeth, a hand, and some bones.</b>" Through a subsequent Magisterial Inquiry, Percy Burnett was called on to give evidence, as the remains were believed to be those of a boy named William Fielding, who had vanished from the Redland Bay area some days previously.<br />
<br />
<u><b>The ghost of the bowler-hatted butler</b></u><br />
<br />
I must admit, knowing that two of the ghost stories about Whepstead House are completely and utterly bogus, and one is highly unlikely, this specific ghost story intrigues me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I'm intrigued by the concept of a servant/butler that wears a bowler hat in a house. When I was a child, only 25 years ago, I was scolded if I wore a hat indoors - to do so was considered bad manners! So...imagine the fall-out upon wearing a hat indoors 100 years ago as a guest?? I could only imagine, if you'd had the impertinence to do so, that you'd be cast outside in a heartbeat for contravening proper etiquette...but what if you were a servant/butler, who, of all people, was expected to uphold the highest levels of grace and etiquette at all times?? I can't imagine a servant/butler wearing a bowler hat either indoors or outdoors...but...what if the apparition seen within Whepstead House is nothing more than a smartly dressed man, in a suit and hat?? Could this one elderly gentleman in suit and hat harp from a different time in the site's history? Walk this way...<br />
<br />
<b><u>"Bay View" Private Hospital</u></b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcn9eeRMlS2l8vz1f5gPQJjzjy_3-6lowEfiC865tVQ5n9PlLSYC6JtuyaN0VQDgZ8WsBjxiTHS8_cViFc-evfSXSnCUNlNbRMx0M3xpbBeDuAWk51TNeWvamErXtRI5p0v5gnzHJlcE/s1600/Bay+View+1939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcn9eeRMlS2l8vz1f5gPQJjzjy_3-6lowEfiC865tVQ5n9PlLSYC6JtuyaN0VQDgZ8WsBjxiTHS8_cViFc-evfSXSnCUNlNbRMx0M3xpbBeDuAWk51TNeWvamErXtRI5p0v5gnzHJlcE/s400/Bay+View+1939.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
An advert for Bay View Hospital published in <i>The Courier Mail</i>, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
on the 9th of December 1939.</div>
<br />
At some time in 1937, and the exact date is still unknown amongst historians, Whepstead House was converted into a private hospital. Around that year, Ethel Dolley, a nurse who had managed two other private hospitals around South-east Queensland (the Bungalow Private Hospital in Nambour and the Bayview Private Hospital in Cleveland), moved her operation into Whepstead House - which from 1937 onwards became known as the Bay View Private Hospital...named after Ethel Dolley's previous hospital up the road in Cleveland. Predominantly a hospital for the treatment of Neurasthenia, or "nervous exhaustion," this new Private Hospital also accommodated the convalescent, infirm, aged, sufferers of chronic illnesses, and expectant mothers - a number of local children were born within the the confines of Whepstead House. However, whilst the house was a venue for the birth of many, it also possessed a sadder reputation - during the site's life as a Private Hospital, it was also the venue where many people spent their final minutes. The following is a verified list of those unfortunates who passed away at Whepstead House come Bay View Private Hospital:<br />
<br />
<b>Elizabeth Murray </b>(died 14th May 1838), <b>Thomas Denham</b> (died 16th June 1938), <b>Edward Smallman</b> (died 10th June 1940), <b>Henry King</b> (died 24th June 1941), <b>Mary Lillias Deane</b> (died 27th August 1941), <b>Thirza Emma Redgewell</b> (died 24th March 1942), <b>Joshua Henry Petty</b> (died 23rd September 1943),<b> Jessie Harriet Maclean</b> (died 27th October 1943), <b>Rowena Harp Moller </b>(died 23rd January 1946), <b>Lilian Margaret Stephens</b> (died 5th March 1946), <b>Mary Rose Pennefather</b> (died 28th July 1946), <b>Alice Felicia Fitchew</b> (died 12th October 1946), <b>Frances Edith Bolton</b> (died 16th February 1947), <b>Geraldine Cecilia Anderton</b> (died 9th March 1947), <b>Peter Marks </b>(died 6th July 1848), & <b>Anne Marie Townsend Wren</b> (died 22nd November 1953). <br />
<br />
Keep in mind that this list is by no means comprehensive - the above sixteen deaths occurred within the confines of the house between 1937 and 1954 ("Bay View" Private Hospital ran for a further 19 years until about 1973 as a Convalescent Home), and was collated purely through Death Notices and Will Probate Notices within the local newspapers. It is highly probable, if the records of "Bay View" could be accessed, that this number could possibly be doubled and sit in the vicinity of 40 deaths within the house between the years of 1937 and 1973. So...knowing what we do, and choosing to accept eyewitness accounts of bizarre occurrences at Whepstead House, is it beyond the realm of possibility that the spirits of some of those who died within its walls still walk the halls through which they passed in their final days?? <br />
<br />
From an historical perspective, two of the names on this list immediately jump out, however. Mary Lillias Deane, who passed away in 1941, was the widow of <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/deane-henry-5931" target="_blank">Henry Deane</a> - a nationally renowned railway engineer who worked as engineer-in-chief on the Trans-Australian Railway from Kalgoorlie to Port Augusta (amongst other major rail projects), was commissioned Colonel in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps during WWI, and was a highly accomplished botanist, which he achieved in his spare time. Some years after Henry's death in Malvern, Victoria, on the 12th of March 1924, Mary moved north via Hornsby in Sydney, before seeing out her final days at the "Bay View" Private Hospital. The second name that springs from the list is Mary Rose Pennefather, the widow of Captain Charles Edward de Fonblaque Penneather - esteemed Naval Commander who explored the Gulf of Carpenteria and named the Pennefather River, Superintendent of the St Helena Island Penal Establishment through the late 1880's and early 1890's, and Comptroller General of Prisons in Queensland for a number of years...during his life, Captain Pennefather visited, and oversaw, many of the since closed penal institutions throughout Queensland that we now consider haunted locations - including Boggo Road Gaol.<br />
<br />
So...there we have it! Whepstead House is an amazing site with an incredibly vibrant history, having served multiple purposes over the years for the betterment of Southeast Queensland. However, the perpetuation of completely fictitious stories regarding ghostly identities at the site, in complete contradiction to the historical record, does nothing more than cheapen the amazing history to which this building lays claim. Multiple paranormal sites across the internet continue to advertise this faux-history regarding the supposed ghosts of Gilbert & Martha Burnett's children, as we've most recently seen via <i>Paranormal Paratek Queensland's</i> attempt at a "factual" article four days ago, however I hope that we've now gone some way towards shedding light on these rumours. It still strikes me as odd that so many fictitious stories circulate about this house and the apparent identities of the ghosts that reside within...yet not one person has ever researched or mentioned the fact that well in excess of a dozen people passed away at the site whilst it was a private hospital. So, next time someone raises the topic of Whepstead House in conversation, or you pass by the venue, be sure to speak up and set the record straight whilst sparing a thought for the sixteen (or many more) people who expelled their final breaths within Whepstead House's walls...and possibly still call the venue home!<br />
<ul>
</ul>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-22441173276461203482012-08-06T05:34:00.001-07:002012-08-06T08:08:40.929-07:00The Royal (James): Harrisville's Haunted Hotel...but why?!?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclcMPH-KULnS3BtoghH9RQw26U9tlTmPQgE8nvR7X02pL_nboEA06MBSBofDb3-DqpQQYPGxVXZt5bzzhJQpb8_e4K4QDBGNR2-UUZA4RnGhIkZ1h8nqI5MtzRcXM6v3Az66oT90NRic/s1600/Royal+James+Hotel+current.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclcMPH-KULnS3BtoghH9RQw26U9tlTmPQgE8nvR7X02pL_nboEA06MBSBofDb3-DqpQQYPGxVXZt5bzzhJQpb8_e4K4QDBGNR2-UUZA4RnGhIkZ1h8nqI5MtzRcXM6v3Az66oT90NRic/s400/Royal+James+Hotel+current.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Royal (James) Hotel (Courtesy <a href="http://gdaypubs.com.au/">Gdaypubs.com.au</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span></b>ast your minds back three weeks to our article on the <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/pomona-hotel-ghost-he-may-be-known.html" target="_blank">Pomona Hotel</a>, where I mentioned that I was bogged down in a swamp of hear-say & urban legend whilst attempting to get to the bottom of a tale regarding a haunted hotel? Well...after a lot of detective work, I'm finally in a position to tackle this week's mystery site...although given the photo above, it's no longer a mystery for those of you who are avid "haunted location" fans! Our focus this week is The Royal Hotel in Harrisville, just outside Ipswich - a marvellous old building located at the end of the Warrill View-Peak Crossing Road that runs through the centre of this vibrant country town. Having grown up in Ipswich, I've travelled through this town many times, but little could I have known back then that the seemingly innocent fascade disguised a building renowned for its ghosts!<br />
<br />
So...what do we know about the site ghost-wise?!? According to the majority of Australian paranormal sites on the internet, the story of the Royal (James) Hotel at Harrisville goes roughly like this (an amalgamation of all published accounts): <b>The hotel was built about 1875...it burnt down in 1920 with the loss of 5-7 lives...figures are seen throughout the building, when no actual staff member is present...objects fall down when no one is in the vicinity...and, above all other claims, a woman in a black dress is regularly spotted in the back rooms, near
the kitchen area...one photo remains of the old hotel, with five people
sitting outside in front of the establishment, & all witnesses'
descriptions of the "lady in black" match perfectly with one
of the ladies in the photo. </b>However, it's not just the paranormal websites that list off this information (or remarkably similar versions of it) - there are a number of other websites that follow suite. Of note, <a href="http://www.visitscenicrim.com.au/experience-us/sipping-and-feasting/meet-you-at-the-local/" target="_blank"><i>The Scenic Rim Regional Council</i> tourism website</a> provides a write-up on the Royal Hotel, stating, "<b>Harrisville's first Royal Hotel was built 134 years ago, but this
original building burned down in the late 1800s. A local house was
shipped in to replace it and was opened as a hotel. But half of that
building later burned down and had to be rebuilt and still stands today...[T]he pub is home to seven ghosts, which legend has it were killed in one of the pub’s fires.</b>"<br />
<br />
From an historic perspective, we know that the original hotel built on the site opened its doors in 1875 - the one fact the paranormal websites have correct - although, at the time, the establishment was known as the Harrisville Inn. Local folklore has it that the establishment was renamed the Royal James Hotel three years later in 1878, under new license to Margaret Wholey. However, here we find a glitch in the historic record at this point...when Margaret passed away in 1915, her obituary stated that her husband Denis had predeceased her, however during his lifetime, "<b>they conducted the Royal James Hotel at Harrisville.</b>" We know for a fact that Denis Wholey passed away on the 12th of March 1873, two years before the Harrisville Inn opened its doors...as such, he could not have aided his wife in this business endeavour, & it's likely that she was a strong & determined woman hell-bent on making her way in the world - a true entrepreneur. Furthermore, we know that Margaret remarried on the 21st of February 1879, not long after she had apparently changed the name of the establishment to the Royal James Hotel. After her marriage to Edward Dunn, the couple continued to manage the hotel for some years.<br />
<br />
We also know that from its earliest days, the Royal James Hotel had the appearance of a house. On the 11th of March 1881, the publican Robert Lyttle was brought before the Ipswich Police Court, after having sold two glasses of brandy to two plain-clothed employees of the <i>United Licensed Victuallers Association</i> without holding a license for "spirituous liquors." During the trial, it was recorded that the <i>United Licensed Victuallers Association</i> employees travelled, "<b>to a house occupied by the defendant [Robert Lyttle], having the appearance of a hotel; there was a sign along the end of the verandah, with the words "Royal James Hotel" painted on it.</b>" The local Police Constable by the name of Gerarghty also gave evidence, stating that, "<b>he knew a house at Harrisville by the name of the Royal James Hotel.</b>" All in all, during the police raid on the premises, bottles of brandy, gin, schnapps, wine & stout were seized, along with a quarter-cask of rum - all liquor for which the house-come-hotel failed to hold a serving license. As a result of the proceedings, Lyttle had his lesser liquor license revoked...a loss that required some fancy footwork over the following year to gain back.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9V_QpBf2VfG3pTOYiZA02AIwh6zBaGUDK45kP1uIWTk4JzyotU2e3QMAjjYEJayjIJIfyl3-jbMr4B6DB4jj-2ArqhjUtXgQPwcPnqicMCjn6douy2yBLbFfNf6UEN7j6mIZLmgTzjhU/s1600/Harrisville+1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9V_QpBf2VfG3pTOYiZA02AIwh6zBaGUDK45kP1uIWTk4JzyotU2e3QMAjjYEJayjIJIfyl3-jbMr4B6DB4jj-2ArqhjUtXgQPwcPnqicMCjn6douy2yBLbFfNf6UEN7j6mIZLmgTzjhU/s400/Harrisville+1940.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Harrisville's main street in 1940, with the Royal Hotel visible centre background.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(National Archives of Australia)</div>
<br />
However, let's get back to the haunted nature of the now Royal Hotel, via a story that raised the attention of the print media on the 4th of May 2007. In a <i>Queensland Times</i> article entitled, "<a href="http://www.qt.com.au/story/2007/05/04/apn-pub-reno-makes-ghosts/" target="_blank"><b>Pub Reno Makes Ghosts Happy</b></a>", the then part owner & Publican Chris Kallis was interviewed regarding the ghosts that resided within the building he had purchased in late 2005. Having spent a considerable sum on renovations during which 75 stumps were replaced, the main bar's floorboards were completely re-laid, interior walls were knocked out to open the venue, the front verandah was extended & the centre portico was rebuilt, it might be argued that the owners were hoping to drum up a little business through the article. However, that aside, the article gives us a clear insight into the haunted nature of the hotel none-the-less - according to Chris Kallis, "<b><b>At first I thought it was a load of garbage - I was a
sceptic. Nothing happened for about eight months. Then
things started to move, shake, doors would open, footsteps up and down
the hallway. I would be lying in my bed and I would hear people playing
pool.</b></b>" Chris Kallis admitted that he had no idea as to the identity of the resident spirit(s)...however he was quite certain that something paranormal was occurring within his country hotel. Unfortunately, due to illness, Harrisville's Royal Hotel was placed back on the market minus a liquor license at the end of 2010...& would languish as a vacant building until being saved by the Patricks & reopened in all of its glory in January 2012.<br />
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Since taking ownership of this amazing building, Monika & Steve Patrick have aided in breathing life back into the Royal Hotel, & have discovered a new-found comfort within its walls whilst opening its doors back to the surrounding community...however, what of the resident ghosts? Under new management, on the back of the hotel lying vacant for nearly 2 years, have the resident spirits remained or have they parted ways? Apparently, the ghosts still pay a visit...chairs appear to have moved in the dining room inexplicably & doors that have been shut & locked at night are found to be open & flapping the next day...however, an event took place about a month ago that shows beyond reason of doubt that the resident spirits of the Royal Hotel are still active. A woman enjoying a meal at the Hotel looked up from her table to spy a male apparition looking back at her from a nearby doorway...the description she gave of the spectral man was quite specific, being quite short & dumpy with broad shoulders. So sure was she that she'd witnessed something supernatural, that she returned to the Hotel again with other members of her family...in order to show them where she'd seen a ghost! When the owners discussed the matter with her further, & mentioned that those 'sensitive' to the paranormal likely see more than the average person, the woman in question stated categorically that she <b><i>was</i></b> an average person...she'd never experienced anything like this before!<br />
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So, again harping back to the historic record, do we find anything that provides credence to the Hotel's haunted nature? What do we know of the 1920 fire in which seven people lost their lives, popularly perpetuated by a number of both Australian & international paranormal websites?? Well, I can confirm categorically that <b><u>no fire occurred</u> </b>in 1920, & <u><b>seven people did not lose their lives</b></u> as a result. From what we know, a fire did in fact take place at the Royal (James) Hotel, however this event took place on the 1st of June 1916. According to <i>The Brisbane Courier</i>, "<b>The Royal James Hotel, situated in the western end of the main street, tenanted by Mr S. H. Swan, formerly of Innisfail, and owned by Mr Sam J. Denman, of Mount Forbes, was, with its contents, completely destroyed by fire early this morning. The origin of this fire is unknown. It was the first hotel built in the town, and its destruction removes a well-known landmark of over forty years' standing. This building and its contents, which included a new pianola, were both insured.</b>" Fortunately for those at the time, although unfortunately for the plethora of paranormal websites that carry the tale of the Royal Hotel, not a single soul was lost in the fire of 1916...& with that said, the entire basis of the Hotel's haunted nature flies out of the window...<br />
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...or does it??<br />
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Given the sighting only a month ago, what can we make of the short, stocky male apparition spotted in the doorway near the dining area?? On this count, from the historic record, we can locate two men with viable ties to the Royal Hotel...either could be the short, stocky man with broad shoulders, & both died within two years of one another...<br />
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On the 24th of July 1932, George Albert Duncan Edwards passed away at the Ipswich General Hospital...he had been transferred to the hospital from Harrisville due to illness, leaving his wife Isabella in his stead to take care of the Royal James Hotel where he was employed as the Manager. George had lived an interesting life...having lived in Childers in Queensland with his wife, where he was employed as an accountant, at some stage around 1914-1915 George relocated to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. At the time, the track for the Trans-Australian Railway was being laid between Kalgoorlie & Port Augusta, & George was lucky enough to land himself a role as the Superintendent of Construction, also becoming a Justice of the Peace soon after. However, by the mid 1920's George & his wife Isabella had moved back to Queensland, & had taken control of the Royal James Hotel...a venue they would manage for a few years before George passed away unexpectedly while still the Manager. Given that George's wife Isabella was left to take care of his affairs at the hotel, could George have returned to aid in divvying up his worldly belongings?? Could it possibly be his spirit that haunts the Royal Hotel, in the hope of serving one last drink before closing time??<br />
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Or, could the male entity be that of Sydney John Neaves?? Having also led an interesting life, Sydney John Neaves had spent his life working in varied roles all over Queensland. We know that in 1913, Sydney was living at the Empire Hotel in Rockhampton, whilst employed as a labourer. By 1919, he had relocated to Dalby outside Toowoomba, however was back in Rockhampton the next year, as he came before the Police Court there on a charge of being drunk in public. By 1925, he had again relocated, to Bundaberg this time, followed by a move to Clermont around 1930 - whilst in Clermont, we know that Sydney was employed as a sanitary worker, & took his employer to Court for unpaid wages that same year. However, by 1934, Sydney had again moved ending up in the Ipswich area. Having been in ill-health for some time, Sydney was admitted to the Ipswich Hospital for treatment, & after being discharged he headed west to Harrisville in order to either seek work or continue with a previous engagement. It is unknown whether Sydney was lodging at the Royal James Hotel or whether he had stopped in for a drink, however on the 30th of August 1934 Sydney's luck finally ran out...likely due to the poor health he'd been experiencing, Sydney's lifeless body was discovered laying on a bed in one of the Hotel's rooms, where he'd expired quietly & alone. Could Sydney's spirit be the short, stocky man who still inhabits the Hotel, seeking company from the steady stream of visitors who frequent the place?<br />
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So...of the many possible spirits who haunt the Royal Hotel at Harrisville, where do we draw the line?? Is the "lady in black" Margaret Dunn overseeing her original pub? Does George Edwards still frequent the Hotel in an attempt to manage the bar from beyond the grave? Having drawn his last breath in one of the Hotel's rooms, does Sydney Neaves still frequent the establishment? Or...could the
spectral pool games & footsteps heard by the previous owner Chris Kallis result from long since passed pioneering residents of Harrisville, dropping by for one more beer? We'll never truly know, however I'd like to think that it's the latter possibility...</div>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-21999060699708042152012-07-23T08:29:00.002-07:002012-07-23T08:29:28.627-07:00Toowoomba's Crown & Strand: vintage 'Gold Class' cinema with a few spirits thrown in!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjkYosJ7cRn1d7Rqg1KFy304MDQ5zdK-xcjREBvm8-bseolPn7QVS1rrmtELS1uWf2xN7SL-3OXdwLjEHqzFX-wmCdb1QaO33Uv_IlDZV8uzmrLZT-M3XVAC7P2Q-wCLIJpdxuk8cc_0/s1600/Strand+Theatre+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjkYosJ7cRn1d7Rqg1KFy304MDQ5zdK-xcjREBvm8-bseolPn7QVS1rrmtELS1uWf2xN7SL-3OXdwLjEHqzFX-wmCdb1QaO33Uv_IlDZV8uzmrLZT-M3XVAC7P2Q-wCLIJpdxuk8cc_0/s400/Strand+Theatre+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Toowoomba's Strand Theatre (Event Cinemas) as it looks now.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b>oowoomba: Australia's second largest inland city behind Canberra & largest non-capital inland city overall. Known locally as the "Garden City," Toowoomba has seen its fair share of history - & as a result, this city west of Brisbane has its fair share of haunted houses & buildings...so much so, that the haunted nature of the buildings in Toowoomba truly rival any of those found throughout Brisbane! In a series of buildings that we'll look at throughout Toowoomba over the coming year, let's first have a look at the site of the Strand Theatre & old Crown Hotel on the corner of Margaret & Neil Streets. The Strand Theatre was constructed throughout 1915-1916, & was tacked onto the side of the then Crown Hotel which had already been in business for over 30 years. Designed to rival other picture theatres of its era in Australia's larger cities, the Strand's layout also took into account a functional aspect, with the upper floor segmented to provide additional hotel rooms extending across from the hotel next door. Having passed through numerous hands over the past nearly 100 years, the Strand Theatre which is now more popularly known as Toowoomba's Event Cinemas, boasts the reputation as Australia's oldest purpose-built cinema. Whilst the above photo provides some indication of the monumental façade of the current-day cinema complex, the adjoining old Crown Hotel building is lost beneath the neon sign & crazy roof-top sculpture...back in the 1930's, the site looked more like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgVDACvrd39qLxlLWsBeRm8GdvXtS3L2YQae5Ti4wKzTwvkke5h-J53ql4jmX32BjbdQkZh9qsEEqHiovyzQ8Abo_zXYWO2_-mTfCTJYyHjNgo1UFbdmIXPW7rgv4qdClgegzFKY-5lA/s1600/Crown+Hotel+&+Strand+Theatre+1930%27s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgVDACvrd39qLxlLWsBeRm8GdvXtS3L2YQae5Ti4wKzTwvkke5h-J53ql4jmX32BjbdQkZh9qsEEqHiovyzQ8Abo_zXYWO2_-mTfCTJYyHjNgo1UFbdmIXPW7rgv4qdClgegzFKY-5lA/s400/Crown+Hotel+&+Strand+Theatre+1930%27s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Crown Hotel & adjoining Strand Theatre, c.1930</div>
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Over the years, the Strand Theatre saw its fair share of unusual events. On the 19th of October 1923, the expected Friday night crowd filed into the theatre in anticipation of the night's entertainment, from the drenching rain falling out in Margaret Street...another Queensland summer was on its way, & the early season thunder storms were beginning to manifest in the region. Midway through the performance, however, a stray lightening bolt crashed to ground nearby, blacking out a section of the city & surging through the power cables along Margaret Street. Passing through the brick wall of the theatre via the electrical wiring, the massive power surge exploded from the conduit alongside the theatre's orchestra, manifesting as a massive bluish flame that shot out across the theatre for some distance! The media at the time reported that, "<b>Two youths who were sitting near where the "blow out" occurred are said to have turned a complete somersault.</b>" Two women fainted from shock, & the majority of theatre goers - including the terrified members of the Strand Theatre Orchestra - fled up the aisles for the doors, leaving their hats & coats strewn about the theatre. Very fortunately, no one was injured in the panic, & calm was soon restored...although the restoration of power to the Strand Theatre took some extra time.<br />
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Not even a decade later, on the 3rd of June 1935, Monday night movie-goers filed in to the Strand Theatre & took their seats in anticipation of the night's entertainment. At 7:35pm, thick black smoke began to pour from the operating box's windows, billowing out into the theatre above the heads of the theatre patrons. The fire brigade was immediately called for, however by the time they had arrived the theatre staff had succeeded in bringing the blaze under control. It was discovered that an electrical short had occurred in one of the cinema's appliances, & a reel of film had combusted as a result - nitrocellulose film was utilised in the cinema industry up until the 1950's, & was notorious for being highly, highly flammable...so much so, that cinema projection rooms throughout the world were required to be fire-proofed through lining with asbestos! Once burning, nitrocellulose film is extremely difficult to extinguish, & dousing with water actually increases the
amount of smoke produced - fortunately, the theatre staff tackled the fire with a chemical extinguisher, after which it was brought under control. Amazingly, the theatre-goers below appeared somewhat oblivious to the drama unfolding above them, & remained in their seats throughout. After a lengthy delay, the night's program went ahead...minus the length of film that had almost set the building ablaze!<br />
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So...what of the ghostly nature of the building?? In an interview conducted with <i>ABC Southern Queensland</i> in April this year, both the Strand Theatre's Manager Ian, as well as long-time employee John, discussed the building's numerous ghost stories. Of least importance, but amusing none-the-less, was a story of the ladies toilets in the cinema - "<b>Some staff were reporting a sniffing noise coming from the ladies toilet, that the believers thought was a ghost crying.</b>" Unfortunately, after some investigative work, it was discovered that the spectral noise belonged to an air freshener! However, on a more serious note, a multitude of ghost stories seem to be told by staff who work within the cinema - one account, taken from a staff member as she reversed out of the carpark, stated that, "She swears that she looked up and there was a figure of someone up in that tiny little window, looking back down at her." However, do the staff at the Strand Theatre have any idea about the origins of the ghosts that apparently haunt their workplace?<br />
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Conveniently, they have two - according to the ABC, & long-time Strand Theatre staff member John, "<b>A change of hands in the 1970's saw a darker side of the building's history come to light. The clients were walking in asking for a box of matches. The staff
would hand over the matches and charge [the clients] 20 cents, but they
would say 'no, we want the $20 box of matches.' With no idea what the customers were talking about, the new owners went on a quest to find out. They found out the $20 boxes of matches being sold contained no matches, but a key - a key with a number on it. And you went upstairs to the room, there waiting for you was a lovely lady.</b>" Popular rumour has it that one of these ladies was killed in the building, & her spirit has never left...a rumour that might be possible, but is completely unfounded. Furthermore, it is also speculated that the ghost might belong to <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/miller-emma-7583" target="_blank">Emma Miller</a>, a renowned Queensland woman who holds the reputation as the "mother of the Labor Party." According to the ABC's article, & local Toowoomba historian Peter Cullen, "<b>In 1917, at the age of 77, she was staying at the Crown Hotel which
then occupied the site, and she became sick after speaking at the local
botanical gardens. There are two different reports; one says she died in the hotel, and the other says she died at the hospital.</b>"<br />
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Whilst this tale provides some historic insight into the profile of some of the visitors to the Crown Hotel, the rumour is highly unlikely & is incorrect in its detail. In January 1917, Mrs Miller had travelled to Toowoomba to recuperate from a bout of ill-health, & had checked in at the Crown Hotel. On Saturday the 20th of January, she had visited the Botanic Gardens where she was entertained by a number of local Labour supporters, before returning to the hotel. Again, on Sunday the 21st of January, she visited the home of a friend and again returned to the hotel is what seemed to be her usual health. Unfortunately, however, due to the advanced cancer that was ravaging her body, Emma Miller passed away at 9pm on Monday the 22nd of October - whilst her death occurred in Toowoomba, it is highly likely that in her final hours Emma Miller was transferred to the Toowoomba Hospital, & she did not pass away within the confines of the Crown Hotel (this legend could be easily laid to rest by anyone with access to Emma Miller's Death Certificate - a document I unfortunately do not currently possess). As a matter of interest for those who live in Brisbane, Emma Miller is proudly represented in King George Square, where a bronze effigy of this amazing woman stands ever-present watching over Brisbane's residents as they pass under the shadow of Brisbane City Hall. <br />
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Unsubstantiated deaths aside, however, what do we know really know about the Strand Theatre's past? Were there any deaths on-site that may have given rise to the haunting experienced by current staff? In response to these questions, the answer is a resounding "<b><u>Yes</u></b>" - two events come to light, with both holding the distinct possibility of generating a haunting at the Strand Theatre...& both occurred within about 18 months of one another...<br />
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On the afternoon of the 11th of October 1929, 68 year old John Lewis Langhorne was taking a walk along Neil Street. He had been ill for some days, but was hell-bent on ensuring that this recent illness was not going to slow him down. A well-known resident of Toowoomba, whose family hailed from Kelvin Grove in Brisbane, John worked as a casual hand for the town's Works Department, & hence knew the municipality's layout well. However, as he approached the corner of Neil & Margaret Streets, John's health took a turn for the worse. As his head swam & his body failed, John looked around frantically for a business where he might find help...at 5pm on a Friday afternoon, the pickings were extremely slim, although the Crown Hotel's doors were wide open only metres away & the bar was populated with residents seeing out their working week. Staggering through the door of the hotel, John collapsed on the floor, where he was immediately attended to by the afternoon's patrons. He was lifted onto a seat & the ambulance brigade was sent for in haste, however John passed away before the hospital could be reached. With his family located in Kelvin Grove, John's body was transported back to Brisbane, where his loved ones had his remains interred at Toowong Cemetery on the 14th of October.<br />
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Whilst John's demise on the floor of the Crown Hotel in 1929 was dramatic, it pales in comparison to another event that occurred 18 months earlier. In the early hours on the 9th of January 1928, Hilda Voll, the housemaid of the Crown Hotel, delivered breakfast to Room 28 in the Crown Hotel, as she'd done many times before. Inside, she expected to find Dr Thomas Drew, a long-time boarder at the hotel. However, upon her early visit, Dr Drew appeared to be asleep, so Hilda went away with the intention of returning later...as she did, at 7:45, to find Dr Drew still in bed apparently fast asleep. At about 10:30am, when Thomas had not arrived at work, his employer Mr Campbell arrived at the hotel...after banging on Thomas' door to no response, Campbell entered the room to find his employee apparently still asleep. On attempting to wake Thomas without success, Mr Campbell quickly realised something was horribly wrong, & called on another local Doctor who immediately summoned the ambulance brigade. Unfortunately, Dr Thomas Drew was pronounced dead shortly after admission at the Toowoomba Hospital, resulting from a self-induced overdose of morphine. The Inquest into his death would reveal that Dr Thomas Drew had been complaining about feeling unwell for a few days before his death, & had spent some time in bed at the hotel amongst appointments. The autopsy would reveal no indication of long-term drug abuse, as no visible injection marks could be found...ultimately, it was determined that Drew had taken a dose of morphine to induce sleep, & in doing so had misjudged the quantity with fatal consequences.<br />
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So, the unfounded murder of a prostitute & improbable on-site death of Emma Miller aside, is the Strand Theatre haunted by the spirit of John Lanhorne or Thomas Drew, both men having experienced their last conscious moments within the building? Or...could the ghosts within the building harp from yet an earlier time?? As a final thought, & for the record, the site on which the Crown Hotel was built was once the location of Toowoomba's Congregational Church. Throughout the 1860's & 1870's, many a Sunday service & funeral was conducted on these hallowed grounds before the site was cleared, after which a house of ill-repute was built in its place. So...can we attribute the ghosts of the Strand to the death of two men in the 1920's, or are the spirits of Toowoomba's early church-going pioneers still visiting the site & voicing their disapproval over how their hallowed site has evolved??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Xs2A6ngust5xUUmyZcMsPj08CXUg4tDtjrHwf58kGNFN6fMSLhR7VnTwWrRCQ1AahBwohj8uFbCnYtFuJgbyNWHmvDoXOraA9KaT8-bKn63izKtZkeyx23wlyrninUl0FboF_1qF5Ow/s1600/Toowoomba+Congregational+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Xs2A6ngust5xUUmyZcMsPj08CXUg4tDtjrHwf58kGNFN6fMSLhR7VnTwWrRCQ1AahBwohj8uFbCnYtFuJgbyNWHmvDoXOraA9KaT8-bKn63izKtZkeyx23wlyrninUl0FboF_1qF5Ow/s400/Toowoomba+Congregational+Church.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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Toowoomba's Congregational Church, c.1870 (John Oxley Library)</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrocellulose#cite_note-5"></a>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-16672079843985110222012-07-15T08:05:00.000-07:002012-07-15T08:05:28.525-07:00The Pomona Hotel Ghost: He may be known affectionately as 'Darby', but he could likely be just plain old Fred<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Pomona Hotel (John Oxley Library)</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>H</b></span>aunted pubs - when it comes to hotels that claim to be haunted, I have to admit that I'm an absolute sucker, as I'm sure we all are...although, that being said, I'm very regularly disappointed by the whole "haunted pub" routine - stories of fatal fires, fatal shootings, fatal stabbings...it seems that the majority of pubs across South East Queensland all brandish unfounded tales of woe in an attempt to claim they have a resident ghost. Over the past few months, I've looked into well over a dozen pubs that claim to have resident spooks resulting from fantastic events, & haven't found an ounce of evidence to back the claims in the historic record...I still live in hope that one day I might bring these stories to light, although for many of them I'm not holding my breath.<br />
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However, some of the hotels I've heavily looked into do possess legitimate histories that lend credence to the tales - as contrasting examples, our <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/rosewood-hotel-tale-of-3-supposed.html" target="_blank">tale of the <i>Rosewood Hotel</i></a> was a perfect case of a schiester Publican's attempt to market a country pub as haunted for monetary gain...however, our investigation of <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/unity-imperial-cecil-jets-however-you.html" target="_blank">the <i>Ipswich Jets Club</i></a> & <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/tale-of-one-red-cow-old-mauritian-sea.html" target="_blank">the <i>Caledonian Hotel</i></a> ghosts exposed likely origins for the sites' hauntings based solidly on the historic record. From experience, I tend to find that hotels that claim to have a ghost, & just a ghost, with no known origin or outlandish story to back the haunting, generally possess a number of deaths on site (after extensive research) that may just explain their resident spectre. However, pubs that claim to possess ghosts resulting from horrible accidents "early last century," - i.e. no specific details or precise dates given - tend to be no more than urban legends...& when it comes to writing weekly articles for the <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i>, urban legends are nothing more than a good jumping off point - if the historic record doesn't remotely support the claim, then we'd be no better than a certain Brisbane ghost tour operator if we ran with the story as gospel truth!<br />
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So, where does that leave us regarding this week's article?? Well, I had grand plans of tackling a haunted pub in a particular township outside Brisbane this week, however I quickly became bogged down once again in a swamp of hear-say & urban legend - whilst I'm in the lengthy process of bringing this tale to light, or debunking it completely, I seem to be stuck with a very small town...with two supposedly very haunted pubs...with some very base history between them, & some aggressive argument as to which stories belong to which pub. Sadly, yet again, the ability to claim a resident ghost for either pub is looking very sketchy at best - the claimed origin of either haunting doesn't even remotely match the historic record, & the details seem to change dramatically with every telling of their respective tales. So...let's change tack, & focus on another pub that claims to have a resident haunting, minus any outlandish claim as to their ghost's origin - the <i>Pomona Hotel,</i> nestled at the foot of Mt Cooroora, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.<br />
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Having been settled in the late 1880's under the name of Pinbarren Siding, the township saw a vibrant mix of residents move through the area - in the early years, timber getters from the surrounding regions stopped in for supplies, gold prospectors moved through on their way to the then languishing Gympie gold fields, & immigrants began to settle in the hope of taking advantage of the growing sugar cane & banana industry. As the town grew, & enterprising individuals moved to the area with money, it came as no surprise that a hotel would be proposed. Built in 1905 & declared opened for business under licence in 1906, the new <i>Pomona Hotel</i> opened its doors for business as the first establishment in the area. Fortunately, in the very same year as the hotel opened, the town was renamed Pomona, from its previous name of Pinbarren Siding, allowing the hotel a name it has carried to this very day. Originally constructed as a single storey building, the <i>Pomona Hotel </i>boasted nine lodging rooms, a public bar, a dining room & a kitchen...& being the only establishment for miles around, trade was exceptionally good.<br />
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The good times continued, through 1911 when a second hotel was built in Pomona, the now demolished <i>Railway Hotel</i>, until the 3rd of January 1913. At a few minutes before 5pm, the kitchen of the <i>Pomona Hotel</i> caught alight, & within minutes the building was ablaze. A bucket brigade rushed to the scene, with little effect, & further adjoining buildings caught alight...at the time, Pomona lacked any semblance of water supply apart from rainwater tanks, lending further difficulty to the town's firefighting efforts. By the time the fire was finally extinguished, the original <i>Pomona Hotel</i> & a number of adjoining shops lay in smouldering ruins. However, necessity be as it may, the proprietor James Connolly took up a temporary residence in the Pomona Hall until his hotel was rebuilt a few months later - the rebuilt two storey premises is the same <i>Pomona Hotel</i> that exists to the current day. However, 1913 was not the only year that the<i> Pomona Hotel</i> was exposed to fire - on the 5th of September 1939, the <i>Sunshine Cafe</i> close by the <i>Pomona Hotel</i> caught fire, destroying nine surrounding businesses yet sparing the hotel. Water was drawn from a large water tank behind the hotel in an effort to extinguish the flames...unfortunately, there was little anyone could do to save the buildings on fire, however the <i>Pomona Hotel </i>alongside the water source was spared. Fortunately, as had been the case in 1913, not a single life was lost in the hotel's second brush with death.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7jUYG-lE-gqtLz3ZybRe7YP65i9R6rMJnx94IaKDFhG6UPU1H_MuaO7Ydv2NEHEy29Ya0stp_VFMBfZf07AqsF99DqLK7aXZx-sH7H9DFq7iTNB-QgatQh_-nAdDYZaeT-wAxg2RjFw/s1600/Pomona+Hotel+1939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7jUYG-lE-gqtLz3ZybRe7YP65i9R6rMJnx94IaKDFhG6UPU1H_MuaO7Ydv2NEHEy29Ya0stp_VFMBfZf07AqsF99DqLK7aXZx-sH7H9DFq7iTNB-QgatQh_-nAdDYZaeT-wAxg2RjFw/s400/Pomona+Hotel+1939.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pomona's destructive 1939 fire, with the hotel in the background (State Library of Qld)</div>
<br />
So...what of this ghost, I hear you ask?? Well, the <i>Pomona Hotel</i> claims to have a resident spectre that walks its halls. Locals & staff tell stories of feeling a presence within the hotel, like an invisible figure has brushed passed when no one else is standing near. Disembodied footsteps are heard from time to time throughout the venue, & doors inexplicably seem to open & close of their own accord...admittedly, the haunting seems to manifest no differently to any other hotel's, however those who frequent the establishment & those that work there are adamant that something otherworldly resides within the nearly 100 year old building. So sure are the staff that they share their place of employment with a spectre, that they've given the spook a name - 'Darby'. I have it on good authority that the name is due to the phantom's preferred haunt within the <i>Pomona Hotel</i> - the Darby Room Restaurant, named after long-time Pomona resident & now deceased Darby Schrieder. However, staff are also quick to point out that just because their ghost is affectionately named Darby, the likelihood that the ghost is actually that of Darby Schrieder is unlikely. So, who could the ghost of the <i>Pomona Hotel</i> actually be?!?<br />
<br />
That, I must confess, I do not know...after having pulled apart the historic record for the <i>Pomona Hotel</i>, not a single event can be located which may give rise to a haunting...although, the life of the former <i>Railway Hotel</i> in Pomona is a very different matter. On the 6th of July 1924, a loud bang was heard amongst the lodging rooms at 8am - William Hughes, a lodger at the hotel, began to work his way down the hall, door-knocking in the hope of discovering the origin of the startling noise. On reaching the door of recent arrival Frederick John Green, he entered the room to discover Green laying on the floor with a .22 calibre Young American revolver laying beside him...blood was streaming from a wound above the man's right eye, & a doctor was called for immediately. Green was tended to by Doctor Rygate, & was rushed (as fast as was possible in rural 1924) to Gympie Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds at 1:20am the next morning. It would be discovered that Frederick Green had arrived in Pomona from Gympie on Saturday morning, the day before he'd chosen to take his life. Given that it was common practice for gold prospectors to carry concealed side-arms to protect themselves & defend their mining leases, had Fred Green struck out in Gympie & decided to end it all in Pomona after losing his life savings seeking his fortune? The gun that was found beside Green's body was a seven-shot revolver...it contained one expended round & two live bullets, a likely indication the 32 year old man was unable to afford a full compliment of ammunition for his side-arm.<br />
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However, the Railway Hotel would make national news in the early hours of the 13th of April 1928, when George Dann, a well-known Chinese banana grower, was stabbed to death with a cook's knife in the hotel, by an Italian immigrant named Guiseppe Sciglitano. Sciglitano, a labourer staying at the hotel, stole into the kitchen & took possession of a knife before returning to the upper floor of the establishment...on seeing George walk out of the upstairs sitting room, Sciglitano chased Dann down the hall of the hotel stabbing him as he went. Dann, gasping for breath in the hall, finally succumbed to his wounds on the floor after a violent scuffle in the hall. Sciglitano was seen to run from the hotel in his pyjamas in the direction of the railway station, where he was arrested by the local Constabulary hours later in a dishevelled & leech-infested state...having hidden himself in the bush overnight, Sciglitano was worse for wear, in nothing more than his night clothes & bare feet. During the preliminary Court case held at the Pomona Memorial School of Arts, it would be discovered that Sciglitano had taken a carving knife to George Dann because, "Chinamen no good this country along white people." Sciglitano was committed for trial as a result, in Gympie on the 10th of July 1928, for which he served his time on a charge of wilful murder.<br />
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When the <i>Railway Hotel</i> was finally demolished in 1965, a bulk of the building's materials were recycled & used in the construction of Pomona's <i>Memory Lane Antiques</i>, <i>Pomona Produce & Pet Shop</i>, & <i>Hollyhock Cottage & Nursery</i>...history is yet to determine whether the ghosts of the Railway Hotel have followed the fabric of the building to their new homes. In the meantime, though, it will likely still be claimed that Darby haunts the halls of the <i>Pomona Hotel</i>...whether real or fabricated, we'll never know...however the ghost of the <i>Pomona Hotel</i> will likely go down in rural legend as just that - a rural legend...Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-668900198716134362012-07-08T02:39:00.001-07:002012-07-08T02:39:52.456-07:00The Female Phantom of Bribane City Hall: Who is she, exactly?!?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4pqKE1nNy4jk10iRSSLHF8tSxsRRkv-Cn1MD8uLxhYWwnel3bwva_xsnpZIkil-fyVf2vf9u22OHVQArJaZZw_oO4Hd4yUhfRS9smgVnmhaxTnY-ResMD33AkfahlHJsVULhzda3nsA/s1600/Brisbane+City+Hall+1935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4pqKE1nNy4jk10iRSSLHF8tSxsRRkv-Cn1MD8uLxhYWwnel3bwva_xsnpZIkil-fyVf2vf9u22OHVQArJaZZw_oO4Hd4yUhfRS9smgVnmhaxTnY-ResMD33AkfahlHJsVULhzda3nsA/s400/Brisbane+City+Hall+1935.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Brisbane City Hall, c. 1935 (John Oxley Library)</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>B</b></span>risbane City Hall - it almost seems like a lifetime ago when we examined the ghost of Brisbane City Hall's clock tower, in what was to be <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/brisbane-city-hall-liftman-was-innocent.html" target="_blank">the very first <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i> article</a> to go to publication! As any Brisbane ghost enthusiast would know, Brisbane City Hall has earned a local reputation for housing at least 4
ghosts - one ghost is said to haunt the City Hall's tower & lift contained within; one ghost is
rumoured to haunt an entire wing of City Hall that was subsequently shut
down for decades as a result, before being converted into a childcare
centre; one ghost is alleged to be that of a WWII American sailor who
was embroiled in a fight over a woman with another sailor, & was
stabbed to death in the Red Cross Tea Rooms beneath. All of
these legends are based & perpetuated on an element of truth - we've already examined one, in our first article linked above, however it's high time that we focus on another and thoroughly pull it apart to get the bottom of the tale!<br />
<br />
Some months ago, back in February, a post appeared on a Computer/Gamers Forum of all places...showing a photo that had been taken on the steps of Brisbane City Hall in December 2011. In the photo, an anomaly exists that quite rightfully <a href="http://forums.atomicmpc.com.au/index.php?showtopic=47686&st=0" target="_blank">appears to be a transparent figure, either in a cloak or dress</a>, descending the stairs leading down to the City Hall's ground level. The photo itself was allegedly taken on a mobile phone, & eerily (or very conveniently) mirrored what has become one of the world's most famous & longest enduring ghost photos - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Lady_of_Raynham_Hall" target="_blank">the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall</a>. Needless to say, over the past nearly five months, numerous people have commented on the forum with their opinions regarding the legitimacy of the photo...however, regardless of its authenticity, stories of a phantom female frequenting the staircase have endured within Brisbane City Hall for a number of decades now. Over the past decade, there has been some speculation as to the exact identity of this spectre in the print media...however, the aspects of the haunting and the visual appearance of the spirit seems to fluctuate quite broadly every few years...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtEubSeXfCges8Eqsg8d3GTwNSYPezLZtqiZvHYtSPsZw5AEUGzNYsnmINt67LxcQQTi63scYSxthcrbmSx5Prp8CG_Hhj7GYO_YjKolXLtDJf3FOB5DfloF4cP6gY5_23fqP9lTHOd0/s1600/Brown+Lady+of+Raynham+Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtEubSeXfCges8Eqsg8d3GTwNSYPezLZtqiZvHYtSPsZw5AEUGzNYsnmINt67LxcQQTi63scYSxthcrbmSx5Prp8CG_Hhj7GYO_YjKolXLtDJf3FOB5DfloF4cP6gY5_23fqP9lTHOd0/s400/Brown+Lady+of+Raynham+Hall.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, taken in 1936.</div>
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In an article entitled, "<b>Brisbane's ghostly past revisited</b>," published in <i>The Queensland Independent</i> in June 1998, it was claimed, "<b>On numerous occasions over the 50 years at the City Hall...a
ghost has been seen ascending the [City Hall] staircase. Although no actual outline of her has been seen, those who
have seen it have said it has a real feminine feeling to it. "Elegant,"
was the word the gentleman I interviewed said. He said there were
no distinguishing features to it and he associated the ghost with the ballroom
here and he felt it had something to do with that, but he wasn't really
clear on further detail.</b>" On the 13th of October 2002, in a <i>Courier Mail</i> article entitled, "<b>Ghost Town!</b>", the City Hall ghost in question was now recognisable as, "<b>a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing.</b>" By the 3rd of February 2009, another <i>Courier Mail</i> article entitled, "<a href="http://city-news.whereilive.com.au/news/story/brisbane-claims-spooky-city-title/" target="_blank"><b>Brisbane claims 'spooky city' title</b></a>," claimed the ghost was that of, "<b>an elderly lady.</b>" And to top it off, <i>The Courier Mail</i> had yet another bash at the City Hall ghost on the <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/weird/ghost-stories-from-brisbane/story-e6frep26-1225784427216" target="_blank">8th of October 2009</a> - this time, the ghost was said to be that of, "<b>a young girl</b>." Amazingly, all of these articles, ranging from "female presence," to "woman in old-fashioned clothing," to "elderly lady," to "young girl," all have one thing in common - <u>"<b>Jack</b>" </u><u><b>Sim's input</b></u>. Yet, when "Jack" Sim's book, <a href="http://jacksim.com.au/Pages/book_details_Haunted_Brisbane.html" target="_blank"><i>Haunted Brisbane: Ghosts of the River City</i></a>, was released in 2005, the four-page chapter dealing with the ghosts of Brisbane City Hall lacked even the slightest mention of a female ghost within the building!<br />
<br />
However, "Jack" Sim hasn't been the only contender in the ongoing debate about Brisbane City Hall's female phantom...another amateur "ghost-hunter," Lianna Turner, waded into the debate on the 9th of October 2007. <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-a-hotbed-of-ghost-activity/2007/10/08/1191695795857.html?page=2" target="_blank">Via the <i>Brisbane Times</i></a>, in an extended article, Lianna made the ludicrous claim that the female ghost of Brisbane City Hall was likely, "<b>a little girl who fell to her death
near the entrance to the elevator that takes current visitors to
the top of the bell tower.</b>" Just for the record...<b>NO</b> little girl <b>EVER</b> fell to her death<u></u> near the elevator at Brisbane City Hall during the first 30 years of the building's life, during which time the female phantom was already well & truly active. Lianna, a self-professed psychic & "ghost whisperer," clearly pulled this detail from her imagination after visiting City Hall...& unfortunately failed to corroborate it with the historic record before embarrassing herself in print. Brian Randall, a librarian from the State Library of Queensland, also waded into the debate on the 24th of November 2008, via a <i>Courier Mail </i>article entitled, "<b><a href="http://southern-star.whereilive.com.au/news/story/is-our-city-hall-haunted/" target="_blank">Is our City Hall haunted?</a></b>" In the article, which again amusingly focused on "Jack" Sim, who now had no answers about City Hall's female spectre, Brian stated, "t<b>he story of a female ghost was the most persistent of the three ghosts said to haunt the building. The woman seems to be consistently coming up. One possible theory about her identity [from]
research was a story about a woman who drowned in a waterway on the site
during early settlement, long before City Hall was built.</b>"<br />
<br />
So...where do we stand?? Who is this Phantom Female who graces the stairs of Brisbane City Hall??<br />
<br />
I've heard the theory of the drowned woman put forward a couple of times over the past few years, & whilst I've never come across the details of this death myself, that's not at all to say that the event didn't take place. From an historic perspective, the site on which Brisbane City Hall was built had indeed contained a water hole through the early decades of Brisbane's existence as a free settlement - a large reservoir existed where Roma Street Station now lies, fed by a creek that ran from around the current Normanby Fiveways. The overflow resulting from this reservoir formed a stream that flowed into a water hole on which the future City Hall would be constructed, & was utilised for many years as a source of water for building purposes & to water horses...hence, there is every possibility that an unlucky early Brisbane resident may have come to grief within the lagoon's depths. However, to suggest that the female phantom of City Hall finds her origin in this tragic event raises far more questions than it does answers - Why did this woman's spirit, after her body was recovered at the time of drowning, lay dormant for many decades until taking up residence in a building eventually constructed on the site?? Of the multiple rooms & thoroughfares within City Hall, why is she only seen on the staircase above the front foyer & what led her to choose this specific location, given that at the time of her death no one could have even imagined a City Hall on the site?? And most importantly, if our female phantom doesn't originate from this tragic death, are we left with any other viable possibilities??<br />
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Given that the stories of a female ghost seem to originate around the 1930's to 1940's (within the first 20 years of the City Hall's life), what do we know of the building's history that may yield another origin for the haunting? Well...quite a bit, actually! Whilst a number of men have died under tragic circumstances within the building since its opening in 1930, we can easily rule these souls out as possibilities...however, we do know that two women came to grief within Brisbane City Hall in the first 15 years of its operation. Whilst neither woman died within the building itself, they both perished within a very short time frame after having been removed for the frantic dash to the Brisbane General Hospital. The least likely of these two deaths to provide an origin for our female phantom, took place on the 15th of September 1944. On that day, 55 year old spinster Miriam Mary Alexander decided to pay a visit to City Hall from her home at Thornside, to the south of Brisbane near Cleveland. She had been in ill-health for some time, & decided to visit the rest room - whether she was feeling faint at the time & was attempting to refresh herself we will never know...Miriam collapsed on the floor of the rest room & was subsequently rushed to the General Hospital two kilometres away. Tragically, she was pronounced dead before she could be admitted, & was buried three days later at Toowong Cemetery.<br />
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However, the other tragic death could very possibly pinpoint the origin of our haunting...<br />
<br />
On the 21st of December 1937, the streets of Brisbane were alive with people making their way between stores in the final days before Christmas. Amongst the flurry of shoppers on Adelaide Street, Policewoman Eileen O'Donnell went about her daily routine as she walked along the footpath towards the corner of Albert Street...however, it became instantly clear that something was amiss. Scanning ahead, she noticed the stream of pedestrians coming to a standstill, as more & more began to gasp & point as they craned their heads towards the sky. Following the gaze of the shoppers towards the City Hall's clock tower, she was horrified to see a young lady outside the safety netting, edging her way around the narrow ledge beyond the observation platform. Spying another Officer nearby on point duty, Policewoman O'Donnell dashed forward, however her attempt to raise the alarm was in vain - before her eyes, & those of the crowd milling in Adelaide & Albert Streets, the woman fell from the top of the tower, striking the roof of City Hall with a sickening crash. In league with other Officers & Ambulance bearers, Policewoman O'Donnell rushed into the foyer of the building and made her way towards the lift. The broken body of 31 year old Hilda Angus Boardman, whom Eileen had spied on the clock tower only minutes earlier, was found sprawled on the concrete floor of a small room in the vicinity of the entrance to what is now King George Square.<br />
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It was discovered that after plummeting from the tower, Hilda had crashed through the galvanised iron roof, striking and breaking a heavy beam in the process. Horribly, the roofing iron & beam slowed her descent just enough to ensure that the impact on the concrete floor did not kill her instantly. However, Hilda had still sustained massive injuries from the 45 metre fall, & was immediately treated on-site for a depressed fracture of the skull, & puncture wound to the left side, in the hope she could be stabilised for the dash to the General Hospital. Within hours of admission, however, Hilda passed away due to massive internal injuries that defied the best efforts of the hospital's surgeons. In the days that followed, Hilda would be laid to rest in Toowong Cemetery & it would be revealed that she had recently been an inmate of a private hospital - a sign that she had likely been suffering from an ongoing mental illness at the time she had climbed out past the safety netting on the City Hall's tower. Tragically, after taking her own life, she left her husband to care for their two young children, & to this day Hilda rests on her own, alone, in a single grave plot in the back corner of Toowong Cemetery alongside Mt Coot-tha Road.<br />
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So...does the female phantom of Brisbane City Hall date back to the days of early Brisbane Town, resulting from a tragic drowning death many decades before the construction of the building? Does the staircase spectre belong to that of Hilda Boardman, who's life ebbed away on the concrete floor of a small room just off the foyer? Or, alternatively, could it be possible that both of these possibilities are incorrect? Could the spirit simply be that of a long-departed Brisbane socialite, who spent many happy nights attending the luxurious balls & functions held within City Hall's spectacular auditorium, returning to relive past memories?? My bet is, we will never truly know...Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-75554002945091505652012-06-24T05:30:00.000-07:002012-06-24T05:30:22.114-07:00Corpse candles, Will-o'-the-wisps & Min-Min lights: Who said Boulia had exclusivity in Australia??<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmaKN1MShTE1q_w-vz42RCZiN1ysl1tRiP_hQ0lAfnOdEF9Wp-B7C_SxVIDvOdHzneFJKUm4hu28mgx3olzhkRwx_-JueTyUk65fSHA3Im24xR7IQqVNJkRh262GBzqFwPGozU68CQuQ/s1600/Min+Min+Hotel+1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmaKN1MShTE1q_w-vz42RCZiN1ysl1tRiP_hQ0lAfnOdEF9Wp-B7C_SxVIDvOdHzneFJKUm4hu28mgx3olzhkRwx_-JueTyUk65fSHA3Im24xR7IQqVNJkRh262GBzqFwPGozU68CQuQ/s400/Min+Min+Hotel+1967.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Min Min Hotel ruins, c. 1967 (National Library of Australia)</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">M</span></b>any years ago, I was asked to write an article for inclusion in the <a href="http://www.insightmagazine.com.au/" target="_blank"><i>Insight Magazine</i></a> Annual, & had free reign on choice of topic. Obviously, being a stickler for stories of the paranormal with an historic basis, I chose a well-known Australian oddity that most would have heard of but few knew much about - the Min Min light. For those who are a little unsure of the tale of the Min Min light, it is likely best summed up in an article published in <i>The Sydney Morning Herald</i> on the 25th of January 1947:</div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc5"> One of Australia's most remarkable ghostly manifesta</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc6">tions is the strange wandering <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span></span><span class="displayFix" id="lc7"> that appears at indefinite periods</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc8"> at <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span>, near Boulia, in west</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc9">ern Queensland. Known locally as</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc10"> the "ghost <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span>," it is a moon of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc11"> <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span> suspended in space, darting</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc12"> hither and thither, vanishing ghost-</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc16">like in the dark recesses of the trees.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc16">The locality in which it appears</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc17"> happens to have been the site of a </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc18">notorious shanty which was known as</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc20"> the <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> Hotel. No spots on earth were lower than</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc21"> some of these western shanties of the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc22"> Queensland of 70 odd years ago. The</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc23"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> Hotel was regarded as the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc24"> worst of these vicious dens. It stood</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc25"> beside the road to Warenda, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc26"> other outlying stations, towards the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc28"> border of Central Australia. Dispensing adulterated liquor and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc29"> drugs, the <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> Hotel derived its</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc30"> profits from the process known as</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc31"> "lambing down" unwary shearers and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc32"> station-hands, who arrived there with</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc34"> large cheques and still larger thirsts. Many of these men remained there.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc35"> The fierce, doped spirits caused their</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc36"> deaths. Others were killed in wild</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc37"> brawls, or were murdered for their</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc39"> money, and at the rear of the hotel site there is still to be seen the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc40"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> graveyard, where these vic</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc41">tims were buried. It is nearly 70</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc42"> years since the hotel was destroyed by</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc43"> fire.</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc44"> Shortly after the fire a stockman</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc45"> rode wildly one night to the police</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc46"> station. He was greatly agitated, and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc47"> it was some minutes before he could</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc48"> pull himself together. After the ser</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc49">geant had given him a glass of water,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc51"> he told his story:</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc51">"You won't believe me, but it's</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc52"> true - I swear it's the gospel truth!</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc53"> About 10 o'clock this evening I was</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc54"> riding not far from the <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span></span><span class="displayFix" id="lc55"> graveyard when all of a sudden I saw</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc56"> a strange glow appear right in the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc57"> middle of the cemetery. I looked at</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc58"> it amazed. The glow got bigger, till </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc59">it was about the size of a water</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc60">melon. I couldn't believe my eyes as</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc61"> I saw it hovering over the ground.</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc62"> And then I broke into a cold sweat,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc64"> for it started to come towards me. It was too much for my nerves. I </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc65">was terror-stricken. I dug the spurs </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc66">into the horse and headed towards</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc67"> Boulia as fast as I could. But every</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc69"> time I looked back over my shoulder I could see the <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span> following me! It</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc73"> only disappeared when I got to the outskirts of the town. Dont smile, sergeant! Can't you see it's the truth I'm telling you?'</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc74"> But the police made <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span> of the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc75"> stockman's story, and the whole town</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc76"> ragged the unfortunate man about</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc78"> the spook he had seen. Then came report after report that</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc79"> substantiated the story. Today the </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc81">phenomenon is an established fact. Thousands of people have seen the</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc82"> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span>. Many scientists have</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc83"> gone to Boulia in the hope of solving</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc84"> the mystery but have been completely</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc85"> baffled by it. </span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc86"> </span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc88"> True, it has some features in common with the will-o'-the-wisp, </span><span class="displayFix" id="lc89">that curious <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span> seen in marshland</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc90"> and church graveyards in northern</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc91"> Europe. But there are vital points of</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc92"> difference between the will-o'-the-wisp</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc93"> and the <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">Min</span> <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span>. The former is</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc94"> produced from decaying animal mat</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc95">ter in churchyards or marshes, where</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc96">as the Australian <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span> not only shines</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc97"> above a graveyard but moves about</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc98"> over hard, rocky plain country totally</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc99"> unlike European marshlands.</span></div>
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<div class="S8" style="background-color: white; color: black;">
<span class="displayFix" id="lc100"> The riddle remains unsolved.</span></div>
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</div>
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For the sceptics out there, the Min Min light over the years has been
attributed to a range of naturally occurring phenomena...some very
simplistic, & some wildly outlandish. Bioluminescence<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence">
seems to be the main suspect, with explanations covering a wide spectrum from simple
bioluminescent fungi, through to fire-flies, through to owls inexplicably coated in
bioluminescent pollen. Another explanation put forward is that of the phenomenon of <i>Fata Morgana</i> - an atmospheric anomaly that creates mirages right on the horizon, usually of far-away objects that are out of sight. It's postulated that this refraction of light could possibly show the glow from a camp fire or lantern, even though the light source might be beyond the view of the distant observer. Never the less, not one of the above explanations go any way towards rationalising the Min Min light - especially given the sprite's playful nature, racing towards & then away from the observer, & regularly changing speed & direction. Many motorists who have come in contact with the Min Min light claim that the light has followed them whilst driving, keeping pace with their cars...yet, if the car is turned around & driven back towards the light, the anomaly will retreat at the same speed, never allowing itself to be caught. Countless men, from the days of droving in the late 1800's through to present-day truck drivers, have chased the light in the hopes of catching it - not one has been successful.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-r9fPam8PX_zl80GyAON__sCD4RftQzauW6sCBmAUwNpmBGCL_D_I4WHl3MRwtDPQgA_nocl4xJCMG9S-wDVyKkgKe1SQaI-4Sf7wNkwX9nThgmzfmde0Usy1VVOf7edxHl7aVBz_WBQ/s1600/Min+Min+light+Argus+1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-r9fPam8PX_zl80GyAON__sCD4RftQzauW6sCBmAUwNpmBGCL_D_I4WHl3MRwtDPQgA_nocl4xJCMG9S-wDVyKkgKe1SQaI-4Sf7wNkwX9nThgmzfmde0Usy1VVOf7edxHl7aVBz_WBQ/s400/Min+Min+light+Argus+1944.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Min Min light, published on the 1st of January 1944 in <i>The Argus</i> (Melbourne)</div>
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According to the "highly reliable" <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Min_Min_light" target="_blank"><i>Wikipedia</i> entry for the Min Min light</a>, the mysterious oddity has apparently been sighted from Boulia in central Queensland, to areas as far south as Brewarrina in western New South Wales...needless to say, this clearly doesn't account for the myriad of reports of "phantom lights," usually termed Min Min lights, seen on the Nullarbor Plain anywhere between Norseman in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia. During the week, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=449946931690431&set=a.293511360667323.77595.275966655755127&type=1&theater" target="_blank">we posted an historic newspaper article</a> also dealing with "phantom lights" spotted in various locations around Australia, published in <i>The Queenslander </i>on the 30th of August 1934 - one set of mystery lights, spotted in the vicinity of Tinonee which lies just inland of Forster on the central coast of New South Wales, was known locally as "the ghost." Another set of mystery lights, spotted on the Old Man Plain near Hay in south-western New South Wales, was referred to locally as the "ghostly coach," or "Phantom Mail." I have many other historic records of similar light phenomena occurring in various locations throughout Queensland & New South Wales over the past 120 years, however one occurrence near Brisbane deserves our examination, as I have found no recent sources written on the matter...so, taking that into account, it seems worthy that we publicly document the phenomena right here for posterity!</div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence">Our story centres around the small township of Cooloolabin, just outside of Yandina in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. These days, Cooloolabin is renowned for the Cooloolabin Dam, which supplies the Sunshine Coast with water, however back in the 1920's Cooloolabin was nothing more than a scattered assemblage of farming families & transient employees. And in that decade, in the fading months of 1925, an unexplained phenomenon shared by numerous townships around Australia, entrenched itself. According to the <i>Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser</i>, published on the the 22nd of January 1926, "</span><b><span class="displayFix" id="lc2">For some months past Cooloolabin</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc3"> residents have been greatly purturbed</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc4"> at the frequent appearance after night-</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc5">fall of a mysterious-looking <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span> on</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc7"> the top of a rise in an unfrequented spot about 300 yards from the School</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc8"> of Arts. The illumination, which is</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc9"> not visible every night, when it does</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc10"> show out, is early in the evening and</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc11"> steadily moving to and fro not unlike</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc12"> someone walking about with a hurri</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc13">cane lantern; it is visible in this fashion</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc14"> until towards morning, when it disap</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc15">pears. Residents on several occasions </span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc16">have visited the place when the <span class="ocrhighlight">light</span></span><span class="displayFix" id="lc17"> has been visible in an endeavour to</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc18"> probe the mystery, but without suc</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc19">cess, as it disappears at their approach,</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc20"> to shine out again when they retire</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc21"> from the scene. The theory that the</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc22"> variation in the darkness of the even</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc23">ings may have something to do with</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc24"> the phenomenon is advanced by several</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc25"> residents, but this idea is discounted</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc26"> by the fact that it is in any sort of</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc27"> night, whether it be cloudy, raining or</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc28"> lit up by the rays of the moon. A big</span><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc29"> party is now being organised in an en</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc30">deavour to probe the affair, which has</span><span class="displayFix" id="lc31"> caused the loss of more than one</span></b><span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc32"><b> night's sleep to more timid residents.</b>"</span></div>
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<span class="displayFix corrected" id="lc32">Six weeks later, after the local residents of Cooloolabin had done all in their power to explain the phenomenon, including scouring the hill on which the "phantom light" appeared, a further article appeared in the </span><span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence"><i>Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser</i>, on the 19th of February 1926 - for all accounts, the residents felt that the paranormal light just beyond town had been solved: "<b>The origin of the mysterious light, which has been appearing at intervals at Cooloolabin was solved in a peculiar and rather amusing way recently. It appears the illumination shown as usual on the night in question, when a resident armed with a military rifle aimed at it with very satisfactory results to the lamp, but not to the owner who was engaged in feeding the pigs on his farm, which is situated on another elevation beyond the rise where the light appeared. It is not known yet who got the biggest fright - the wielder of the rifle, the owner of the lamp, or the pigs.</b>" For a very short time, the mysterious Cooloolabin light was laid to rest at the muzzle of a sharp-shooter...but miraculously reappeared again soon after! Had the pig farmer failed to learn his lesson on having a lantern explode, via bullet, in his hand? Was a prankster to blame this time round, knowing a sharp-shooter lay in wait in the township capable of firing a round through any upheld light source? Or was the Cooloolabin light back in all its glory, puzzling the farmers residing below the ridge??</span></div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence">Despite the risk of a sharp-shooter's bullet, the mystery light on the ridge above Coolloolabin continued...those brave enough to venture onto the ridge in the dark organised search parties, yet none managed to approach the light closely enough to identify its source. This to-&-fro continued for some time, until the residents of Cooloolabin simply accepted the fact that something unexplained lived beyond their town border...& in that acceptance, they finally found comfort. Three years later, in 1929, the township's acceptance of the anomaly was clear - on the 16th of March 1929, the Cooloolabin Tennis Club hosted a dance in the School of Arts building, which was well attended by local residents as well as those who had travelled from the nearby township of Yandina. Numerous competitions were held during the night, & the subsequent prize-winners were rewarded...however, all attendees present were rewarded with a special prize - "<b>During the proceedings the mysterious light that has been in evidence on various nights on a lonely ridge several hundred yards from the hall made its appearance, causing much interest to visitors, who naturally asked had any efforts been made to find out as to the cause of its existence. Information was given by the residents in the affirmative. After several hours of visibility the light faded out.</b>" The Cooloolabin light was again at play in full view of neighbouring residents...& would continue agian into the late 1930's.</span></div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence">Further newspaper articles document the Cooloolabin light past 1938...however, the trail grows cold soon after. With the advent of the Second World War in the early 1940's, numerous American Military contingents settled around Yandina, Ninderry & surrounds...on the eastern slopes of Mt Ninderry, trenches still exist as a part of the U.S. army's training...on the western side of Mt Ninderry, armoured divisions trained in "bush bashing," with live-fire exercises. Much of the area was off-limits during the war years, as the surrounding bushland rang out with the sound of machine gun fire and tank shell bursts...& when the war was over and the troops had left, the Cooloolabin light had vanished from the spotlight all together.</span></div>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Bioluminescence">So...was the Cooloolabin light a cleverly constructed hoax, perpetrated by the townsfolk, spread diligently over the space of a decade for no real reason?? Or was it a true-to-life anomaly, similar to that of the Min Min light, which puzzled a town for over a decade before being scared into the crevices of the hillside at the hands of the U.S. Forces during World War II...I'll leave it up to you to decide, but if you ever find yourself staying in Cooloolabin & notice an unexplainable light dancing on a nearby hillside - contact me! </span></div>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-18379985603250184692012-06-18T04:44:00.001-07:002012-06-18T04:44:18.562-07:00Convicts, Absconders & "Wild White Men" of Moreton Bay - Part III<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9D1qcZN6E3mXvU_CPOwdzlaXjcvg3IHi667p5ErpWHilyoNAam1rwcbRBnMPDX0qz_xhQm1lVxzZuQt8wMl7TFgeIhj-6mgSOtoOzi7yL5OZImox3ynAof_fqyDuNmM8ejaJROHlUcFQ/s1600/Duramboi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9D1qcZN6E3mXvU_CPOwdzlaXjcvg3IHi667p5ErpWHilyoNAam1rwcbRBnMPDX0qz_xhQm1lVxzZuQt8wMl7TFgeIhj-6mgSOtoOzi7yL5OZImox3ynAof_fqyDuNmM8ejaJROHlUcFQ/s400/Duramboi.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
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James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis in his later years</div>
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(<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_581008433"><b>Please contact me if you know the original source of this sketch - this</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_581008433"><b>differs slightly from the rough pencil sketch in J. J. Knight's <i>In the Early Years</i>,</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Haunts-of-Brisbane/275966655755127" target="_blank"><b>& I've not seen it published anywhere else apart from my one source document??</b></a>)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">J</span></b>umping off from our <a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/convicts-absconders-wild-white-men-of_16.html" target="_blank">Part II</a> article, whereby<i> </i>James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis found himself back in Brisbane Town & became involved in a number of amazing historic events with amazing historic figures, we finally follow into Part III of the story & our conclusion...<br />
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By the early 1850's, Davis had sold his blacksmith's shop at Kangaroo point, & had relocated to a new location in George Street in what is now Brisbane's CBD. For the first decade, he again worked as a farrier (blacksmith), however by the 1860's had undergone a marked change in trade - to a china & glassware merchant! Throughout this time, he was also employed by the Crown as an interpreter
during court cases involving indigenous men...&, as a result, was involved in a number of sensational cases that rocked early Brisbane Town...although, at times his aid as interpreter was more of a demand than a paid occupation. In 1851, Jemmy Parsons, alias
Paddy, alias <i>Mickaloi</i>, an aboriginal man from the Wide Bay Region, was
brought before the Courts for playing a part in the the murder of Mr Gregor & Mrs Shannon
on the Pine River. On asking to see <i>Duramboi</i> in his defence, whom he
had known in the Wide Bay area, Davis was sought from his Blacksmith's
shop to attend the case. On arriving at the Court, when <i>Mickaloi</i>
recognised <i>Duramboi</i> & began to converse with him, the Magistrate
demanded that Davis provide interpreted evidence...Davis, in turn,
demanded "expenses for attendance" - when this was not forthcoming from
the Magistrate, Davis refused to interpret, for which he earned
"twenty-four hours imprisonment, for contempt of Court." Ultimately, Jemmy Parsons would get his reprieve & subsequent release, & James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis would go on to interpret again...this case was more the exception than the rule...<br />
<br />
In June 1874, Davis was called to interpret during the case of aborigine "Johnny Brisbane," who was accused of murdering fellow aborigine "Captain King" at Yandina. Over the course of the trial, Davis would withdraw his aid as interpreter, as "Johnny Brisbane" proved to be proficient in English. In 1879, Davis was called to interpret for aborigine "Captain Piper," for the murder of William Stevens at Mooloolah 13 years previously...the evidence put forward in the case was damning, however, the verdict was reserved from the public. Davis stood in on a number of other major cases, however likely the most harrowing & disgusting was that of "<b>The Fraser Island Girls</b>" in 1859. During that year, rumours spread through Brisbane Town that after the shipwreck of the <i>Sea Belle</i> off Fraser Island in 1857, a white woman had been spied living with an aboriginal tribe on the Island...furthermore, it was rumoured that she had mothered two fair-skinned girls whilst there. The New South Wales Government immediately put up a reward of <span class="st">£100 to anyone who could find the girls, & </span><span class="st">£300 to anyone how could return them to Sydney. </span>A search party was immediately put together, commanded by a Captain Sawyer, & two young girls were snatched from the local tribe & returned to Sydney. <i>Duramboi</i> Davis was immediately requested to travel to Sydney, for which he was paid <span class="st">£20, to give a report on their status...it was discovered that the two kidnapped children were both wholly aboriginal & had nothing to do with the wreck of the <i>Sea Belle</i>...yet, no record exists of either child having been repatriated to their family on Fraser Island - they literally vanished into Sydney obscurity, & the whole affair was literally "swept under the carpet."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrfSRs_TOuRUVl1iQdFqSH3KyZCy65iunPR0i3vKQsud0iAeTQTPf9D45Z2YxAnu6_I6n1sKLFTMvUp1i0EmRfFlj8D1DMsN6uC_knlpdQuL_H_KwQpjDp8oRcnz82JvHPSRA68X1uo4/s1600/James+Davis+George+Street+1872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrfSRs_TOuRUVl1iQdFqSH3KyZCy65iunPR0i3vKQsud0iAeTQTPf9D45Z2YxAnu6_I6n1sKLFTMvUp1i0EmRfFlj8D1DMsN6uC_knlpdQuL_H_KwQpjDp8oRcnz82JvHPSRA68X1uo4/s640/James+Davis+George+Street+1872.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
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James Davis fronting his China & Glassware Store, c. 1872 (John Oxley Library)<span class="displayFix" id="lc7"> </span></div>
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc7">Sadly, by April 1889, it was quietly clear that James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis was suffering from terminal heart & lung disease. Throughout the month, Dr Grant Furley had been attending to Davis at his cottage in Burnett Lane...Davis had been reduced to a weak, thin & feeble man confined to his bed. Davis' condition remained somewhat stable until the 30th of April, when events spiralled further out of control. At 5am, Potter Batson, who collected rents for Davis, called into the address at Burnett Lane to discuss matters - Davis was laying in bed, and, "<b>appeared to be greatly agitated - he had had a bad night, and [</b>Bridget<b>, </b>his wife<b>] had been continually worrying him. She was continually upbraiding him with not having given her more money.</b>" Later in the day, Batson would again visit the house...however, this time around it would be for different reasons - on hearing some boys shouting up Burnett Lane, he ran to the Davis's cottage, where he saw James Davis laying on the floor beneath his wife. Bridget Davis, quite drunk, had her husband's head in her hands, & was driving it repeatedly into the floorboards...in his feeble state, Davis was shouting, "<b>For God's sake leave me alone; you will kill me.</b>" Batson immediately dragged the intoxicated Bridget off her husband, amidst cries that, "<b>he had no business to interfere between man & wife.</b>" On being rescued, James asked Batson to, "<b>carry me out, or get someone to carry me out, as I am afraid of my life.</b>" Batson laid Davis in his bed & ran for further help, locating Henry Ogelthie nearby - the two returned to Davis' cottage to remove him to a safer location, only to find Bridget in the bedroom punching her husband repeatedly in the face.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="displayFix" id="lc7">All the while, whilst Davis was being removed, Bridget was protesting, "<b>I want him to stay in his own house to die.</b>" In consequence, he was hurriedly carried next door to the residence of tailor Gustav Faultz. The next day, on the 1st of May 1889, Constable Bailey visited Davis at Faultz's residence to take a statement...Davis was in a very weakened state, & had great difficulty in speaking, however managed to provide a statement. Bruising was visible on Davis' arms & abdomen, & he had been coughing up fresh blood which had stained the bed sheets. Dr Furley continued to visit daily, & recorded that Davis' injuries were due to direct violence...he continued to attend Davis as his condition deteriorated over the next seven days, until James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis finally slipped away on the 7th of May...having slipped into a comatose state during the night, the great man had perished early in the morning before his ever attentive Doctor had been able to visit. The subsequent autopsy, conducted by Dr Furley, with the assistance of Dr Binden & in the presence of Constable Bailey, found that James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis suffered from extensive heart, lung, liver & kidney disease...however, the injuries Davis had received at the hands of his wife on the 30th of April, had strongly aided in the acceleration of his death. As a result, Bridget Davis was brought to trial, on the charge of manslaughter....however, the trial would see its fair share of drama...</span><br />
<br />
<span class="displayFix" id="lc7">On the first day of the trial on the 6th of June 1889, after some evidence was given, Bridget Davis, "<b>appeared to be in a very weak state and Mr. Pinnock </b>[the Police Magistrate] <b>said he did not care to go on with the case while she was in that state. When spoken to she waved her hands about and muttered incoherently, and generally appeared to be in a half-conscious state.</b>" As a result, the case was adjourned until Bridget was medically examined. When it again proceeded on the 21st of June, further damning evidence was submitted, closing the case for the prosecution - in light of the evidence put forth, Bridget claimed, "<b>I am as innocent of that crime as you are.</b>" Committed for trial before the Supreme Court, Bridget again appeared on the 26th of August...the evidence against her was again gone through, to which Bridget's defence chose not to call witnesses. Instead, a statement was made directly to the jury that the evidence that had been put forward was insufficient to convict on the grounds of manslaughter - despite the repeated assaults witnessed by Batson & Ogelthie, & the damning testimony put forward by Dr Furley, Bridget's defence was of the opinion that Davis was nearing the end of his life anyway, & it was somewhat of a mute point to suggest that his wife had accelerated the process. After an almost three hour deliberation, the jury returned with the stunning verdict of "not guilty!"</span><br />
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<span class="displayFix" id="lc7">As the record stands, James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis was laid to rest on the 8th of May 1889, alongside his first wife Ann who had predeceased him 6 years previously almost to the day...both rest not far behind what is known as "The Grove" alongside 12th Avenue at Toowong Cemetery. So, if ever you find yourself walking through Toowong, especially down 12th Avenue, think not of the ridiculously hair-brained stories of the "<i>Angel of Death</i>" or the "<i>13th Avenue Vampire</i>" peddled by Brisbane's "<b><i>Muppet of the Macabre - Jack Sim</i></b>"...ponder a while about the life & times of James <i>Duramboi </i>Davis, who played active witness to both the best & worst that Brisbane Town had to offer from 1828 to 1889...and single-handedly aided in created the amazing city in which we now live!</span><br />
<span class="displayFix" id="lc7"><br /></span><br />
<span class="displayFix" id="lc7"><br /></span>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-79578539152409944752012-06-16T05:50:00.001-07:002013-05-08T07:57:51.108-07:00Convicts, Absconders & "Wild White Men" of Moreton Bay - Part II<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b><b> wishes to advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander visitors that this article contains images and names of
deceased people.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDK0UdDASCec9Md7TwW5GCPnggd1yRjLzSxZGutG5SyZe726Z6Ox7nFRRF5p9GZeo2KrRt1Zr6zqLxpaAqlr-psXGw1bo7H3fkZXXkozJDkvw4KBIPxVSBY24dznp8y6wryx7ukCG6D4/s1600/Wolston+House+1890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDK0UdDASCec9Md7TwW5GCPnggd1yRjLzSxZGutG5SyZe726Z6Ox7nFRRF5p9GZeo2KrRt1Zr6zqLxpaAqlr-psXGw1bo7H3fkZXXkozJDkvw4KBIPxVSBY24dznp8y6wryx7ukCG6D4/s400/Wolston+House+1890.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Wolston House at Wacol, c.1890 (State Library of Qld)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">J</span></b>umping off from last night's<a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/convicts-absconders-wild-white-men-of.html" target="_blank"> Part I</a>, whereby<i> Duramboi</i> was finally located by Andrew Petrie's exploratory party, we follow into Part II of the story...<br />
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After being allowed to briefly return to his tribe in order to say goodbye & promise his return, Davis also ensured that the amassing aboriginal warriors would not attack Petrie's party during the night - a single act that would stand him in exceptional stead upon his arrival back in Brisbane Town. Andrew Petrie, however, still felt an attack during the night quite likely, & ordered his men to sleep in the whaleboat on the river...a precaution that was not necessary, "<b>for not a native was seen or heard during the night.</b>" On their return to Brisbane Town, Davis was granted his pardon by the Government, based on the likelihood that he had saved Andrew Petrie's (& extended party's) lives as a result of his final request to his tribe discouraging a revenge attack. Both Bracewell & Davis were placed with <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/simpson-stephen-2666" target="_blank">Stephen Simpson</a>,
the recently acting Colonial Surgeon to the Moreton Bay Penal
Settlement & current Crown Lands Commissioner for Moreton Bay, at
Woogaroo (near Goodna)...early the next year, in 1843, Simpson would be replaced by <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/wickham-john-clements-2790" target="_blank">John Clements Wickham</a>,
freeing up time for exploratory expeditions into the Bunya Mountains. A few years later again, Simpson would purchase land at Woogaroo for a horse stud, to become known as <i>Woogaroo Station</i> - on this land, in 1852, one of Queensland's oldest still-surviving resdiences would be built - <b>Wolston House</b>. Furthermore, in 1865 & only a few years before Simpson's death, his property would be transformed into the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, which we now know as Wolston Park.<br />
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Unfortunately for David Bracewell, his return to European civilisation
was short-lived - whilst felling trees with a logging party in 1844, he
was fatally crushed by a falling trunk. However, for James <i>Duramboi</i>
Davis, his life would continue to cross paths with further amazing
events as Brisbane Town's fortunes unfolded. Shortly after his employment with Stephen Simpson, Davis accompanied Captain Joliffe, whom had been one of Andrew Petrie's party that fateful trip, back to the Wide Bay district to take up land - during Petrie's exploration of the north, Joliffe had accompanied the party in order to evaluate the northern regions for sheep & cattle grazing, on behalf of famous pastoralist & shipowner <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/eales-john-2014" target="_blank">John Eales</a>. After a head station had been established at Tiaro, with two outlying stations at Gigoomgan and Owanyilla, Davis's previous employer Simpson paid a visit to inspect the progress as Crown Lands Commissioner. After various small employment stints, Davis finally returned to Brisbane Town, where he settled at Kangaroo Point in the mid-1840's. Opening a
blacksmith's shop to service the growing region, utilising smithy's skills he'd learnt during childhood from his father, Davis married Annie Shea in November 1846. Life back within western society was good, & his blacksmith business was trading extremely well...furthermore, Davis was still earning money on a random basis utilising the skills he'd learnt whilst moving amongst the northern tribes.<br />
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In the early days of
1848, <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/leichhardt-friedrich-wilhelm-ludwig-2347" target="_blank">Dr. Ludwig Leichhardt</a> sent specifically for <i>Duramboi</i>, to discuss his upcoming <a href="http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/cold-case-leichhardts-disappearance.htm" target="_blank">Swan River Expedition</a>...an
expedition from which the fated explorer & his party would never
return. On travelling out to Woogaroo, an area he knew well after having resided there for a short stint after being retuned from his tribe in 1842, Davis met with
the famed explorer. Disclosing important information necessary for
approaching & conversing with aboriginal tribes along the
way, he left Leichardt & his party to their final preparations. Terribly, as any Australian history buff would know, Leichhardt & his party were last seen two months later on the Darling Downs...the exact location of the expedition's demise has never been located, although it is assumed that they likely came to grief in the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia. Ironically, after a number of failed search & rescue attempts had been made by men such as <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hely-hovenden-3748" target="_blank">Hovenden Healy</a>, who had been a part of Leichhardt's previously aborted Swan River expedition in 1847, Davis was again called upon in the early 1860's to not only
provide valuable information as to Leichhardt's possible final location, but also to volunteer up to two years of
his life to accompany the search party! Whilst Davis was of the opinion
that Leichhardt had likely fallen foul of the inland aborigines, he was
only too happy to aid in the "rescue party"...however it was not to be.
To this day, the fate & whereabouts of Ludwig Leichhardt's missing
party is still a complete mystery, & will continue to be debated by
Australian historians.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUCVLuKpi0vk4bswefSsrvQQo_fcmEsW1bGumegkvDntoDPgRGnZbohkSuM54FtEQa_07CSfxKJoQiyiQ1lUfk20qMvJcaLZW8Qc3O1_zZQvQqnHMzCfDIN_irAm1G8S4s5H0fUmLySI/s1600/Leichhardt+Plate+1848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUCVLuKpi0vk4bswefSsrvQQo_fcmEsW1bGumegkvDntoDPgRGnZbohkSuM54FtEQa_07CSfxKJoQiyiQ1lUfk20qMvJcaLZW8Qc3O1_zZQvQqnHMzCfDIN_irAm1G8S4s5H0fUmLySI/s400/Leichhardt+Plate+1848.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The "Leichhardt Plate" held by the National Museum of Australia - the only extant relic located from Leichhardt's ill-fated 1848 expedition from Moreton Bay to the Swan River in Western Australia.</div>
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As an added aside to the story, which proves yet another fascinating facet to Davis' life, we also need to examine a previous amazing expedition of Leichhardt's. In 1844, Leichhardt wholly funded an expedition to travel from Moreton Bay to Port Essington on the northern tip of the Northern Territory above current-day Darwin. Considered a foolhardy mission, most Australians at the time supported Leichhardt's cause, however equally believed he would fail with tragic circumstances. With Jimbour Station on the Darling Downs earmarked as the starting point for the expedition, Ludwig Leichhardt spent some time at Cecil Plains Station, & discussed his expedition at length with the owners Henry & Sydenham Russell. Amazingly, the two brother had taken up the station in 1841, the year before Brisbane Town was opened for free settlement...more amazingly, one of the brothers, <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/russell-henry-stuart-2618" target="_blank">Henry Stuart Russell</a>, had been a member of Andrew Petrie's expedition party to the Wide Bay region in 1842 - the very expedition that located Davis & returned him to Brisbane Town! Henry Stuart Russell would go on to become one of the most important early historians of the Moreton Bay region, & would again mingle with James <i>Duramboi</i> Davis - on Davis' advice a few years later, Henry would take a lease & establish Burrandowan Station in the Wide Bay region, based on Davis' testimony that suitable grazing pastures existed in the locality.<br />
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Jumping back on track - after his meeting with Leichhardt in early 1848, Davis
was yet again to play a major role in the history of Brisbane only a few
months later, one fateful Sunday morning on the 26th of March 1848. On
that particular morning, he was roused from his Kangaroo Point
blacksmith's shop in the hope his skills learnt amongst the aborigines
could be of assistance again to the authorities - the body of a man
named Robert Cox had been found butchered on the bank of the Brisbane
River very close by, & the authorities were at a loss to explain the circumstances. Having arrived at the site of the Bush Inn, Davis
surveyed the scene of the crime & final location of the body...from
the riverbank, he successfully tracked marks of blood into thick grass
nearby but lost the trail. On spying some aborigines standing nearby,
Davis requested their help - an ability likely only possible to Davis on
that morning, given his indigenous linguistic skills - & the team
managed to follow the blood trail to the back fence of the Bush Inn, where a large quantity of blood was discovered.
As a result, Davis provided testimony regarding his findings at the initial hearing into the death of Robert Cox, for which William Fyfe would finally hang in Sydney for the murder...& to which Patrick Mayne would supposedly confess nearly twenty years later on his deathbed. In recent years, the topic of Robert Cox's murder is
still being healthily debated...little credence is paid to <i>Duramboi's</i>
connection to the case - yet another historic event of Brisbane, in which
this amazing man played an amazing part.<br />
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Jumping back to Davis' offer to aid in the search of Leichhardt, an amazing recollection was published in <i>The Brisbane Courier</i> on the 3rd of June 1889, not long after the great man's death. Penned by S. G. Mee, the article discussed, amongst other things, the discussions about the rescue attempt that the author had with Davis in the early 1860's. The article ended with an absolutely amazing personal account, that truly aids in appreciating the dignity, complexity & intelligence of James <i>Duramboi </i>Davis: "<b>Before concluding, I cannot omit to mention one little incident that occurred during my second interview with Mr. Davis. I found him, on this occasion, industriously painting his cottage in Burnett-lane. At the time we were conversing there strode - or rather rolled - up to us a gentleman (at least he was in the garb of one), who, without the aid of any fictitious rouge - so rubicund was he - would have furnished a telling "frightful example" for Mr. Warner in the cabaret scene in the play of "Drink." Davis politely requested the obtrusive stranger to retire and leave us to ourselves, as we wished to converse. To this he strenuously objected. "How dare you," he fiercely demanded, looking daggers at Duramboi - "how dare you dic - dictate to <i>me!</i> <i>You</i>, a fellow who has been fourteen years with the savages!" Davis, looking his gross insulter full in the face, with a quiet dignity I shall never forget, thus retorted:- "What you say, sir, is perfectly true; I was fourteen years with those you call savages; but I can assure you that during the whole of that time I never set eyes on so complete and so degraded a savage as you are at the present moment!" The rebuke acted like a bomb. The astounded and discomfited "pot-theist," with a muttered curse, instantly staggered off, leaving us to pursue our colloquy in peace.</b>"<br />
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<a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/convicts-absconders-wild-white-men-of_18.html" target="_blank"><b>Continue to Part III...</b></a>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7214910756174703959.post-60232086692619576742012-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:002013-05-08T07:57:07.279-07:00Convicts, Absconders & "Wild White Men" of Moreton Bay - Part I<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The <i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b><b> wishes to advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander visitors that this article contains images and names of
deceased people.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0CJyJkJ8aDxQGVVzwbcrlhFh_jtUrTecR1tqR-BNAscmms5UZ49RVaTyFrptpm-IuP3b1Xosh5dZX1rnAKPwAUlaAnSDgOfB8FgNlnyxeUXfPfsGUuhz4gifF-eRpBgcalTu_5z1sSQ/s1600/Mary+River+1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0CJyJkJ8aDxQGVVzwbcrlhFh_jtUrTecR1tqR-BNAscmms5UZ49RVaTyFrptpm-IuP3b1Xosh5dZX1rnAKPwAUlaAnSDgOfB8FgNlnyxeUXfPfsGUuhz4gifF-eRpBgcalTu_5z1sSQ/s400/Mary+River+1868.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Scene on the Mary River, c. 1868 (State Library of Qld)</div>
<b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-large;">T</span></b>his week, as part of our "Forgotten Brisbane" trilogy, we promised a yowie story...however, after painstakingly searching for historic accounts of "yowies" around Brisbane (Mt Coot-tha, Mt Glorious, Mt Mee, Mt Tamborine, Beerburrum etc, etc), we came to the conclusion that local "yowie" sightings seem to be a fairly recent phenomena. However...let's for a minute chase the topic of the "wild man" (as "yowies" or "yahoos" were known in Australia's early days), in the hope of locating an even more amazing story relating to our "Forgotten Brisbane" theme...<br />
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Over the past week, we posted two historic articles reporting on "wild men" of the Australian bush, on the <b><i>Haunts of Brisbane</i></b> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Haunts-of-Brisbane/275966655755127" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> - one <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=443312242353900&set=a.293511360667323.77595.275966655755127&type=1" target="_blank">from Victoria in 1886</a>, & one <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=444417018910089&set=a.293511360667323.77595.275966655755127&type=1" target="_blank">from New South Wales in 1872.</a> Whilst these little snippets allude to early accounts of the "yowie" or "yahoo" in Australia, a much earlier & more detailed account exists in an issue of <i>The Moreton Bay Courier</i> on the 28th of August 1847, in which a segment of <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/haydon-george-henry-3735" target="_blank">George Henry Haydon's </a>work of <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books/about/Five_years_experience_in_Australia_Felix.html?id=L0wPAAAAYAAJ" target="_blank"><i>Five Years' Experience in Australia Felix</i></a> is re-published: <br />
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<b>"A creature described by the natives as something very similar to an ourang-outang is supposed by many colonists to exist in the mountain ranges at the back of Western Port, but their ideas of it are mixed up with such a superstitious dread as to induce many to consider it only in the light of an imaginary being, created by their own fears, or by interested parties amongst themselves; but the fact of some strange and peculiar tracts having been noticed in the ranges, recorded in the Port Philip papers at the time they were discovered, and many other circumstances, seem to indicate that there is some animal resident there which has not yet been seen by a white man; and from the position of this tract of country, being quite out of any road pursued by European travellers, it is very possible such a thing may exist. An account of this animal was given me by Worrougetolon, a native of the Woeworong tribe, in nearly the following words:- "He is as big as a man and shaped like him in every respect, and is covered in stiff bristly hair, except about the face, which is like an old man's full of wrinkles; he has long toes & fingers, and piles up stones to protect him from the wind or rain, and usually walks about with a stick, and climbs trees with great facility; the whole of his body is hard and sinewy, like wood to the touch." Worrongby also told me, "that many years since, some of these creatures attacked a camp of natives in the mountains, and carried away some women and children, since which period they have had a great dread of moving about there after sunset." The only person now alive who killed one, he informed me, was Carbora, a great doctor, who had succeeded in striking one in the eye with his tomahawk. On no other part of his body was he able to make the least impression.</b><br />
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<b>All this might be very true when it is considered that, in the time before the white people came, their <i>golboranarrook</i>, or stone tomahawk, was not by any means a sharp weapon. The body of the South American sloth is to the touch as hard as wood, and I question much if a tomahawk such as I have seen used makes any impression on its thick skin. On one occasion, when pheasant shooting, about three days' journey in the mountains, in company with two natives and a white man, we constructed a bark hut, and had retired to repose, when, shortly afterwards, I was startled by a most peculiar cry, very different from any of the other noises which are heard from the wild animals inhabiting these ranges. I should have previously mentioned, that the blacks, after the fatigues of the day, had very soon fallen asleep; but, on the noise rousing them they both started up, and seized their guns with the utmost horror depicted on their countenances. Not a word escaped them, and the mysterious sound still echoed amongst the hills. On my asking one, in rather a loud voice, what he was frightened at, he desired me not to speak loud; that the shouts that had aroused them proceeded from a <i>bundyilcarno</i>, or devil, which is the name they have given this thing. The noise shortly died away in the distance, and I once more endeavoured to sleep. Neither of my natives would lie down for the night, and as soon as day dawned, they insisted on leaving the scene of this strange occurrence, and going to some distant part."</b><br />
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So, how do the above stories of "wild men" & aboriginal tales relate to Brisbane's history?? For that, we need to travel back even further again, to a time of penal servitude & an overuse of the lash for even the pettiest of offences...the story, which we'll walk through in three parts over the coming nights, will likely amaze you!<br />
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Our story begins on the solemn date of the 19th of July 1824, on which day a Scottish teenager was convicted of theft at the Surrey Assizes in England...his crime - the theft of 2s. 6d. from a church donation box. For his crime, James Davis was sentenced to seven years transportation to the outlying colony of Australia. Arriving in New South Wales in 1825 aboard the <i>Norfolk</i>, Davis was again charged with theft three years later...a serious secondary crime which saw him transported to the fledgling Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, which at the time was under the control of notorious Commandant Patrick Logan. Within six weeks of his arrival at Moreton Bay, Davis quickly realised that he would need to take drastic action if he was to survive - as he would explain many years later, members of his chain gang were cutting other convicts' throats & bashing each other on the head with stones in order to earn a one-way ticket to Sydney & the gallows...such were the hardships & depredations of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, that a hangman's noose was a preferable alternative to hard labour. During a moment of inattention, Davis made good his escape in league with another convict, & both headed north. Amazingly, after some time on the run, the pair fell in with the Kabi Kabi aboriginal tribe...even more amazingly, the Kabi Kabi Chief, <i>Pambi Pambi</i>, immediately believed that Davis was the reincarnated spirit of his deceased warrior son <i>Duramboi</i>. On the back of this freak case of mistaken identity, Davis was accepted into the tribe & offered protection...unfortunately, his travelling partner was not so lucky, speared shortly afterwards as a result of inadvertently breaching the tribe's most sacred burial customs.<br />
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The rest, as they say, was history for almost 14 years...<br />
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Jump forward to 1842...the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement days had finally come to a close, & Brisbane Town's days as a free settlement were in their absolute infancy. Over the duration of the previous few years, the regions directly west of Brisbane had been roughly explored, however, the areas to the north were a complete mystery...& it was within those mysterious, uncharted areas that a select few lucky convict escapees, like James Davis, still roamed with their adoptive aboriginal families. Having heard rumours of such "wild white men" & the potential knowledge they might possess of the land, one of Brisbane's most influential founding fathers, <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/petrie-andrew-2548" target="_blank">Andrew Petrie</a>, was very keen to head north. Having come into information that a "wild white man" resided in the area to the north of Brisbane Town, going by the Aboriginal name of <i>Wandi</i>, Petrie sought this man out...in every likelihood, it was surmised that he was David Bracewell - an English convict that had seen transportation to Australia for assault with intent to rob. Having originally arrived at Hobart Town, Bracewell was soon transferred to Moreton Bay Penal Settlement. Absconding for brief periods on a number of occasions, for which he was heavily punished with the lash, Bracewell made good on a lengthy escape in 1829 and took up residence with an aboriginal tribe north of current Brisbane. However, having been located & repatriated back to Moreton Bay in 1837, he again fled north in 1839 under fear of being transferred to Norfolk Island. After some troubles, Petrie finally managed to locate Bracewell near Noosa, & convinced him to aid in their exploration of the north.<br />
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Andrew Petrie, c. 1850's (John Oxley Library)</div>
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After heading further north & scouting around Fraser Island in the hope of making contact with local aborigines capable of divulging valuable clues as to a river located on the nearby mainland, with Bracewell in tow as interpreter, the party finally located the mouth of the waterway...originally named Wide Bay River, the tributary would eventually be named the Mary River in 1847 after Mary, the wife of New South Wales Governor <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fitzroy-sir-charles-augustus-2049" target="_blank">Charles Augustus Fitzroy</a>. Petrie & a small group of men took to a whaleboat & made their way up the river, spending a number of days exploring its reaches until finally being brought to a standstill by rocks. Keen to gain further information as to the surrounding landscape, Petrie sent Bracewell out on a number of scouting missions - it was hoped the recently recruited interpreter might be able to make contact with local tribes in the area. However, Bracewell returned in the evening with some alarming news - just over a kilometre from Petrie's position, a large number of aboriginal men from several tribes were camped. A small party including Petrie cautiously returned to the site of the large gathering, whereby Bracewell made himself known by shouting <i>Wandi!</i> - his aboriginal name - into the crowd, causing panic & a show of spears. Immediately, a tall man rose to his feet & ran towards Petrie's party from the other side of the camp, & Bracewell stood amazed...before him stood a man he'd spent time with over a decade beforehand at the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, & had not seen since - James Davis. After almost 14 years travelling with his adoptive tribe, Davis had finally come in contact with the European world.<br />
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At first, Davis - or <i>Duramboi</i> as he was known to his tribe - was furious with Bracewell...he felt an instant fear that his fellow "wild white man" had purposefully lead the Constabulary to his position to remove him back to the tyranny he'd experienced at Moreton Bay Penal Settlement. After much negotiating on Andrew Petrie's behalf, via Bracewell, Davis was convinced that Brisbane Town's convict days were over, & he'd face no further repercussions for his absconding. After promising his tribe he would return, a pact he would never fulfil, <i>Duramboi </i>(James Davis) made his way back to Brisbane Town with <i>Wandi</i> (David Bracewell) & Andrew Petrie. In his diary of the expedition, Andrew Petrie described the event, "<b>I shall never forget his </b>[<i>Duramboi's</i>] <b>appearance
when he arrived in our camp – a white man in a state of nudity, and
actually a wild man of the woods; his eyes wild and unable to rest a
moment on any one object. He had quite the same manner and gestures that
the wildest blacks have got. He could not speak his ‘mither’s tongue,’
as he called it. He could not pronounce English for some time, and when
he did attempt it, all he could say was a few words, and those were
often misapplied, breaking off abruptly in the middle of a sentence with
the black gibberish, which he spoke very fluently. During the whole of
our conversation his eyes and manner were completely wild, looking at us
as if he had never seen a white man before. In fact, he told us he had
forgotten all about the society of white men, and had forgotten all
about his friends and relations for years past, and had I or someone
else not brought him from among those savages he would never have left
them."</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://hauntsofbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/convicts-absconders-wild-white-men-of_16.html" target="_blank">Continue to Part II...</a></b>Liam Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08647251820526640941noreply@blogger.com2