O' 13th Avenue, Where Art Thou??

12th Avenue within Toowong Cemetery - amongst all other Avenues, this Avenue has always held a special place in my heart as I have family buried there.  At the bottom of the hill, alongside 8th Avenue & almost in line with 12th Avenue, the first wife of my great grandfather, who died in childbirth, is interred (mother to 5 children, half-siblings to my grandmother - 4 of them are interred nearby).  At the top of the hill, just past the end of 12th Avenue at the intersection of 2nd & 3rd Avenue, my grandfather's aunty & family are interred.  My great great grandparents & 6 of their children are interred within an area known as "the grove" alongside 12th Avenue, an area heavily overgrown with Bunya Pines & Camphor Laurel trees, & populated with amazing monumental masonry that has always fascinated me.   Most importantly, which will become apparent shortly, another grave housing my great great grandparents & 1 of their children, lies alongside 13th Avenue.  Needless to say, I know this section of Toowong Cemetery incredibly well, given the number of family interments within its confines.

Searching for stories of Brisbane ghosts & hauntings as I regularly do, my interest peaked recently whilst reading an article published in the City South News, reporter unlisted, on the 13th of September 2010 entitled, "Tour issue dead and buried."  The article itself was unengaging aside from a sadly downplayed parting comment by the Greater Brisbane Cemetery Alliance Vice-President Kelvin Johnston, stating more should be done to prosecute cemetery trespassers - only one year prior, vandals had gone on a rampage through a section of the cemetery, resulting in the destruction of over 80 graves.  Sadly, after a protracted court case, the 4 individuals were acquitted of charges on the back of inadequate cemetery laws.  However, my interest was instantly drawn to a public comment posted about the piece by "Jason" - "Just compare a Ghosts of Toowong map to a real one of Toowong Cemetery to see how Mr. Sim has relocated 13th avenue." 

So, what of these claims of a "relocation" of Toowong's 13th Avenue??  A quick Google search on "toowong cemetery 13th avenue" brought up a blog site, which stated, "At the corner of 12th and 13th Avenue it is said that the Angel of Death stands and hisses whoever comes near."  From this lead, various related search strings pulled up further hints, including testimony from one of the tour guides of the Toowong Cemetery tour  - "While I waiting on the hill alone above the intersection of 12th and 13th Avenue (the place where The Angel is said to appear) I heard a male voice whispering to the right behind me."  Yet another personal blog site stated, "At the corner of 12th and 13th Avenue, said to be the middle point of the graveyard (there is no street sign to mark 13th Avenue as it is the most stolen street sign in Queensland) we joined hands and summoned the Angel of Death.  He must have been taking a night off."  Here, another very important factor wades into the mix - the 13th Avenue sign, allegedly "the most stolen street sign in Queensland".  After some more detective work speaking to extended friends who had taken the tour of Toowong Cemetery, I discovered that the intersection of 12th & 13th Avenue was located above the Mayne monument at the high point of 12th Avenue - I was assured that this "fact" was verified by the "angel" story & Toowong Cemetery map in the book, The Ghosts of Toowong Cemetery: Brisbane's Haunted Necropolis.

Seeking out the story & map in said book, I located the section about the "angel of death" on page 23 - there I found the reference again, as clear as day - "At the intersection of two roads - Twelfth and Thirteenth Avenues, a crossroads in the dead centre of the cemetery..."  I then flipped to the associated map of Toowong Cemetery on page 37, which clearly showed the intersection of 12th & 13th Avenue (marked at Figure 8 above). For reference, the photo at the top of this article shows the intersection, complete with 12th Avenue sign & jagged bracket below where the 13th Avenue sign has supposedly been torn free by thieves.  So - you're likely wondering where I'm going with this?  Well, having family buried alongside both 12th & 13th Avenues & knowing the area of the cemetery extremely well, I can categorically state that no such intersection between the two Avenues exists!  A simple search of the Brisbane City Council website provides a link to the official map of Toowong Cemetery - this map clearly shows that the intersection in question is actually between 12th Avenue & 11th Avenue. 13th Avenue exists much further along 8th Avenue at the bottom of the hill, & in no way comes anywhere near the top of 12th.  Furthermore, the intersection is far from the centre of the cemetery, as claimed.  Conveniently, the missing sign at the top of 12th Avenue belongs to 11th Avenue, not 13th.

How such a glaring error could possibly be made (& continues to be made), given the ease with which the Council's official Toowong Cemetery map can be accessed, is anyone's guess.  However, given that the associated ghost tale hinges wholly on the location of the crossroads between 12th & 13th Avenue (which clearly does not exist), one can only call into question the overall legitimacy of the supposed haunting.  There is no doubt that 12th Avenue is an amazing place, made even more so by the almost mystical grove located down its side...changed street names & the attachment of tall tales only aid in cheapening the historic & potentially paranormal nature of the site.  As a final note, one solitary tidbit of information did come to light whilst investigating the "crossroads" claim, found on a forum site - "I know a friend who told me that a certain 13th avenue either disappeared or appeared (bad memory) at toowong cemetery..."  Perhaps this rumour explains my inability to locate the fabled crossroad...or then again, perhaps it is just as fictitious as the intersection itself??

The Executive Building: Charlie wasn't as drunk as tourists are told...

Many visitors to Brisbane who enter the CBD via North Quay on William Street or the Riverside Expressway off-ramp onto Elizabeth Street, may well formulate a false impression of the city's colonial history.  Travelling along the first stretch of Elizabeth Street, two incredibly impressive sandstone buildings loom large on either side, coaxing the onlooker into believing they are commuting between two of Brisbane's original buildings.  However, both came into existence many decades after Brisbane became a free colony, although what lies beneath holds amazing value to Brisbane Town's genesis.  The Treasury Casino to the left of Elizabeth Street was the original Treasury Building, taking an amazing 42 years to complete in 3 separate stages - during these stages, the expanding building was utilised at some point by almost every Government Department including the Premier, until the final stage along George Street was officially opened on the 4th of May 1928 by the Minister for Works, Michael Joseph Kirwan.  On completion, the building earned a reputation as one of the finest public buildings in Australia.  However, from a colonial & historical viewpoint, the building now rested on the original site of the since demolished Moreton Bay Penal Settlement's Military Barracks.

To the right of Elizabeth Street, Queens Gardens exists - a green zone with park benches & a plinthed statue of Queen Victoria & Queensland Premier Thomas Joseph Ryan.  In the bottom corner, another memorial topped by an eagle pays tribute to the R.A.A.F. servicemen & women who paid the ultimate sacrifice during Australia's involvement in the Second World War.  What appears to be a quaint park is anything but that, however - on this site, the Cathedral of St. John existed from 1854-1904, commemorated by a marble slab alongside the Queen Victoria statue marking the site of the original altar.  Later, a stone Rectory & Church Institute building was constructed in the late 1890's, however all were bought soon after by the Queensland Government.  The area behind became known as the Executive Gardens in 1905 & displayed an enviable selection of flowers, available for public view "at all hours, day & night."  During this time, the associated outbuildings were utilised by the Brisbane Criminal Investigation Branch, aiding in the buildings' survival through until 1962 when they were finally demolished in the name of progress.

However, our building of focus lies beyond Queens Gardens to the right of Elizabeth Street, but is no less spectacular than the Treasury Building in size or appearance.  Our building of note is the Executive Building, or current Treasury Heritage Hotel.  Commenced in 1901 & officially opened in 1905, the building housed the Lands & Survey Department, including the offices of the Premier on the second floor & Queensland National Art Gallery along the George Street side of the building's third floor.  Similarly, the site on which the building stands also has an amazing history dating back to Brisbane Town's early years - on the 13th of April 1851, the United Evangelical Church Chapel was opened on the site, intended to provide religious service to the massive influx of immigrants who had arrived in Brisbane as a part of Dr. John Dunmore Lang's immigration scheme.  The Chapel was eventually sold to Dr. Lang on the 7th of April 1857, & again to the Government in December 1860, becoming Brisbane's first electric telegraph office. This amazing piece of Brisbane's history was sadly demolished in June 1899 to make way for the current building.

In an article published in the Sunday Mail on the 4th of October 1998, reporter Lou Robson detailed a tour she had taken in Brisbane, which included one of the best known ghost stories of the old Executive Building - "In the public bar a drunk called Charlie, who fell to his death from the top floor, is said to open doors for patrons & fondle barmaids as they work."  Exactly 10 years later in October 2008, Jetstar Magazine published an article about the same tour, reporting an amazingly similar story, albeit with slightly modified details - "It also takes in the Treasury Casino, where a decanter of expensive whisky has a habit of being mysteriously moved. "They believe it’s the ghost of an old man who was once a regular," says Senescall [the tour guide]. "A security guard once walked in just as the whisky had been poured, and saw the bottle return to the bar without a hand holding it.""  However, like all good ghost folk law in Brisbane, historical sources rarely stand in the way of good stories.

There is a very sound historical basis to this story, however the major glitch in the telling lies in the fact that the bars in both the Treasury Casino & Treasury Heritage Hotel are only about 15 years old - how on earth, could an old drunk be haunting a bar he frequented many years before the bar came into existence?  Ultimately, Charlie does not exist & he was not an old drunk...the truth lies in the story's single detail of a fatal fall.    

On Tuesday the 9th of February 1937, at 11:25 in the morning, 37 year old Kevin McMahon stood up from his work table in the Government Survey Office & walked into the hall on the third floor of the Executive Building towards the men's rest room on the forth floor. Kevin had grown up in Warwick, where he attended St. Joseph's Christian Brothers' College, affording him a high score in public examinations.  As a result, straight out of high school, he was offered a position as junior draughtsman in the Government Survey Office in 1917, which he pursued until a change of employer saw him move to the State Insurance Office as an assistant draughtsman in 1919.  Seven years at his second workplace elevated his experience & knowledge, resulting in Kevin finally returning to the Government Survey Office as a fully fledged draughtsman in 1926 to see out a further ten years in his chosen profession.  Focused on their work, the other 15 to 20 employees of the Government Survey Office paid little notice to his exit from the room - it would be the last time they would see their colleague alive.

Witnesses stated that Kevin looked pale & weak as he ascended the stairs toward the rest room, moving slowly & clutching the bannister for support.  A few minutes later, a horrible crash was heard throughout the building - on descending the stairs, Kevin had relied too heavily on the bannister's support & had toppled over, heavily striking a concrete ledge & the second floor stair railing.  On the ground floor, a woman & salesman Colin Campbell were sitting on a bench seat waiting to enter one of the offices - without a second's warning, Kevin's body impacted the concrete floor a few feet from where they sat.  The woman, suffering severely from shock, was escorted immediately from the scene, whilst Colin was called before the Inquest to provide evidence.  As a result of the Inquest, Kevin's brother Joseph was called upon, testifying that no underlying issues existed to hint at suicide (Kevin was happily married with four children), & the Coroner J. J. Leahy requested to personally see the stairwell before judgement, as testimony had alluded to a dangerously low stair bannister.  Ultimately, the Inquest deemed Kevin's death to be a tragic accident.

So, next time you walk past the old Executive Building (Treasury Heritage Hotel), spare a thought to Kevin & his family's loss - he wasn't named Charlie, he wasn't a drunk, & he sure as hell never frequented a bar that didn't exist for another nearly 60 years.

It was the butcher...in the basement...with the cleaver..."allegedly"...

When I first started out in the parapsychology field in Brisbane back in 1998, a number of buildings throughout the CBD held a reputation for being haunted.  However, whilst it was fairly common to be approached by Brisbane residents & told that a specific building was rumoured to have a resident ghost, when these informants were pressed on the matter further, they commonly couldn’t provide anything more than, “Well…ummm…I don’t really know anything about it…but I've heard it's supposed to be haunted.” Obviously, this made pinpointing the origin of the “haunting” & in turn the history behind it exceedingly difficult. Fortunately though, some reputedly haunted buildings had quite complex folklore associated with them, detailing the exploits of the ghost(s) in residence as well as their supposed genesis. In these cases, by backtracking through the detail, it was sometimes possible to locate an historical event that roughly matched the ghost story – hence, whilst the ghost itself still required verification though more scientific means, at least the parapsychologist could take comfort in the knowledge that the likely historic origin behind the haunting was sound.

One such ghost tale involves an area most frequent visitors to the Brisbane CBD would know well – that of Brisbane Arcade, cutting between the Queen Street Mall & Adelaide Street. Now, as far as Brisbane ghost stories go, the Arcade lays claim to a very well-known haunting of its own, however we shall savour that tale & the history behind it for a later blog. The story we will focus on this week reputedly involves an area immediately adjoining the Arcade, although the usual telling of the tale also stipulates that the establishment in which the haunting occurred no longer exists. As is the norm with the bulk of Brisbane's ghost folklore, a veritable rabbit's warren needs to be navigated in order to assemble the likely historic components that gave rise to the story - below, by virtue of solid historic research, I will pull the components of the story apart & endeavour to locate the likely events that gave rise to the tale.

The most common version of the story tells of a haunting that was supposedly an occurrence in a butcher's shop fronting Adelaide Street, built behind the Brisbane Arcade. This butcher's shop is said to have traded at the location since at least the turn of the century (1899 - 1900), & apparently continued to trade for a number of years thereafter. However, as usually results from the march of time, the butcher's store finally closed its doors and was lost to progress - the story insinuates that this closure occurred some decades ago. So, what do we know about the ghosts of the site? It is said that at some stage of the shop's operation (no version of the story provides even a rough estimate as to when the event took place), a fight broke out between the butcher & his apprentice - in a rage, the butcher unleashed a cleaver in the direction of his underling, striking him in the head & killing him instantly. Ultimately, from that time after, both subsequent owners & customers alike occasionally heard spectral sounds of a fracas followed by screams from the back of the store.

So, how do we investigate an apparent haunting such as this? No butcher's store exists nowadays alongside Brisbane Arcade & the story itself documents that the store was closed many years ago, & no information exists regarding the supposed time period in which the event occurred - it's now necessary to look at what we do know, historically, about the site itself. Primarily, after scouring all available historic sources, no record of a butcher's apprentice dying from wounds inflicted in a shop in Adelaide Street (or elsewhere in the CBD) can be located. Had a butcher killed his apprentice around the turn of the century (a rough estimate, given the scant details provided in the ghost tale), the sensationalism of the case would have ensured extensive media coverage - none exists. Furthermore, information confirming the existence of a contemporary butcher's store in the vicinity is also very lean - the story is already on shaky ground, or is it? Fascinatingly, some truth exists regarding a butcher's store on the site, however it pre-dates what would be expected given the details of the original tale.

The site on which the haunted butcher's shop allegedly existed, & Brisbane Arcade in general, had originally been a butcher's shop back in the very early years of Brisbane Town. In September 1849, a recently married Irish immigrant name Patrick Mayne purchased a butchery fronting Queen Street. Having arrived in New South Wales penniless in 1841, he moved north shortly after given the opening of Brisbane Town for free settlement. At the time, Brisbane was no more than a frontier town, ripe for the picking for immigrants willing to apply themselves - by 1846, Patrick had secured employment as a butcher at Kangaroo Point. However, on the night of the 25th or early hours of the 26th March 1848, it is postulated that Patrick horrifically murdered & dismembered a cedar-cutter named Robert Cox at Kangaroo Point's Bush Inn for the sum of £350. A year later, this stolen money was supposedly used to buy Mayne's butcher's business on Queen Street, which operated from 1849 until 1871 - the business was continued by Patrick's wife Mary, proceeding his death on the 17th August 1865, at which time Patrick allegedly admitted to the prior murder on his deathbed. For the full story, I cannot recommend highly enough Rosamond Siemon's book, "The Mayne Inheritance."

Please Note:- Much has been written about the Mayne Family & their incredibly unfortunate history in the recently published schlock-horror fiction series of books produced by Brisbane's Ghost Tours, in blatant contradiction & mockery of Rosamond's heavily researched work, & Brisbane's history in general - for the record, Rosamond holds a PhD from the University of Queensland in History & is a highly respected Alumni. Not only did she donate the entire publisher's advance she received for her book, but she also donated a percentage of the book's royalties to the University of Queensland's Annual Appeal to advance kidney research at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

Given Patrick's reputation in Brisbane at the time, including further unsubstantiated rumours that he may have unscrupulously killed more early Brisbane residents during his lifetime, his original store on the site most likely gave rise to the story of a butcher's apprentice who suddenly died on-site, hence giving rise to a "haunting" of the building. However, given that no information exists to verify the untimely & unusual death of a butcher in the vicinity, where do we now stand? Well...we stand pretty close, actually - about 300 metres away, to be exact. On Boxing Day 1931, Brisbane was waking up on the flip-side of Christmas, although the staff of the Criterion Hotel, which backs onto Burnett Lane, felt something was amiss - staff taking cigarette breaks & garbage runs in the laneway behind the establishment reported smelling a strong scent of gas. Both Police & Ambulance were called for at 6:45am, & the gas leak was isolated to the door of a butcher & smallgoods store in Burnett Lane.

On arrival, Sergeant Collis of the Brisbane CIB immediately kicked in the door to discover the inevitable - a body was located lying on a number of sacks in the storeroom of the shop, the head in close proximity to a number of gas bottles of which one was open. On an examination of the dead man's pockets, £15 in notes, silver & copper were discovered, along with a loaded revolver & bottle marked "poison." Further investigation identified the man as the owner, 29 year old butcher Leonard Victor Wiltshire. During the subsequent Inquest, Leonard's wife testified that he had left for the shop some time after 3am on Christmas Eve, & she had worked alongside him until late that night. Early the next morning on Christmas Day, he had returned to see to the store refrigerator alone, & had not returned. It was lodged before the Court that Leonard had owned the store for about 6 months, after owning previous stores throughout the city. He had been suffering from "nervous troubles" for two years, & whilst it did not appear that he suffered from financial issues during this time, it is highly likely Leonard's death was unofficially considered a suicide - official sources record the cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning & asphyxia.

So, next time someone tells you that Brisbane Arcade may be haunted by the ghost of a butcher's apprentice, point them in the direction of the newly renovated Criterion Tavern - not only will they be able to get a good steak sandwich & cold beer, but they may just catch a glimpse of a ghostly butcher that died just behind the establishment, yet supposedly haunts the other end of the Queen Street Mall.

The Archerfield ghost: why compile your own material when you can steal someone elses?

"I was walking across one of the airfields on my way back to a group of friends when I spotted a man dressed in what appeared to be World War II flight gear.  I can remember him vividly, right down to his flight jacket, goggles, and cap. As there were a number of wartime aviation buffs visiting the airfield that day, I thought nothing of it - must have been someone getting into the spirit of things by turning up in costume. We passed each other and the friendly chap acknowledged me with a gesture and a nod, as did I to him, and I continued to walk back to rejoin my friends. When I arrived back, I asked my colleagues who the chap in the World War II flight gear was. It was at that point that one of the more knowledgeable of our group told me that I had just met the ghost of Archerfield!"

The above is an excerpt from the Australian chapter in the Encyclopedia of Haunted Places: Ghostly Locales From Around The World, compiled & edited in 2005 by no other than Jeff Belanger, the current day guru on ghostly phenomena.  Furthermore, aside from one segment written by Jeff about Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee, N.S.W., I was responsible for writing the Australian chapter for the encyclopaedia - including the section on the ghost of Archerfield Aerodrome.  The excerpt above was taken from an interview I conducted many years ago with an old ex-pilot who claimed to have experienced the ghost of Archerfield first-hand.  So...imagine my surprise when I recently stumbled across an article written by John Simpson in the Southern Star, entitled, "Eerie claims haunt airport."  Imagine my added surprise upon reading that "Sunnybank Hills-based ghost chaser and author of Haunted Brisbane: Ghosts of the River City, Jack Sim," had allegedly submitted the encyclopaedia entry himself!!

The article was clearly a promotional piece drumming up interest for "Jack" Sim's book, which at the time the article was published in the Southern Star in March 2009, was only a few months away from hitting store shelves as a second print edition - the first print edition had only seen 2000 copies produced, & was released in October 2005.  Here, we expose the ridiculousness of the claim in the newspaper article, as the Encyclopedia of Haunted Places was also released in October 2005 - why would a first-time author of a book about Brisbane's ghosts, relying on self-promotion & destined for a severely limited print run, submit highly useable material to another ghost book being compiled by a world-renowned author, destined for a massive print run & ongoing international distribution...with an identical release date?? Needless to say, I was less than impressed!

Additionally, Haunted Brisbane: Ghosts of the River City, is emblazoned with statements on the back cover such as "extensively researched" & "haunted historian" & "haunted heritage."  Given the numerous historical inaccuracies that cheapen every chapter of the book, I not only felt insulted at having my historically accurate material in the encyclopaedia linked with "Jack" Sim's name, but also felt insulted as a graduate professional in historical archaeology & cultural heritage at having my material used to advertise a book written by an unqualified salesman plugging gimmicky tours based on fictionalised "heritage". For the record, I have attempted to locate contact details for the author of the Southern Star article without success, & have contacted both the Chief Editor for Quest Newspapers & the Editor for the Southern Star in order to discern who provided them with the information for the article - to date, I have received no replies.  Ultimately, given that my name accompanies each section & photograph in the Australian chapter of the encyclopaedia, their journalistic capabilities in researching & cross-checking leave much to be desired!

So, poorly sourced journalism aside, let's delve further into the real history of Archerfield & the possible origin of the ghost tale of Beatty Road.  I have spoken to multiple people over the years who claim to have possibly spotted the ghost of Archerfield Aerodrome, however only 3 of these witnesses during this time observed the anomaly for more than a split second & were considered credible on interview.  Of these 3 witnesses, the observations of the "pilot" match: a man, dressed in a leather flight jacket with possible overalls under (waist down), & peaked cap with raised flight goggles sitting just above the peak.  One account took place towards the southern boundary of the airport, & two along Beatty Road also towards the southern boundary in the proximity to Mortimer Road.  Amongst these accounts, observations of a deployed parachute do not exist, as published in the Southern Star article - of the airmen that tragically lost their lives in pursuing their duties at Archerfield around the time of WWII, not one had the luxury of deploying a chute prior to the crash of their craft.

So, where does this ghost fit into history?  It is likely that one incident that occurred at Archerfield gave rise to the apparition - at the time, the event was deemed the worst air disaster in Australia's history.  Even now, after almost 70 years, the accident still ranks as the 10th worst aviation disaster in Australia.

On the 26 March 1943, a C-47 Douglas Dakota touched down at Archerfield Aerodrome, after having taken off from Townsville earlier in the day loaded with essential radar equipment destined for Sydney.  Upon landing, both the pilot & flight engineer advised the ground crew that the plane merely required refueling, which was carried out & the aircraft hangared.  At 5am the next morning, under cover of darkness with a chill in the air, the crew of four took charge of the machine & carried out a very brief pre-flight check in anticipation of completing their final run to Sydney.  The C-47 hastily taxied out towards the runway, stopping briefly to take on board 19 passengers who waited patiently in the brisk predawn air - 2 U.S. Army personnel (including a Major), an Australian Army Lieutenant, 13 R.A.A.F. personnel (mostly Signals Unit staff from Townsville) & 3 unauthorised W.A.A.F. personnel who had convinced the pilot to grant them a passage to Sydney.  Whilst the passengers embarked, a Lockheed took advantage of the available runway & accelerated down the flare path, only to abort the take-off & return the the hangars - a thick fog bank had developed at the southern extremity of the aerodrome runway due to the prevailing conditions.

Anxious to get in the air, the C-47 threw caution to the wind & accelerated down the runway following the flare trail at 5:11am, radioing through to the control tower as they left the ground with the simple message of "departed now" before disappearing into the fog bank...at 5:15am, the aircraft careened into the bush just south of the aerodrome & slammed into the ground in a ball of fire, in complete ignorance of personnel who had just watched the aircraft take off.  Given the prevailing darkness & fog obscuring the southern boundary, further minutes passed before aerodrome controllers were notified that an explosion had been heard south of the runway.  Shortly after, upon investigation, the very worst was revealed - the C-47 had gone down with the loss of all on board.  It became apparent that after crossing the southern boundary of the aerodrome, the plane had banked steeply to the left.  In doing so, the left wingtip had come in contact with the top of a tree, sheering through the wing & dragging the plane over into a nose-down position - gravity & engines under full throttle had done the rest, plowing the aircraft into the undergrowth.

Sergeant James Nicol, of the Moorooka Police Station, attended the scene of the crash at 6:45am to begin civilian investigations - wreckage was strewn over a large area & the bodies of the unfortunate passengers were located nearby the front of the aircraft once the fires had been extinguished - all 23 passengers had been so badly burnt in the resulting fuel fire, that only one had been identifiable.  An immediate Inquiry was launched by the Air Minister into what had become the worst air disaster in Australia's history.  On the 31st of March, the issue was raised in the House of Representatives by Air Minister Arthur Drakeford, with Prime Minister John Curtin adding that, "To the extent it was possible for the Government to make accidents less probable, the House could be assured nothing would be spared."  As a result, the civilian Inquest was begun alongside the R.A.A.F. investigation.

The battle lines were drawn throughout the Inquest period - the Police Force accused the R.A.A.F. of withholding information critical to the investigation, & the R.A.A.F. accused the Police Force of excluding them from the Coroner's Inquest.  After some wrangling,  the R.A.A.F. applied for a successful ajournment in order to complete their investigation, the evidence from which was tendered to the Coroner's Inquest.  Ultimately, the R.A.A.F. found the pilot at fault - it was postulated that by flying into the fog bank, the pilot was forced to switch immediately from visual to instrument navigation, during which he was distracted by the reflection of the craft's headlights on the fog.  An unexplainable non-regulation turn made at low altitude then caused the left wingtip to hit trees.  The resulting collision stripped away a section of the left wing & dragged the body of the plane downwards into the scrub, resulting in complete loss of life.  The R.A.A.F. denied that the crew had failed to maintain the aircraft & carry out a full pre-flight check prior to the takeoff in Brisbane, even though doubts had been raised by American engineers based at Archerfield.

The Coroner held the final say - the maintenance schedule of the C-47 was immediately called into question.  With testimony produced by American Airforce personnel stationed at Archerfield, the necessity for continual maintenance & full -pre-flight checks were reinforced - two factors seemingly lacking prior to takeoff of the fated flight.  Unfortunately, evidence to prove both procedures had been undertaken (or not) were destroyed in the crash when the logbooks burnt & the flight engineer was killed.  Furthermore, the Coroner called into question the reasons behind the steep bank of the aircraft after takeoff - it had been argued that this steep turn resulted from the pilot's attempt to turn the craft around after suffering mechanical failure, as some witnesses claimed to have heard engine backfires just prior to the crash.  American engineers testified that under chilly conditions, condensation could form in the fuel tanks causing engine failure, which could have been avoided had a full pre-flight check been undertaken by the crew - again, little could be proven given the condition of the wreckage.  As a final note, the Coroner stated that overall, given the prevailing foggy conditions on the morning, the plane should never have been allowed to take off.  With that, the Inquest closed, with a number of recommendations for the R.A.A.F., & the death of 23 fine servicemen & women.

So, next time you find yourself driving along the outskirts of Archerfield Aerodrome & around the corner into Bowhill Road, spare a thought for the 23 servicemen & women who tragically lost their lives that foggy morning back in 1943...& if you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the fabled airman who is rumoured to have been a passenger on that fateful flight.

Halloween: An all-American tradition we've pointlessly adopted, right??

 

Halloween...kids begging to go door-knocking around the neighbourhood dressed in scary costumes, in the hope of bagging lollies...pumpkins carved into jack-o'-lanterns adorning the front of houses...the ever-present threat of trick before treat, & the stark reality of an egged house.  According to many mainstream Australian media sources (& likely your parents as you were growing up), Halloween is nothing more than a pointless American tradition infringing on the minds of Brisbane kids...isn't it??

If you subscribe to the word of your parents, then you'd be slightly correct...although only ever so slightly.

The history of Halloween rests on two contentious origins, however both seem to intertwine around the 8th Century.  One school of thought links the genesis to the Gaelic Harvest Festival known as Samhain, a practice born in Ireland & parts of Scotland.  This festival, or feast, celebrated the end of the seasonal harvest & marked the onset of winter.  Over time, the festival evolved to additionally become a dedication to the dead - ancestors were remembered & revered on the night, & it became custom to set aside a place at the feast table for family members who had passed.  The second school of thought links Halloween's origin with the Christian celebration of All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows Day), which occurs on the 1st of November each year.  In essence, the celebration involved a feast to pay spiritual homage to Saints, both past & present, whose souls are either being cleansed in Purgatory or who have already ascended to Heaven.

At Samhain, it was believed that the veil between this world & the next was at its weakest or most permeable - this allowed the spirits of deceased relatives to cross over the breach temporarily to visit living loved ones.  However, this rift also provided a doorway into the land of the living through which evil spirits could travel.  In order to ward off these unwanted souls and confuse their travels, it became custom for the living to wear costumes & masks.  Additionally, large turnips were gathered for the occasion & carved into lanterns to remember the souls held in Purgatory (over time, these lanterns evolved into the jack-o'-lantern).  In a similar vein, a custom practiced on All Saints' Day involved the production of small cakes known as soul cakes - each cake eaten would represent a soul being freed from Purgatory.  During the celebration, children & the poor would travel from door to door offering songs & prayers for the dead - in return, soul cakes would be offered as thanks (notice the similarity with modern-day trick-or-treating?).

So, let's jump forward a number of centuries.  After having reviewed the probable origins of Halloween, it comes as no surprise that the celebration was adopted in America given the large number of Irish & Scottish immigrants that helped to build that country in the early years.  However, we must also keep in mind that Australia's early population was predominantly Irish & Scottish.

On the 1st of November 1878, the Brisbane Courier reported, "Yesterday evening, October 31, would be known in Ireland and Scotland as "Halloween."  "The spirits" are then supposed to be abroad in any required number.  In the old land spirits of various kinds have managed to get up quite a reputation for "Halloween" performances.  But they do not seem to have made headway in Queensland.  With the exception of occasional parties of politicians in mumbling conclave as they moved along the streets, nothing very mysterious appeared in Brisbane last evening.  A few noisy spirits, however, took possession of certain new arrivals, but there were no "Halloween" peculiarities about them; they were simply acquiring their first, and, as we trust, their worst insight into colonial life.  In all other respects "Halloween" passed off unnoticed, as its many predecessors have done in Brisbane."

By the 1880's the Brisbane Caledonian Society (Scottish Association) was beginning to host annual Halloween celebrations, which gained particular momentum into the early years of the 1900's.  However, through the 1920's & 1930's Halloween saw a marked increase in popularity in Brisbane.  Many of the Irish & Scottish Halloween traditions were embraced for the yearly celebration, & there is no doubt that further nuances were likely adopted from America (in which country Halloween was also experiencing a new-found resurgence).  The upper-class across the city rubbed shoulders at fancy Halloween balls - annual events were regularly held at Lennon's Hotel, the Lyceum Club & the Trocadero Dansant. Presbyterian Church groups throughout Brisbane held annual Halloween parties to raise money for building funds & charitable organisations.  The Church of England also held annual events, the 1932 party being documented in the Brisbane Courier - "Across the main entrance of the hall was erected a ladder, and on passing under it the guests entered a world of Hallowe'en superstition, with pumpkin faces, black cats, and a life-sized skeleton, occupying prominent positions."

In 1935, Mrs Forgan-Smith, wife of then Queensland Premier William Forgan-Smith, took advantage of Halloween to hold a dance at the legendary (& sadly long since destroyed) Bellevue Hotel in order to raise funds for the Creche & Kindergarten Association.  The night was such a major success, £61 was raised for the organisation.   In 1936, after celebrations held by the Kedron & District Scottish Association, the Indooroopilly Scouts & Wild Cubs, the Methodist Ladies Church Guild, the State High School Past Pupils' Association and the Annerley Bowlers' Association, the Brisbane Courier reported, "A light orange moon, glowing in a misty sky, might have been designed especially for the occasion last evening, when numerous associations celebrated Hallowe'en with high revel.  Wild witches and gruesome ghosts, cauldrons bubbling with black magic, black cats, mournful bats, and the owls that hoot at midnight played their part in the eerie entertainment offered."

The popularity of Halloween in Brisbane continued through the late 1930's & early 1940's, no doubt bolstered by the large number of American servicemen moving through the city during the war years.  However, by the early 1950's interest in Halloween began to wane & continued to do so over the next 2 decades, with the result that Brisbane's affinity with the annual celebration earlier in the century was mostly forgotten.  Over the past 30 years, the general consensus concerning Halloween pegs the festivity as being a fairly recent American tradition that has no real place in Australia...however you know now that this perception couldn't be further from the truth.  So, on Monday, use your best artistic flair to carve a pumpkin lantern for the front window & keep a supply of treats handy for trick-or-treaters - in doing so, you'll be paying reverence to the souls of the departed in a tradition that dates back over one thousand years, & will be reviving a celebration that was being actively enjoyed by your grandparents in Brisbane almost a century ago!

What lies beneath: The forgotten souls of Moreton Bay.

A substantial cemetery...located alongside the expanding population centre of Brisbane Town, that is in time to become the capital city of Queensland...terribly neglected by both the authorities & residents for over 2 decades, until the area became virtually unrecognisable as consecrated ground for the interment of the departed...finally divided into allotments & sold at public auction to be built upon...until not a trace remained.

For those who are somewhat familiar with the history of Brisbane, you are likely expecting this week's feature to detail the destruction of a cluster of denominational cemeteries that were collectively termed the North Brisbane Burial Grounds (also referred to as the Milton or Paddington Cemeteries) from the above introduction.  If you were, you'd be mistaken - Brisbane Town's earliest history goes far deeper than the vast majority of Brisbane residents are aware of.

The Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds, or Paddington/Milton/Lang Park cemetery, was not the first resting place of Brisbane's departed...nor was it the first Brisbane cemetery to have been demolished & erased from public memory.  Prior to the opening of the Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds in 1843, & Brisbane Town being declared open for free settlement in 1842, the area on which the CBD now resides was better known as the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement.  Relocated to the northern bank of the Brisbane River in early 1825 (after an initial penal station established at Redcliffe on the 14th September 1824 had failed), the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement quickly earnt a reputation for it's mortality rate - excessive floggings for minor breaches of conduct oft times proved fatal, whilst malnutrition & tropical disease delivered many more to an early grave.  Early records verify that during the penal settlement's period of operation & Brisbane Town's first 2 years as a free settlement (1825-1843), a total of 265 people perished within its borders - of which 220 were convicts.

Clearly, once prisoners incarcerated within the confines of the colony began to die, the necessity for a suitable burial ground arose.  An area was chosen suitably distant to the centre of the settlement - far enough away that the accumulating graves would not become a focal point of the overall compound, but still close enough to be easily accessible from the soon-to-be-constructed convict hospital.  Little more is known about the evolution of this graveyard throughout the life of the settlement, apart from the approximate number of souls who were interred there through the penal period to 1839 & the first years of free settlement to 1843.  However, by 1843, the population of the newly opened Brisbane Town had expanded by such an extent, that the need for a larger burial ground was imperative - hence, the Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds were opened, & the previous penal graveyard became known as the Old Burial Ground.

So...where was this Old Burial Ground?  The site is closer to the CBD than most would image - as exact a location as can be given, the Old Burial Ground is bordered by current Upper Roma Street, Eagle Terrace, Skew Street (parallel to Coronation Drive) & Saul Street - beneath the 2 large grassed areas alongside the back of the B105 & Triple M building at North Quay.



So...what became of the Old Burial Ground?  With the advent of the opening of the Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds in 1843 and the rapid expansion of Brisbane Town, the Old Burial Ground began to fall into disrepair.  The earliest public record of the cemetery's physical condition was published in the first edition of the Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane Town's first media outlet) on the 20th June 1846, where it was stated "we trust our readers will give us credit for sincerity of motive in offering to their consideration a few remarks on the present disgraceful state of the old burial ground in North Brisbane.  [T]here is not even a fence to restrain pigs and other animals from rooting and roving over the dwellings of the dead.  If something be not done shortly, we may chance to witness the remains of those interred exposed to public view.  Such an occurrence, it is true, is not likely to happen; but its bare possibility should be an inducement to the inhabitants to take instant steps to secure the ground from intrusion of quadrupeds."

By 1852, the Moreton Bay Courier again reported on the 16th October, "Six years ago, nearly a hundred tablets, headstones, etc., stood in the old burial ground; now, a bare dozen can only be counted, and many of these are dilapidated and overturned.  The fence is torn down, carried away or burnt.  The records of gratitude or of affection erected to the memories of many a gallant soldier, sincere friend, or loving wife; the burial grounds which are held sacred even among the [aborigines], seem to have been strangely violated in this instance.  What hands have taken so many monumental stones away none can tell, but where many could be found might be said or written as easily as "hearths of Brisbane.""  The article, continuing, discloses a massive historical treasure - the Old Burial Ground contained the grave of Granville William Chetwynd Stapylton, a renowned Australian explorer & surveyor who was murdered whilst on an exploratory mission south of Brisbane on 31st May 1840.  Two men were captured, tried & hanged at the Tower Mill (on current Wickham Terrace) a year later for the murder - ironically, their bodies were conveyed down the hill shortly after to be buried in the same ground as Stapylton.

By the mid 1860's, the Old Burial Ground had fallen into such disrepair that authorities began to plan for the site's redevelopment.  In the years leading up to 1875, some few burials & monuments that could be identified were exhumed & reinterred at the Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds where it was hoped they would be safe - unfortunately, these few relocated relics would be lost forever 50 years later during the redevelopment of the Lang Park site.  Skew Street was constructed across the site, dividing the block into 2 sections, which were in turn split into 7 allotments each and sold off at public auction on the 12th October 1875.  From this point in history on, the memory of Brisbane Town's Old Burial Ground quickly faded.  However, in July 2010 the Queensland Heritage Council added the site to the Queensland Heritage Register based on its archaeological potential - "The site has been identified as being exceedingly rare as we now have very little physical evidence of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement.  There is good potential for there to be burial remains including personal items at the burial ground as past development on the site has been low impact."

However, not all evidence of Brisbane's penal period was lost in the subsequent destruction of the Old Burial Ground & Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds.  Just beyond the boundaries of the Old Burial Ground, 4 children were interred in their own allotment overlooking the river in the first 3 years of the 1830's.  Having been located away from the burial ground itself, these graves remained after the sale of the cemetery proper in 1875.  However, in 1881 during survey work being conducted for the construction of tram lines along the river bank, the decision was made to exhume & relocate this final remnant of the Old Burial Ground.  Very fortunately, the Northern Brisbane Burial Grounds had been declared closed 6 years earlier in 1875, however a new municipal cemetery had been opened at Toowong in the same year.  So, on the 5th October 1881, 3 pioneer children who had died during the earliest period of Brisbane Town's history, were again laid to rest within Toowong Cemetery's confines (1 child's remains had been irretrievable from North Quay).  These three monuments survive to this day as the oldest headstones in Queensland (as pictured at the top of this blog).

So, next time you drive over the Grey Street Bridge & onto Skew Street in the direction of Milton Road, make sure to spare a thought for the souls of convicts, soldiers, women & children of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement over who's graves you are travelling.

Brisbane City Hall: The Liftman was innocent.

Brisbane City Hall - formally opened by his Excellency the Governor Sir John Goodwin on the 8th April 1930, the grandiose building at the heart of our city had already celebrated multiple milestones in a gradually increasing capacity since 1927 (at which time it had been partially occupied amid ongoing construction) by the time of its official inauguration.  The site on which the City Hall now stands had been purchased in 1877, however the site had been deemed unsuitable for a municipal hall in preference of a more elevated location.

Considered a low lying, flood prone, swampy tract of the emerging Brisbane business district, there is no doubt that regular flooding of the Brisbane River reinforced this concern - in the 40 years leading up to 1900 (in 1841, 1844, 1890, 1893 & 1897), Brisbane had been inundated by 5 major flooding events that rivaled & exceeded the recent 2011 flood levels earlier this year. Whilst other suitable sites had been recommended & another purchased for the specific purpose throughout the early 1900's, a shift in opinion coupled with nearly 2 decades of economic stagnation saw the original site again championed for the role.  Thus, the legendary architectural partnership of Hall & Prentice were approached to design the structure, with the foundation stone being laid in 1920 by Edward, Prince of Wales - Edward eventually ascended to the throne on the death of King George V in early 1936 as King Edward VIII, however abdicated later the same year after announcing his intention to marry an American socialite who was yet to divorce.  His brother Albert stepped into the role, assuming the title of King George VI (as outlined in the recent blockbuster, "The King's Speech").

So...where do the ghosts fit in??  Brisbane City Hall has earned a local reputation for housing at least 4 ghosts - one ghost is said to be female & frequents the foyer, foyer stairs and mezzanine balcony overlooking the foyer; 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 City Hall.  All of these legends are based & perpetuated on an element of truth, however we can savour them for a later date - for now, we shall focus on the 4th reported haunting: the Lift Attendant's phantom that haunts the renowned tower of City Hall.

This legend has been retold extensively over the past 13 years, however the details differ slightly - a lift attendant or workman at City Hall, perished in his dereliction of duty (differing versions of the story claim he either fell, jumped, or was crushed by the lift during installation) early in the building's history around the 1930's - hence, his ghost rides the elevator of the tower & causes ongoing mechanical issues.  Let's survey the history: in June 1998, the Queensland Independent reporter Louise Rugendyke, reported that, "One [ghost] has been continually riding the lift since the 1930's (he was killed while installing it)."  In 2008, 10 years later during renovations of City Hall, an article written by Kelmeny Fraser published in the City News on the 21st November stated, "When the clock tower was renovated a construction worker claimed to have seen a ghost which presented as [a] silhouette of a man standing in an area off-limits to the public."  By 2009, Nicole Carrington reported in the City News that, "[The ghosts of City Hall include] a maintenance man who rides the lifts who is rumoured to have died in a freak accident."

Ultimately though, the most popular & widely disseminated version of the story fingers the Lift Attendant as the ghostly culprit.  Rumour has it that the unnamed Liftman either jumped to his death or slipped an fell from the tower in 1932, sparking an ongoing haunting and series of mechanical failures of the lift itself.  A recently published book penned by a self-professed local "historian" (who has consistently perpetuated the "true" story of the tragically killed Lift Attendant for many years now), even goes so far as to admit that whilst there is no evidence to verify the death of a Liftman at City Hall, said man's alleged death elsewhere (away from City Hall) is clearly the confused origin of the tale (and in turn the haunting?). That being said, however, no evidence is put forward in the book to either qualify the Lift Attendant's death away from City Hall, or to verify that the unnamed Lift Attendant even died at all.

From historic records, we can unarguably verify that the tower lift experienced mechanical failures entirely of it's own making from the moment of installation - in July 1929 a fire broke out in the lift well as a result of the lift being started suddenly at full power, causing dense smoke to pour from the well giving the impression of a major fire - the situation was quickly contained by workmen without the need for the fire brigade.  Again, in April 1930 only 2 days after the City Hall had been formally opened by the Governor, a fire again broke out in the lift well requiring Attendants to jump to the rescue.  Apart from these early teething issues, no further failures appear in the records outside what would be considered normal operational problems - & definitely nothing in the ballpark that would indicate that the lift itself had a mind of it's own as a result of a maligned spirit.

So, with the ghost legend & some background history aside, where's the truth behind the rumour, you ask??  The truth, which most likely led to the story of the haunted Tower, occurred on no more an ironic/iconic day as Halloween. On the 31st of October 1935, building contractor George Edward Betts (incorrectly listed as George Edward Botts on Qld BDM's website) left his home in Bardon at about 7am on his way to work.  At the time, he was working on a construction project erecting two workers' dwellings, & had appeared in high spirits when he'd bid farewell to his wife for the day.  On his departure, he had mentioned to his wife that he planned to visit the doctor on the way to work, & at some stage during the day would need to visit City Hall in order to pay Council for water connection work at a building site in Annerley.  George worked throughout the morning on-site, however at lunchtime he changed his clothes and advised the other builders that he needed to go into town on business.

At about 2:15pm at the City Hall, Liftman George Jones accepted two passengers for a trip to the observation landing of the tower - a man (George Betts) & a woman, who on appearance seemed to be strangers to one another.  About 5 minutes later, the woman entered the lift once more & was transported back down to the ground floor.  A couple of minutes transpired where George Betts was left alone on the observation landing - it can only be assumed as to what took place at the top of the tower during those short few minutes, however a loud crash was heard by those on the lower levels of the Hall soon after.  On investigation, a large hole could be seen in the roof of the Hall facing King George Square.  A room search was immediately conducted, resulting in the discovery of George's body - he had plummeted over 40 metres from the observation landing, through the galvanised iron roof of City Hall, coming to rest on the concrete floor of a chamber off the record room.  Subsequently, his brief bag was located alongside the telescope at the top of the tower.

An inquest was conducted shortly after the accident, at which a number of witnesses were called.  At this hearing, the safety of the observation landing was immediately called into question - were the installed safety railings adequate to prevent sightseers from accidentally falling from the tower?  Evidence was given that it would not be possible for a sightseer to fall over the rail whilst on the observation landing - "the only way one could fall from the rail would be to climb up to look out at something." Constable Fursman of the Brisbane Police provided testimony that he had thoroughly examined the safety rail, and that, "It would be impossible for anyone to fall over the grill support near the telescope under ordinary conditions unless he climbed upon it."  In his opinion, there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.  To that end, the Inquest was closed.

We can only postulate the events that led up to the accident that fateful day, but the main question remains - what possessed George Betts to climb over the safety rail leading to his subsequent fatal fall?  Perhaps his visit to the doctor earlier that morning had resulted in bad news about his health, convincing him to take his own life later that afternoon?   Regardless, it's safe to say that previous tales guessing at the historic origins of the City Hall Tower ghost can now be put to rest - the mystery Lift Attendant, who at no stage came to an untimely end in the City Hall in the dereliction of duty, has been proven beyond reasonable doubt not guilty!