It is late in the evening, as we started to cross the bridge.  The night is still, very still, not even the tiniest of a breeze to rustle the leaves of the nearby trees.  All around, there is a deathly hush, so quiet you can hear yourself breathe.  A heavy mist hangs on the land making the night seem darker and gloomier. 

 

Unexpectedly, the summer air turns bitterly cold.  An icy chill runs down our spines and goosebumps form quickly on our skin.  Then on the bridge, an eerie light mysteriously appears in the mist.  Thinking it is the headlights of a coming car, we move closer to the bridge railings, but there is no sound of a vehicle.  The light comes closer, and from within the light, an image of a man appears.  His features bedraggled, his appearance pale and insipid.  A deep foreboding fills our senses.  Our hearts began to race.  You call out, but there is no response.  The light moves closer still.  Then from somewhere in the mist, a dog barks.  The image turns towards the sound of the dog and in an instant, spirals skywards and vanishes.

 

The actual existence of paranormal phenomena may never be proved or for that matter, disproved.  However, the mystery that surrounds such events has fascinated all cultures since the dawn of humankind and continues to interest many people.  For some, those 'things' that go bump in the night are simply the manifestations of an overexcited or overactive imagination.  For others, they are evidence of the after-life, departed souls who have not found their way from their earthly abode.  Nonetheless, stories of ghosts and the spiritual world evoke a range of emotions ranging from curiosity to fear and panic.  Regardless of whether you believe or not, ghostly tales will always captivate the imagination of many readers.

 

Tasmania, as a holiday destination, is superb, but for touring haunted places, the island is exceptional.  Within a few hours drive, there are over 120 stories about eerie lights glowing apparently without a source, children's voices where there are no children, footsteps but no one around, strange and unexplained noises and the appearance of spectres and ghosts.  In the minds of many, the island is alive with the spirits of the dead.  No matter where you go in Tasmania, I am sure there will be a ghostly tale or two to tell. 

 

The appearance of ghostly spirits is often linked to a life tormented by brutality and suffering or interconnected with a violent and untimely death.  Tasmania's historical legacy is rich with examples of man's inhumanity and tragedy whether it be the cruelty meted out to wretched convicts or someone’s untimely death by accident or foul play. 

 

Hobart

 

Hobart is Australia’s second oldest capital city.  It a small but sprawling city on the banks of the magnificent Derwent River and is home to several ghost stories. 

 

To be or not to be…an old theatre without a phantom would be similar to a theatre without actors.  The Theatre Royal is Australia’s oldest performing arts theatre.  Built in 1926, the grand old theatre has endured a colourful past and a near disastrous fire.  It also has a ghost known as Fred, a friendly, benevolent spirit.  However, who is Fred?  No one knows, but he could be a former actor as the ghost has been seen wearing period costumes or he could be.  In 1984, a fire threatened the stately theatre.  It seemed as though the theatre was doomed as the fire took hold in the stage area.  As the flames started to reach out into the auditorium, the fire curtain mysteriously activated.  The theatre was saved from disaster.  Some claim Fred played a part in saving the theatre by activating the fire curtain at the edge of the stage preventing the fire advancing beyond the sixth row. 

 

Imagine the interesting conversation if one of the dinner guests (albeit uninvited) was a ghost.  At the Ball and Chain restaurant, located in historic Salamanca business precinct, you may have that pleasure.  Over many years, staff reported seeing a ghostly apparition affectionately known as Charlie sitting at table 17.  Although since the extension to the restaurant, there have not been any further sightings.  Not much is known about Charlie.  Having dined at table 17, I must admit there is a sense of an old world charm, but unfortunately, Charlie did not grace us with his presence.

 

On the corner of Brisbane and Campbell Streets stand the Penitentiary Chapel and Court House.  Originally part of the Campbell Street Goal, it is all that remains of an extensive array of buildings that extended along Campbell Street between Brisbane and Bathurst Streets.  Construction of the chapel commenced in 1831, and the first sittings in the courthouse were in 1860.  In addition to the chapel and courthouse, the execution gallows also remain as a testament to the grim end for forty felonious convicts between 1856 and 1946.  Given the history of the site, it is no wonder that staff and visitors have reported ghostly happenings.

 

A short drive from the Hobart CBD is the imposing Shot Tower.  Joseph Moir built the Shot Tower, a 60-metre brick tower overlooking the Derwent River, to a manufactured gunshot.  After Moir died suddenly in 1874, some believe his spirit still resides in the Tower.  Unexplained footsteps have been heard in the tower, and a heavy iron door opens and closes by itself.  A woman who frequently drives by the tower claims to have seen an unexplained light at the top many times.

 

It is nice to know that not all ghosts mean harm.  The Blue Lady at the Old Royal Hobart Hospital, thought to be a nursing sister, will visit patients in the private rooms and occasionally in the wards. 

 

Richmond

 

Fancy a chat with Mrs Buscombe…well that may happen in the historic hamlet of Richmond.  Visiting Richmond is like stepping back in time if it were not for the modern day cars lining the streets.

 

Through the mid-1800s, the township of Richmond was a thriving, dynamic centre of commerce.  Merchant vessels would steam up the Coal River to trade goods and ship commodities to places as far away as New South Wales. 

 

Today, the hustle and bustle continues as many people visit Richmond to soak up the history and colonial charm of the village.  However, under the veil of colonial charm, lies a more sinister, darker side of Richmond…the town is haunted.

 

There are several haunted places in and around Richmond including the Gaol, the Richmond Bridge, Prospect House, Ma Fossies, the Old Post Office and the Richmond Hotel.

 

The Richmond Gaol is a stark reminder of the deplorable conditions endured by those sentenced to the gaol.  Built in 1825, five years before Port Arthur, Richmond Gaol changed little in the 103 years in which it operated as a gaol.  The gaol saw some of the most notorious felons of the day pass through its doors including murderers, rapists and highwaymen.  The gaol records showed in 1833, 128 men received a total of 4,715 lashes (63 men were sentenced to 35 or 36 lashes, and 34 men received 50 lashes while four men received 100 lashes each).

 

Many people believe that ghosts only haunt very old or derelict buildings.  Richmond Bridge – Australia’s oldest stone bridge constructed in 1826 is the site of not one but three ghosts.  The first and most sinister is the bedraggled, gaunt figure of George Grover, Richmond's official flagellator from 1829 until his death in 1832.  Flagellators were the most despised and hated men within the colony, but none more so than Grover.  From all accounts, Grover took great pleasure plying the cat-o'-nine tails to the back of those sentenced to the lash.  However, his tyranny was not restricted to punishment yard at Richmond Gaol. 

 

As a convict overseer, Grover was merciless on the work gangs repairing the Richmond Bridge.  Large blocks of sandstone were required to effect the repairs and teams of three convicts hauled the blocks from Butchers Hill.  It was backbreaking, soul-destroying work pushing or pulling the handcarts.  Grover drove the men like a dray master driving his bullocks cracking his whip on the backs of the road gang. 

 

One foggy morning early in March 1832, Grover died after plummeting over the parapet of the Richmond Bridge, and his body lies in St Luke's Cemetery.  Grover had celebrated the festivities into the night of 29 February and became intoxicated.  One account of the event claims that two unnamed convicts exacted their revenge on Grover for the misery and suffering he had inflicted on the work gangs.  The inquest into his death was unable to determine whether Grover fell or was pushed from the bridge.  Nevertheless, beware...if it is Grover's ghost on the bridge, he might be seeking those who 'did him in'.

 

Tasman Peninsula

 

The serenity of modern-day Port Arthur belies the horrors and torment of the former penal settlement, which existed between 1830 and 1877.  During its 47 years, the Port Arthur Penal Colony received over 12,000 convicts.  Generally, the convicts sent to Port Arthur were recidivists (repeat offenders) of the worst classes.  Relentless manual labour in an extreme climate with cold, blustery winds and heavy rain was the order of the day.  Failure to comply brought swift retribution from the flagellators whip know as the cat-o’-nine tails.  It is little wonder that Port Arthur is reputed to be the most haunted locality in Tasmania.

 

When you step into the Model Prison, you immediately sense the despair, misery and gloom that seems to exude from every stone block in the building.  In one particular cell, many visitors have experienced strong feelings of depression and anxiety.  In April 1867, a convict, William Carter committed suicide using the straps off his hammock.  Is Carter's spirit still present?  Another chilling story is of a fourteen-year-old lad, sentenced to death.  For two weeks, his grief-stricken screams echoed throughout the Separate Prison.  During a quiet moment, some say you can hear the screams of the condemned prisoner.

 

With all the brutality and suffering that abounded throughout the penal settlement, it seems strange that the Parsonage is the most haunted building at Port Arthur.  Strange lights, foul smells, the thump of footsteps on the stairs, moaning and apparitions have terrified, alarmed and spooked the Parsonage's residents and visitors for almost 150 years.  Maybe the ghostly souls of the departed decided to make their home in the more comfortable residences of the military overseers and civilians.

 

A short distance from the Parsonage stands the Gothic-like remains of the Church.  Built in 1853, the once magnificent building is now a shell of stone and brick walls after a fire gutted the timber shingle roof.  The Church stands on a hillside overlooking the Port Arthur Site.  The peacefulness of the area seems to conflict with the Church’s tragic past.  While digging the foundations for the church, William Riley struck Joseph Shuttleworth over the head with a pickaxe after an argument.  Shuttleworth died from the blow and Riley went to the gallows for the crime.  The following year, a convict fell to his death from the nearly completed chapel roof also after arguing with a fellow convict.  Over the years, ivy grew profusely all over the chapel except on the bloodied wall the convict had struck in the fall.  Another strange occurrence happened during a ghost tour; a group was visiting the chapel when it was suddenly engulfed in bright light.  As it was a clear night, lightning was ruled out, and the light was too bright to be a camera flash.  What was this light?  The answer remains a mystery.

 

Air that is icy cold, gates that open by themselves and a rocking chair rocking all by itself are all unexplained occurrences at the Commandants Residence.  The elegant house is set amongst an English garden and overlooks the picturesque Masons Bay.  Unlike the frugal conditions endured by the convicts, the commandant and his family lived in considerable comfort.  During the 1980s, the residence was restored as a museum, which is open to visitors to Port Arthur. 

 

Isolated by water and uninhabited, there is no more unsettling place at Port Arthur than the windswept, rocky outcrop known as the Isle of the Dead.  This small island served as the penal settlement's burial grounds.  At the southern, lower end of the Isle, are the mass graves (mostly unmarked) of 1769 convicts.  In contrast, headstones mark some of the 180 graves for the free men, women and children on the higher ground to the north.  Even in death, convicts and the free were segregated.  There is an eerie quiet about the island broken only by the water lapping at the shoreline.  In the warmth of a summer's day, the Isle seems to have an unusual coolness that tends to give you goosebumps and sends a shiver up and down your spine.  However, what will send a shiver through your body is the tour guides recount the history of the Isle including the terrifying tale of Mark Jeffrey's encounter with the Devil himself. 

 

Swansea

 

There two mysteries surrounding Schouten House at Swansea.  The former Swansea Inn was built in 1846.  A lady dressed in grey and a strange dim light glowing in an upstairs window have been seen at the house.  However, it is unknown as to the who the grey lady is and what is the light.  Some suggest the grey lady is the ghost of Mrs Large, wife of a brewer Thomas Large.  Sailing on the ketch Resolution from Hobart to Swansea, the ship took shelter in the bay when a severe storm struck the area.  The ketch floundered, and in the mayhem, the Large’s six children drowned.  One of the children was never found.  The others were buried together near Schouten House.  Is it possible Mrs Large is still looking for her lost child?

 

Could the dim light be a candle glowing at night so a lost fisherman can find his way home?  Sometime after the loss of the Resolution, a fisherman went out to never return home.  His wife was heart-broken by his lost.  In hope, she waited expectantly for him to come home, keeping a vigil from the upstairs landing.  In grief, she lost her will to live and eventually hung herself from the stair-rail.

 

Garth

 

The homestead of Garth, reputed to be Tasmania’s most haunted home site was built in the 1840’s.  The homestead is shrouded in a veil of truth and myth.  However, the legacy of tragedy and misfortune that has fallen on the property is unquestionable.

 

In 1851, the home was damaged by fire and by 1880, the homestead was in poor shape.  In 1959, the remains of the house were again ravaged by fire.  Garth now lies in ruins. 

 

Bona Vista

 

In 1853, two bushrangers Andrew Dalton and James Kelly forced entry into the homestead of Bona Vista near Avoca.  The two villains restained everyone and plundered the household for money and other valuables.  A patrol of police from Avoca was alerted to the siege when it was noticed that workmen from Bona vista were not at their stations.

 

Boldly the underarmed police went to the homestead and confronted the two bushrangers.  In the ensuing shoot-out, Constable Thomas Buckmaster was shot dead.  On the front stairs of the homestead where the constable fell, a bloodstain formed on the sandstone.  No matter how many times the staff at Bona Vista cleaned the stairs, the blood stain always returned.

 

Bona Vista was built in stages during the 1830s and 1840s by Simeon Lord who was a harsh master treating his convict servants as slaves.  The servants were accommodated in dungeons under the eat wing of the house.

 

As well as the unremovable blood stained, a convict spectre has been seen rattling his chains near the kitchen while the spirits of other servants stalk the underground dungeons.

 

Launceston

 

The Princess Theatre in Launceston has been a performing arts venue from (date).  Until 1977, the venue did not appear to have any ghostly spectres roaming its premises.  Then for over three years, strange events befell the theatre.  Staff working at the theatre reported bizarre occurrences including mysterious footsteps coming from the catwalk high above the stage, the temperature drops suddenly, a heavy door slamming shut without reason and the stage piano being played by an invisible musician.  During the screening of the horror film, The Amityville Horror, the sound was badly distorted without explanation.  Many believe these strange events were enacted by a well-known Tasmanian actor Max Oldaker as a protest of the theatre being used as a cinema. 

 

Max was born in East Devonport in 1907.  He was pianist and singer in the local region.  His acting career grew when he headed overseas appearing in many British provinces and eventually London.  He took the lead role in many musical comedies and stage musicals appearing with theatre greats as Gladys Moncrieff, Julie Andrews and Tara Barry.  Max returned to Tasmania in 1960 and performed in many local productions at the Princess Theatre.  He died suddenly in 1972.  Were the strange occurrences a protest by Max or were they something else?

 

Hadspen

 

Located in the northern township of Hadspen, Entally House is a fine example of colonial architecture.  Built around 1820 by Thomas Reiby, it is one of Australia’s oldest homes.  The historic site is managed by the National Trust and is open to the visitors.  It is difficult to image this elegant homestead has had a tragic past. 

 

While I have not seen a ghost, I did encounter a strange experience while taking photographs at Entally House in 1996.  After taking a few shots in the house’s interior and of the gardens, I went to the courtyard to photograph an interesting carriage.  I framed the shot, but the camera mysteriously failed to work.  The mechanism jammed, and nothing I did to the camera would make it work.  Frustrated, I put the camera away.  When I took the camera for repairs, the technician gave me a quizzical look and asked what was wrong with the camera for it was working perfectly.  A coincidence, possibly…a ghostly encounter…well, I leave that to your imagination.

 

Burnie

 

In many cases, supernatural events are more likely to occur in old buildings.  So it may seem a little unusual to have Charlie, a spirit of unknown origins residing in the relatively modern Burnie Civic Centre. 

 

The Civic Centre has had a few unusual occurrences since its construction.  Most notably, the heavy velvet and lead-laden curtains have been known to fly open or billow out without any apparent cause.  

 

Another unusual event was reported by the manager.  One morning on arriving at the Civic Centre, the manager found the telephone switchboard buzzing noisily.  Being the last person to leave the night before, finding the switchboard buzzing was strange.  The wall phone causing the buzzing was located in the kitchen.  “Had the phone fallen off its hook?”  On arrival at the phone, it was found to have been completely removed from the wall.  The resulting investigation could not find any signs of a break-in, and when the telephone technicians repaired the phone, they could not explain how the phone became disconnected.

 

So why is it that the Burnie Civic Centre has these unexplained events?  It seems that the centre was built on the original site of a funeral parlour and local morgue.

 

Sarah Island

 

The wild, untamed west coast of Tasmania provides a wonderful backdrop to a ghostly tale or two.  The region was the site of one of the harshest penal settlements in Australia, Sarah Island and it was home to tough mining communities. 

 

Sarah Island was a brutal, inhumane penal settlement located in Macquarie Harbour.  The convicts sent to Sarah Island were of the worst kind; their crimes included murder and rape.  They were sentenced to hard labour and hard it was.  The convict worked to harvest the highly prized Huon Pine and other timbers, build boats and eke out an existence on the inhospitable island.  The working conditions were atrocious.  Men were required to work waist deep in water even in the bitter cold of winter.  Rain fell incessantly.  Moreover, the work was physically arduous and very dangerous, and failure to work brought swift and painful retribution from the ‘cat-o’-nine tails’.  It is no wonder that over 115 convicts escaped and ventured into the unknown, unexplored bush to seek their salvation from hell.  More than 70 souls perished without a trace.

 

Zeehan

 

The stage of the once heavy frequented Geity Theatre in Zeehan has been graced by notaries including Dame Nellie Melba.  Today the theatre is mainly idle expect for occasional use, and a phantom wanders backstage.  This phantom has also been known to appear at an upper floor window.  Who this phantom is, remains a mystery. 

 

Zeehan was once a rich mining town employing thousands of people.  Today the hustle and bustle of those heady days have long past.  However, the town retains a rich history of the trials and hardships of the mining.  The Zeehan Museum, while not haunted, is well worth a visit.

 

Strahan

 

Strahan is the gateway to the magnificent Franklin/Gordon World Heritage Regions and the west coast.  The historic town is now a tourist and fishing village.

 

A ghost with the taste for the good life is reputed to reside in Franklin Manor a four and a half star accommodation establishment and restaurant. 

 

Franklin Manor was built as a private residence for Captain Miles, Strahan's first harbour master. 

 

New Norfolk

 

The 19th-century Oast House operated for over 100 years as a hop-drying kiln and was restored in the 1970s into a museum and craft outlet for local artisans.  The establishment also offers light meals and Devonshire teas, providing a welcome break for travellers in the area.  Visitors can view the museum that houses the kiln, implements, photographs and stories of the time.

Strange rhythmical, thumping noises can occasionally be heard coming from the drying room of the kiln.  Some believe that the sounds are of the swinging legs of a young man who had hung himself in the room after his fiancée had jilted him. 

 

Rest my weary traveller…if you can.  The beautifully restored homestead, Tynwald is located on Willow Bend Estate, New Norfolk.  The establishment offered colonial-style accommodation with a superior quality restaurant and was featured in the ABC program The Willow Bend Mystery.

There have been some unexplained occurrences at Tynwald particularly in and around the Tower room. 

 

Mr Barry Plunkett and his sister recounted their encounters with apparitions at Tynwald.  As a young boy, Mr Plunkett was on the first-floor landing when unexpectedly he was confronted by the ghostly figure of a young girl waving to him.  The tall, thin girl was all in white and wearing a long veil.  He recalls, "The silence was so strange, it made me bristle.”

 

After being sent to her room, the six-year sister was in the dark, frightened and crying.  Suddenly from the corner of the room, a figure in white and carrying a candle appeared then floated past the end of her bed.  The apparition seemed to have an unusual calming effect on the little girl.  "It went past the bed,” she said, "and I felt peaceful, as I needn't be afraid any more."  She went to sleep, in peace.

 

One day Mrs Kelsall says she was ironing up in the tower room when she sensed the invisible presence of children with her.  The presence of children, in itself, was perhaps not surprising, as the first owners, John and Martha Terry, had eight daughters and three sons, and other large families have lived at Tynwald since then.

 

However, names seem to have unusual significance for Mrs Kelsall and, in this case, the name Sybil came to her.  Later when talking to one of the Plunkett sisters, Mrs Kelsall inquired about the name.  Many years ago, she was told, a child of that name had died on the estate when a tree fell on her.

Mrs Kelsall also asserts that when she has sat on the chaiselongue in one of the first floor rooms to admire the view of the tree-shaded Derwent River, a woman named Alice has come to sit quietly beside her.  She gets the impression that Alice, an older woman, has sat looking out of that window many times before.  While she has not actually seen the woman, she is keenly aware of her presence.  She does not know who this person may have been.