Valentines Weekend in Walhalla

The Coach House was built as hostel accommodation for workers rebuilding the railway between Thomson and Walhalla as a tourist line. It was built on the site of an original miner’s cottage mainly from building materials recycled from demolished houses in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, and was known as Cook’s Cottage. It was built between 1968-72.

The station was rebuilt in the early 1970s, along with the log cabin (built in 1973). The famous narrow gauge railway was eventually reconstructed by the Walhalla Goldfields Railway between 1993-2002.

The Coach House faced demolition by the State Government following departure of the W&TRST, leading to a local campaign to save the building in the late 70’s. It was sold and served as a hostel for overseas travellers, then was later used as housing for miners on the ill fated Walhalla Resources commercial gold mining project in the 1980s when it became known as ‘The Bunkhouse’. It was better known to some of those residents as ‘Heartbreak Hotel’!

Under a new owner it became known as ‘The Dolls House’, probably due to its quaint style and wooden shutters. When power arrived in Walhalla in 1998, the Coach House was left off the grid. It was then bought and sold twice in rapid succession, and we purchased it in 2005. After efforts failed to get power connected, we went solar in 2008. The building’s present incarnation takes its name from the nearby railway station and coaches. Happy Go Lucky Rd is also known as the Old Coach Rd from stagecoach days, so the new name reflects those times.

We have stayed in the Coachhouse a few times and had activity. On the Valentine's weekend our group all felt a cold chill on Friday night while we were sitting around the table, it felt like icy cold breath and happened to one of us at a time. A few group members also smelt the strong smell of antiseptic move across the room. Interestingly one of the grop members was a medium who felt the presence of Dr Simmons, born in 1825 in America. He also felt a presence lie on top of him in the bunk room and woke us up when he shouted 'Begone'.

The last time we stayed a lady slept in Stringers Cottage with her 2 daughters and had no sleep, she said that she kept hearing footsteps in the room, felt a presence and heard scratching on the window. We also saw a lot of orbs and strange light reflections in the loungeroom. The photos were fantastic.

We don't think there is anything negative in the house there but it certainly has a presence. I could also see and sense a biker who died very suddenly on the dirt track next to the house. I would guess he has only be gone 10-15 years and he is large, with a handle bar moustache, bald head and large, protruding eyes.

Quite a few miners died on the track adjoining the coach house, there bodies were known to simply be left on the side of the road until a visitor or loved one gave them a burial or they simply fadesd into the ground over time.

*Copyright Lantern Ghost Tours 2010
*Thank you to Anne Krohn, owner of the Coach House, for the historical information.

Haunted Williamstown: The Woman in White

Williamstown did not have the best reputation in the 1850s, it was jam packed with young men searching fame and fortune, convicts, bushrangers and ladies of the night. However, the gold money did bring considerable wealth to the area and in the 1880s Williamstown became very fashionable. ‘The Front’, Nelson Place, was the center of commerce and fashion. Craigantina’s building, corner of Nelson Place and Thomson Street was home to Williamstown Coffee Palace where Fred Woods, proudly prepareds his pastries for afternoon tea and gand balls.

'Craigantina', comprises three shops and residences designed by WE Wells and constructed in 1886 for John Harker Craig, a prominent citizen and Councilor of the city.

These buildings are home to numerous ghost sightings, believed to be Tina, the beloved wife of Craig for whom he built a beautiful castle for the couple to live in. Tina is often see peering out from the top floor windows to passerbys. She has a sad, forlorn look on her face. She has also been seen inside the upstairs residences by many occupants. One young lady remembers living there as a little girl in the 1980s and often being visited be a beautiful lady in white who would sit on the end of her bed and just as qucikly vanish. Some of the residents have seen the woman in white sitting in the loungeroom, when approached, she vanishes. On a recent ghost tour one of the guest's watches suddenly fell in front of the Craigantina's building. The strange thing was it hadn't been working earlier in the afternoon but it lay on the ground displaying the correct time and working perfectly. It was lying in several pieces but wasn't broken. A young woman on another tour saw a hand against the window on the top floor. Some people feel sorrow as they walk past the premises. We all feel that a woman in white, Tina Craig, is keeping an eye on us.

**Copyright Lantern Ghost Tours 2010**

Haunted Williamstown: The Oldest House

Dating back to pre 1842, the house at 43 Aitken Street is one of Melbourne's oldest houses and represents the first settlement in Melbourne. It would have been one of the first houses built, with many dwellings of the period being temporary tents. It is believe to be pre fabricated. During the 1850s goldrush there was a shortage of builders and many people brought their homes from Europe.

The land was first documented in 1837. James Cain bought it in 1841 and then sold it to William Pope in 1842. William and Clara Pope lived here, during which time Clara became a widow and moved out in 1867. In 1878 it passed into the hands of Thomas Pope. By 1890 the house was owned by William Stone. In more recent history the property has been with the Page family since 1964. The current owner, Mr Page has applied for a demolition permit.

I have received many reports of sightings of a woman in white. She is small, frail and elderly and is seen hanging washing on the line (which no longer exists) in the garden and sitting by the fireplace inside. She keeps to herself and seems to be performing her daily routines. We believe her to be Clara Pope, who was one of the first people to reside in the house. Many people have expressed their concern to me over what will happen to poor Clara when the house is demolished. She seems to be very attached to the fireplace so I feel she will follow the fireplace to its new location.

**Copyright Lantern Ghost Tours 2010**

Haunted Williamstown: The Prince of Wales

I have been running ghost tours around Williamstown for almost a year now and I can't believe how many Williamstown residents have been coming forward with their own ghostly encounters and just how many experiences we are having on the tours.

*The Titanic Theater Restaurant (Old Prince of Wales Hotel) Williamstown

The surgeon John Wilkins owned the origial 15 room hotel from 1858 until 1873. As with many of the hotels in the 1800s, it's hotel cellar was also used as a makeshift morgue and the bar was frequently used for coroners inquests. William Wilkins, presumably his son, acquired the hotel in the 1870s, then it was owned for a short time (1877-1880) by George Stanway. Between 1880 and 1902 the owner was S. Abraham until 1890. Some of the longest serving publicans were Henry Trump (1858, 1869- 1872), Patrick Brodie (c1883-1889) and Henry and Amelia Fonseca (c1873-1882)

I have recieved numerous sightings of a "short, round, balding man who looks Maltese or Italian in descent". He looks shrewd and busy, running around the outside and downstairs section of the old Prince of Wales hotel. We believe he is the ghost of Henry Fonseca. He is believed to be of Portugese Jewish descent and was s shrewd businessman who used to plan 'power outages' so he could pickpocket partons. The Prince of Wales for sometime was the most popular pub in Williamstown but at the end of Henry's management, numbers dwindled due to power outages.

The laneway next to the building is also haunted by two prostitutes circa early 1900s, believed to be called Ann (several indepedent reports of this name) and Roslyn (only one report of his name). Several people have reported they feel the ladies were pushed to their death from the windows and are still wearing white night dresses, makeup and lavendar perfume. On almost every tour we experience the smell of lavendar perfum waft by us, as though someone is wearing the perfume and walking past. We have also had many unusual photos of orbs and strange shadows down this lane. One group flet they were followed all the way to Thompson Street by one of the ladies.

**Copyright Lantern Ghost Tours 2010**

References

http://vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au/places/heritage/15143

Haunted House In Williamstown

Lantern Ghost Tours and Medium Kim Fawkes are currently investigating the cause of hauntings of a Williamstown House. Names and addresses have been removed to protect the identity of the family.

Summary from Kim

To summarise, I sensed an outdoor area in the bedroom behind the kitchen/lounge area. This outdoor area was the original area outside the house with a tree with purple covered leaves and an old shed with timber sides and rusted corrugated iron roof (now gone). Underneath or just at the back of this shed several feet down was/is the remains of a circular bricked well (some of the bricks from this well are in your front yard). I feel this well was source of fresh water as a supply of fresh water through pipes was not readily available in this period. Part of the well also drained rainwater off the roof (probably a separate but adjoining pipe some of which still exists under the concrete around your sideway adjoining the other house).On looking at this well I had a sense of revulsion as if something with a bad odour was there (your thought that a foetus could have been disposed of there so as to not attract attention from the neighbours or police might not be far wrong). There is a possible connection with guilt over the crime of disposing of a baby without going through proper procedures. After collecting myself over what I 'saw' I asked Spirit for help as to how this occurred. This led me to going back to the front room where you've had bad feelings. Earlier in our visit we all had a sense of something unpleasant happening there and a Spirit present in the corner facing the door. When I was on my own I bent forward to see if I could connect with anything and 'saw' the very frightened face of a young girl looking back at me. On going outside to join you we explored this event and with a feeling of 'fullness' in my stomach area, and the frighterned look on the girl's face we came to a possible conclusion of a pregnant young girl. This would tie in with what I sensed. The girl had a grandmother energy around her as if she was looking after her (the grandmother is not a spirit in the house. merely a projection). Unfortunately, things being what they were then, the baby was stillborn or if not stillborn, she didn't survive for very long. There are two theories about the girl - one that she survived despite blood loss or it's possible she didn't which would account for her presence. It may be that if she did survive this birth, she died early in life and returns to her old home. I dont see her as a threat - in fact she enjoys being around you and the kids who represent the kids she never had (and it was her who got you the house I feel as she wanted you there). The unpleasant smell which I sensed in the backyard (the bright colours of the room and the family energy dissipate the bad energies there) is possibly because the dead baby was thrown into the sewerage system which was rudimentary by anyone's standards The reason the birth was not reported is possibly because of the stigma associated with the baby's death and the fact the girl got pregnant but it is who the father is that attracts the most stigma and horror even for those days as I believe it was a family member, possibly a father or uncle as a male energy is strong. This male dominated the household which makes me believe it was father and not an uncle. This domination might explain the absence of a mother energy as I feel the mother didnt do enough to protect her daughter.

-Kim Fawkes

Lantern Ghost Tours Summary

As you may be aware, most of your street dates back to the late 19th century, stimulated by the development of 'Beach station' in 1889, later called Williamstown Beach. A small shopping center was also developed during this period, still standing today. The hospital was also built in 1894. From what I can tell the site of your home was vacant land until the late 1890s. During the early 20th century, your neighbours had a son who was an ANZAC born and raised in Williamstown. The neighbours. The neighbours on the opposite side had a son who was arrested for 'false pretenses' for borrowing money which he repaid with a cheque that bounced.

So both sets of your neighbours have interesting histories which could be linked to the activity. Your house does too. Hannah lived in and passed away in your house on Thursday 17th May 1910 at the age of 35. She was the wife of Walter. We feel Hannah is still around keeping an eye on the place as she passed away before her time. She isn’t very active and isn’t of particularly strong character so you are unlikely to encounter her but if you do notice any ghostly activities occurring in your home, it’s most likely Hannah. She died of a chest problem, I get the sense of stabbing pains in her lungs like miners cough, sever pnemonia or TB. I felt she couldn't breathe and would weeze a lot. The house was cold, dank, damp and dark and I feel she died in the front room trying (unsuccessfully) to keep warm. I feel she loves kids but boys can annoy her sometimes with all their energy and cheekiness. I don't know if Hannah is linked to Kim's presense, I couldn't get a sense of pregnancy with Hannah but perhaps I was sensing her in a later time of her life. I could also sense a very serious, proud and stern man wearing a top hat with a moustache and braces walking up and down the corridor. He is dressed like a shabby banker. So I think he is some type of businessman. He checks everything is in order and leaves.

JACQUI

**Copyright Lantern Ghost Tours 2010**

Mrs Chesterfield HauntsTalbot

What a weekend...we were hoping for activity but I don't think any of us could have imagined what a wonderful weekend we'd have.

The group dynamics were fantastic, we made new friends but apart from that we also unravelled part of the Mrs Chesterfield puzzle.

Background

The Bull and Mouth Hotel was built of local mined bluestone in 1866, having replaced an earlier building of timber construction which had been erected in 1860. At the turn of the 20th century, the present verandah was added and the name changed to 'Town Hall Hotel'. Mr George Spence and Mrs Grace Ann Spence held the license until George passed away and Grace inherited the hotel. Grace soon started 'an affair' with Mr William Chesterfield and eventually married him after being pressured by the liquor licensing board who were keen to raise the moral standards of drinking establishments. After the marriage the hotel changed names to 'Chesterfield's Town Hall Hotel' until the 1960's when it closed its doors.

Grace was a colourful woman, she sold sly grog which she brewed at the back of the premises until her license was reinstated. She also did 'favours' to keep her business afloat. She loved her hotel to the point that she insisted her second husband, William, keep the hotel for her children if anything was to happen to her. She even insisted on him signing a contract to this effect.

Grace was legendary for her high standards, always keeping a tidy hotel with crisp, linen sheets and cooking roasts or stew for weary travelers.

Grace passed away before William and he revoked on his word, selling the hotel. As a result, we believe Grace's ghost remains with the pub. Many people have seen and experienced Grace's presence.

Later, after many years of neglect, the building, together with new cottages was opened as the 'Bull and Mouth Restaurant and Accommodation' in the late 1980's.

Activity during our weekend

1. We made contact with Grace on the Friday and Saturday. She insisted that two spirits were present, initials A and W. We had no idea who those initials belonged to until our trip to the cemetery on Sunday. At that point we found out Grace's middle (and more common name) was Ann. He second husband's name was William.

2. We visited Grace's grave. She shares a grave and tombstone with William. Her inscirption on the tombstone is perfectly legible however, William's has totally eroded to the point that it is difficult to see there ever was an inscription. The perfect erosion is unexplainable especially since William's inscription isn't as old as Grace's. Buried next to them is the grave of George, Grace's first husband, with a perfectly legible tombstone. Grace was buried on 25/01/1949, William was buried 8/03/1963.

3. Daniel witnessed the lights in the old bluestone corridor switch themselves on and off several times.

4. Margaret saw a cream ruffled skirt with black dots swish past her door. On later inspection we found a picture with Grace wearing the same garment.

5. We caught a lot of orbs around the house, especially in the loungeroom where one appears to have a face.

6. We took a video recording of the most haunteds room where Grace passed away. There are unexplained shadows and movement.

7. The left cuboard door in Grace's original bedroom unexplainably swung open infront of the entire group. We couldn't replicate the action, naturally the right door needs to open first.

8. Grace tried to communicate the number '2' to us numerous times, 2 men, 2 spirits. We believe she is referring to her 2 husbands who were present in the hotel too.

9. Grace's first husband died of disease, she had to nurse him until his death. We're not sure how he died but sensed it had something to do with 'E,W'

10. Grace was trying to comunicate with Jacqui and Andrew and warn them about boats on Wednesday nights and communicated bones. They sail on Wednesdays unbeknown to the group.

11. A 52 year old spirit was also present, he died in the house. Believed to be William.

12. Grace said she was 93 when she passed away (this was incorrect she was in her 80s).

13. Grace communicated that she had 3 children. We later saw a photo of Grace with her 3 children.

14. Grace indicated that she is very happy now. We found out later that by coincidence the current owner is related to the Spence family!

15. Grace wanted to communicate with Devi but we couldn't work out the message.

16. The spirit of a 3 year old boy tried to contact us. He lived in the room upstairs on the right hand side. He was very confused.

17. Another spirit with the initials MK was present, he indicated that he is related to the 3 year old boy and his wife's initials were BK. They were all related to Grace. We're not sure who they are.

Any ideas/research most appreciated....

**Copyright Lantern Ghost Tours**