Is South Australia's Stenhouse Bay Ghost Town Haunted?

Stenhouse Bay Ghost Town, Innes National Park

Stenhouse Bay was the name of a small settlement on the coast of South Australia. Today, not much is left of the town apart from some ruins and a few select restored buildings.

Ruins of a former South Australian mining town. — Remnants of a former mining town slowly rusting away into the water.

This now ghost town was settled in the early 1900s, growing to around 200 inhabitants at its peak. The town thrived from 1913 to around 1930 as gypsum mining in the area was prosperous. Though this was a small settlement, Stenhouse Bay was close to being self-sufficient, having its very own school, post-office, general store and bakery. Eventually, the town saw its demise and abandonment, now being preserved within one of South Australia’s most popular national parks.

Looking for ghosts in Innes Nation Park, South Australia. — The Stenhouse Bay ghost town ruins by night.

Is This South Australian Ghost Town Haunted?

While there are currently no ghost stories or legends circulating in mainstream culture about Stenhouse Bay, it does make for an interesting subject for a paranormal investigation. Having been a location where so many people passed through and lived their lives, it could very well be a candidate for trapped paranormal energy.

South Australian ghost town in Innes National Park. — The ruins of Stenhouse Bay scattered across the horizon.

During a recent trip to Stenhouse Bay, I conducted my own paranormal investigation of some of the areas. During this investigation, we picked up on some strange occurrences, such as motion sensors being activated by themselves and some words coming through a spirit box (a device used to communicate with spirits). Although this was an interesting night, there was nothing that happened to conclusively label Stenhouse Bay as haunted. It would be very interesting to know if any visitors to the former town have sighted or experienced anything unexplainable.

Stenhouse Bay ruins. — The ruined remains of a fireplace in a spooky little South Australian ghost town.

Visiting Stenhouse Bay

Stenhouse Bay’s ghost town is open daily to the public. Visitors will need to enter Innes National Park, which requires the purchase of a pass. These are available online or at the park’s visitor center. Stenhouse Bay is located along a short hiking trail. Some of the buildings have been left in ruins. Others however have been restored and can be rented for overnight stays.

Innes National Park ghost town, Stenhouse Bay. — In search of ghosts at one of South Australia’s best-preserved ghost towns.

If you enjoyed this article and are interested in learning about other South Australian ghost towns, I highly recommend checking out the former town of Farina.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo