The notorious Beechworth Gaol looms large over the historic town of Beechworth in Victoria, Australia. Construction with stone and iron began in 1859, but the history of this grim fortress extends far beyond mere imprisonment. Within its walls once dwelled some of Australia’s most notorious figures, including the infamous bushranger outlaw Ned Kelly, his family, and the members of the Kelly gang. The gaol’s original wooden gates were replaced with iron barriers in 1880, due […]
A grand old railway station remains etched in time along the borders of Victoria and South Australia. Long abandoned and disused, the Serviceton Railway Station is an epic reminder of both the opulence and the darkness a station of its time could provide. Built in 1889 and remaining in service until 1986 the station is an important historic landmark within the small town of Serviceton. With the occasional freight train still passing by the empty […]
The Australian state of Victoria saw rapid population growth after its goldfields prospered. To keep order amongst this growing community a prison was necessary and 1861 saw the Ararat Country Gaol open. The gaol would function until the 1880s when it would eventually close as the goldfields saw their own demise. Later, in 1887, the facility would be repurposed, becoming a part of the Aradale Lunatic Asylum. The gaol was renamed to J Ward and […]
The Old Geelong Gaol is a foreboding memory of dark moments in Australia’s past. Today, the notorious building remains mostly intact and casts a historic shadow over Geelong. The prison was built between 1849 and 1864 and remained open until 1991. Officially opening its doors to prisoners in 1853, giving Old Geelong Gaol 138 years to accumulate dark events and hauntings. Unlike other Australian jails of the time, the Geelong Gaol lead a colorful and […]
Perched on what was formerly known as “Mad-Man’s Hill” is one of the most notorious asylums to ever exist within Australia. Aradale Lunatic Asylum was a psychiatric hospital built in Ararat, Australia during the 1800s, which operated within the community right through to the 1990s. Aradale was constructed at a time where other asylums were also being built within the state of Victoria. They were thought essential to deal with the crisis of increasing numbers […]
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Just outside of Melbourne’s CBD is an abandoned set of buildings with the ability to strike fear into the hearts of many. The old Larundel Mental Asylum now lies empty and has been deteriorating for some time. But not everyone believes the old buildings are empty, and instead, occupied by spirits of the past. The Larundel Psychiatric Hospital was built to replace another nearby establishment that was causing issues for the local community. Construction began […]
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Sitting calmly in the center of Melbourne is one of the most historic and supposedly haunted hotels in the city. The Young & Jackson Hotel was established back in 1861 as the Princes Bridge Hotel and got its name change in 1875 to pay homage to its new Irish owners. Though the Young & Jackson Hotel and pub is steeped in history and existed for a very long time, its haunting actually occurs just outside […]
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jack the Ripper is one of the first documented serial killers our modern world can remember. They were responsible for murdering a number of women in gruesome ways within Whitechapel, London in the late 1880s. The Ripper remains unidentified to this day, though many have speculated who the mystery killer may be. One Jack the Ripper theory suggests that Frederick Bailey Deeming may have been this infamous killer. Deeming was born in England and lived a […]