The GTA Home Page
Welcome
Hi, welcome to Ghost Towns Australia (GTA). This is a page that I will be building as my wife and I start to explore and investigate ghost towns and alleged haunted locations in Australia.
Unlike other ghost TV shows, GTA does not have any production or film crews. We do not use millions of dollars worth of equipment either. My idea is to make this documentary series in a style and manner that any viewer can watch and then pick up their video camera and iPhone and head off on a tour or visit and do the same as we are doing.
Our production idea at GTA is twofold. Firstly, to travel to and showcase Australia's long forgotten Ghost Towns; towns and places either abandoned to time, or now sparsely populated. The second part is while at these towns, to explore their history specific to hauntings or "unexplainable events" in the hope of hunting or investigating paranormal activities; ghosts!
We will also go to more famously haunted locations around Australia and see if we can capture anything paranormal on their every day open tours, both day and night wherever possible. If we can get permission to explore further outside the boundaries of the tours, we will.
Unlike other shows, GTA will use equipment and go to places that are available to and easily accessible to any person wanting to go out "Ghost Hunting".
Our audio and video capture is done on a Sony High Definition Handycam, our stills are taken on a Canon EOS SLR and our scientific equipment is all wrapped up in applications on our iPhones and iPad!
Equipment, ideas and places that anyone can go to and explore the realm of the paranormal.
So where did all this begin for Tanya and I? Well for myself it was stories and experiences of growing up on a property that had an old settlement once established there. The entire population was wiped out in the late 1800's by disease. There were ruins, footings and an old cemetery that really gave the whole area a very uneasy feeling. This property is long sold and moved away from, but I do plan to go back and visit; with the crew!
But our first ever 'real' paranormal experience happened in Adelaide, South Australia when we were living in an old turn of the century Bungalow home.
It was Spring of 2004, a few months before our youngest daughter was born. Tanya and I were both asleep in our room, which used to be the formal dining room along with our dog, 'Sasha'. I remember stirring from my sleep as if there was someone leaning over me staring at me. With several other children living in the house, this feeling was quite common as they would come in wanting a drink, to be tucked back into bed or whatever.
I didn't look up and said "who is it?" expecting one of the children to respond.
There was no answer, but the air was fridgidly cold.
I turned my head around and again said "is someone there?" and rattled off the kids' names. Again no answer.
At this stage Tanya also woke up and we both turned over and sat up. As we did, I saw a black shadow figure, looking like a very tall man standing at the foot of the bed and simultaniously, Sasha jumped up from her spot on the end of the bed and began barking at this figure very aggressively. The figure did not move, but the feelings in the room suddenly became very tense indeed.
Sitting bolt upright I shouted "Who the hell is that?" and Tanya also asked the same.
We then watched the figure move very rapidly from left to right, straight through our closed glass french doors and stood in the corner of the adjoining room; the lounge room. Sasha was still barking at the figure as it stood looking at us until I jumped up and turned on the lights. The figure was gone but there was still several seconds of tense feelings as Sasha eventually calmed down and I looked around finding no one.
There was never again a 'visit' from the dark man, nor did we ever feel any other presences in that house before we moved out several weeks later.
Tanya's late father was a tall man who died when she was a baby. Was it him coming to check on the father of his newest grand daughter? I don't know, but whatever happened that night has made me want to find out more about the after life, about the paranormal; about Ghosts.
To date we have photographic and video evidence of unexplained phenomena from:
Toowong Cemetery - Brisbane QLD
The Quarantine Station - Sydney NSW
Monte Cristo Homestead - Junee NSW
Lake George Mine - Captain's Flat NSW
Jerangle Hotel - Jerangle NSW
Redbank Range Railway Tunnel - Picton NSW
Port Arthur Historic Site - Port Arthur TAS
Some terminology that we use on this site that will assist you:
EVP = Electronic Voice Phenomenon - Where we record spirit's voices and sounds on our iPhone digital recorders and also from the Handycam.
EMF = Electro Magnetic Field - What a Ghost is alleged to alter when it is about. I utilise the M2 App on my iPhone to detect EMF fluctuations.
As we continue to explore and investigate we'll continue to update this site and our Facebook page with our findings and extracts from our research.
But our main focus is producing the documentary "Ghost Towns Australia - Do You Believe in Ghosts?" It's very hard convincing some property owners to allow an investigation to occur, but trust me when I say I'm working on it.
The big problem with paranormal investigations and ghost hunting is that there are many people who either don't believe they exist, or are religiously minded and don't want their religious beliefs challenged. We respect that and will never try and force any ideas or ideals onto anyone. All Tanya and I want to do is look into the history of these once thriving towns, reflect on that past and hopefully find some souls or spirits of those times still here with us today.
Our first Ghost Towns visited was Captain's Flat and Jerangle; both about an hour from Canberra, ACT. The owners of the Lake George Mine site, while declining to be interviewed, were very generous in allowing us to access their property unrestricted. Unfortunately, due to the hard drive failing, this footage and episode will have to be re-shot on another visit to the Mine and Jerangle... Have a read of our Jerangle account for the full story.
The owners of the Captain's Flat Hotel, where a ghost is reported to haunt, were not so accommodating; but haven't closed the book completely for us to investigate in the future.
All photos or video we have on this site or our Facebook Page (which has a much larger and more interactive collection than these pages) is taken by either Savo or Tanya Stankovich unless stated otherwise in the photos captioning. Please enjoy them, but please don't copy them and try and pass them off as your own; that's pretty low.
Enjoy.
Unlike other ghost TV shows, GTA does not have any production or film crews. We do not use millions of dollars worth of equipment either. My idea is to make this documentary series in a style and manner that any viewer can watch and then pick up their video camera and iPhone and head off on a tour or visit and do the same as we are doing.
Our production idea at GTA is twofold. Firstly, to travel to and showcase Australia's long forgotten Ghost Towns; towns and places either abandoned to time, or now sparsely populated. The second part is while at these towns, to explore their history specific to hauntings or "unexplainable events" in the hope of hunting or investigating paranormal activities; ghosts!
We will also go to more famously haunted locations around Australia and see if we can capture anything paranormal on their every day open tours, both day and night wherever possible. If we can get permission to explore further outside the boundaries of the tours, we will.
Unlike other shows, GTA will use equipment and go to places that are available to and easily accessible to any person wanting to go out "Ghost Hunting".
Our audio and video capture is done on a Sony High Definition Handycam, our stills are taken on a Canon EOS SLR and our scientific equipment is all wrapped up in applications on our iPhones and iPad!
Equipment, ideas and places that anyone can go to and explore the realm of the paranormal.
So where did all this begin for Tanya and I? Well for myself it was stories and experiences of growing up on a property that had an old settlement once established there. The entire population was wiped out in the late 1800's by disease. There were ruins, footings and an old cemetery that really gave the whole area a very uneasy feeling. This property is long sold and moved away from, but I do plan to go back and visit; with the crew!
But our first ever 'real' paranormal experience happened in Adelaide, South Australia when we were living in an old turn of the century Bungalow home.
It was Spring of 2004, a few months before our youngest daughter was born. Tanya and I were both asleep in our room, which used to be the formal dining room along with our dog, 'Sasha'. I remember stirring from my sleep as if there was someone leaning over me staring at me. With several other children living in the house, this feeling was quite common as they would come in wanting a drink, to be tucked back into bed or whatever.
I didn't look up and said "who is it?" expecting one of the children to respond.
There was no answer, but the air was fridgidly cold.
I turned my head around and again said "is someone there?" and rattled off the kids' names. Again no answer.
At this stage Tanya also woke up and we both turned over and sat up. As we did, I saw a black shadow figure, looking like a very tall man standing at the foot of the bed and simultaniously, Sasha jumped up from her spot on the end of the bed and began barking at this figure very aggressively. The figure did not move, but the feelings in the room suddenly became very tense indeed.
Sitting bolt upright I shouted "Who the hell is that?" and Tanya also asked the same.
We then watched the figure move very rapidly from left to right, straight through our closed glass french doors and stood in the corner of the adjoining room; the lounge room. Sasha was still barking at the figure as it stood looking at us until I jumped up and turned on the lights. The figure was gone but there was still several seconds of tense feelings as Sasha eventually calmed down and I looked around finding no one.
There was never again a 'visit' from the dark man, nor did we ever feel any other presences in that house before we moved out several weeks later.
Tanya's late father was a tall man who died when she was a baby. Was it him coming to check on the father of his newest grand daughter? I don't know, but whatever happened that night has made me want to find out more about the after life, about the paranormal; about Ghosts.
To date we have photographic and video evidence of unexplained phenomena from:
Toowong Cemetery - Brisbane QLD
The Quarantine Station - Sydney NSW
Monte Cristo Homestead - Junee NSW
Lake George Mine - Captain's Flat NSW
Jerangle Hotel - Jerangle NSW
Redbank Range Railway Tunnel - Picton NSW
Port Arthur Historic Site - Port Arthur TAS
Some terminology that we use on this site that will assist you:
EVP = Electronic Voice Phenomenon - Where we record spirit's voices and sounds on our iPhone digital recorders and also from the Handycam.
EMF = Electro Magnetic Field - What a Ghost is alleged to alter when it is about. I utilise the M2 App on my iPhone to detect EMF fluctuations.
As we continue to explore and investigate we'll continue to update this site and our Facebook page with our findings and extracts from our research.
But our main focus is producing the documentary "Ghost Towns Australia - Do You Believe in Ghosts?" It's very hard convincing some property owners to allow an investigation to occur, but trust me when I say I'm working on it.
The big problem with paranormal investigations and ghost hunting is that there are many people who either don't believe they exist, or are religiously minded and don't want their religious beliefs challenged. We respect that and will never try and force any ideas or ideals onto anyone. All Tanya and I want to do is look into the history of these once thriving towns, reflect on that past and hopefully find some souls or spirits of those times still here with us today.
Our first Ghost Towns visited was Captain's Flat and Jerangle; both about an hour from Canberra, ACT. The owners of the Lake George Mine site, while declining to be interviewed, were very generous in allowing us to access their property unrestricted. Unfortunately, due to the hard drive failing, this footage and episode will have to be re-shot on another visit to the Mine and Jerangle... Have a read of our Jerangle account for the full story.
The owners of the Captain's Flat Hotel, where a ghost is reported to haunt, were not so accommodating; but haven't closed the book completely for us to investigate in the future.
All photos or video we have on this site or our Facebook Page (which has a much larger and more interactive collection than these pages) is taken by either Savo or Tanya Stankovich unless stated otherwise in the photos captioning. Please enjoy them, but please don't copy them and try and pass them off as your own; that's pretty low.
Enjoy.