Monte Cristo Homestead- Junee NSW
From Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopaedia:
"Monte Christo Homestead is a historic Australian property located in the town of Junee, New South Wales. Constructed by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley in 1885, it is a double-story late-Victorian manor standing on a hill overlooking the town.
The Crawley family remained in residence until 1948. The house then stood empty under the care of several caretakers until 1963 when it was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored it to its current condition. It operates as a museum, antique store and tourist attraction.
Monte Cristo is claimed to be Australia's most haunted house, with reports of ghostly figures, strange lights, invisible forcefields, phantom sounds and animal mutilations. These are attributed to several tragic incidents in the property's past including the murder of a caretaker in 1961 and the imprisonment of a mentally impaired man for many years in the dairy. During the Crawleys' occupation a young child is said to have been fatally dropped down the stairs, a maid to have fallen from the balcony, and a stable boy to have been burnt to death.
Monte Cristo's reputation is well known within Australia, thanks partially to several television shows including segments on the property."
Further explanations and history of the Monte Cristo Homestead, including it's hauntings can be found at their web site: www.montecristo.com.au
Late October 2011. Tanya, Isabella and I made the trek from Sydney to Junee to see the allegedly 'Most Haunted Private Homestead in Australia" - Monte Cristo. The drive was long and uneventful and pretty warm. We arrived at Monte Cristo just before lunch and wasted no time getting onto the grounds. As we walked into the external entry cottage, we were met by the owner of Monte Cristo, Mr Reg Ryan. After a brief run down on the history and where he feels there is paranormal activity in his home, we headed out to the grounds and house.
As we rang the front door bell, Mrs Olive Ryan answered the door and introduced us into her home. Tanya, Isabella and I began walking around and exploring the front rooms. I had the video camera running the whole time, and after reviewing the audio and video of the front lower rooms of the house found that the small CD player playing at the front of the hour drowned out every noise that could have possibly been detected. There was nothing to be seen on the video either.
I was videoing the dining room when isabella came and told me meet with Tanya who was in the breakfast room. As I walked in, Tanya said "there's a little girl holding my left hand, it's icy cold and I've got pins and needles, feel it" I felt Tanya's right hand and it was warm, I felt her left hand and sure enough, her hand was icy cold! Again, the video was rolling and on review there was the noisy classical music booming out from the CD player so no EVPs or anything unusual on the video again.
Tanya was amazed that this feeling was not letting go. Her hand stayed icy and her sensations remained the same, even though Isabella (our 7 year old daughter) was there also; but she didn't feel anything.
We made our way upstairs and Tanya walked up as if she was leading the little girl by the hand. We got to the top of the stairs and Tanya turned and walked into Mr Crawley's room (The original owner of Monte Cristo who died in the same upstairs bedroom). As she walked into the room, Tanya felt the little girl let go and her hand went back to normal, the feelings of her presence now gone; as if she wasn't allowed into that room. Alas, upon review of the videos and photos, ............ Nothing was recorded.
But the feelings didn't pass for Tanya. As the little girl left, a feeling of heaviness and discomfort came over Tanya, feeling as though her throat was constricted, she felt tight in the chest and that she didn't belong in that room.
So, what was happening here? Well, for the full story on the history of the house, go to the Monte Cristo website but allow me to give a brief oversight.
Firstly the little girl. It is reported that a little girl was accidentally dropped down the stairs by her nanny and died shortly after of her injuries. The bottom of these stairs in question are at the door of the breakfast room and again it is reported that the nanny who dropped the little girl did so after she herself was pushed by a ghost.
The room upstairs was the room in which Mr Crawley died of heart failure as a result of severe infection to his neck.
Upon reliving this experience with Mr Reg Ryan, Reg simply smiled and nodded saying "yes, thats right. We get a lot of people feeling the same things in those two rooms. We've had psychics who have experienced exactly what your wife experienced with our little girl ghost taking them by the hand and Mr Crawley making people feel unwell".
Wow, impressed with that experience!
So Tanya, Isabella and I continued through the house and while there were a few "odd" moments, the rest of the homestead was rather uneventful. We went back to the breakfast room, but the little girl was gone. Upon going upstairs however, Mr Crawley was still making Tanya feel uneasy, so we went outside.
We made our way into the old homestead and had a look around. While the history in this old part of the estate was amazing, Tanya didn't feel anything and she and Isabella made their way outside. I was again all alone videoing and asking questions. I saw nothing, heard nothing and felt nothing. However, upon review of the video footage when we got home, and noting that Tanya and Isabella are now long gone from this location, over the opposite side of the courtyard at the ballroom.......... I captured on the video recording a distinct shadow moving across the wall inside the front bedroom! After some research, I found that there have been quite a few day time visitors to Monte Cristo who have captured similar shadows moving about the estate.
The grounds were quiet, nice but alas uneventful. There are reports of ghost children playing in the grounds, but we didn't see them. There are also reports of Mrs Crawley making her appearance about 10:30am each day outside the old homestead; but we were too late to see if that allegation was true. A caretaker was murdered on the grounds in 1961 and it is said that he makes his appearance outside the stables at 2:30pm each day.
Coincidently, it was at 2:35pm that I made my way inside the old stables.......
With video camera in hand, and my EVP recording app running on my iPhone I began asking if anyone was there to make themselves known to me. The day was bright and sunny and I couldn't see, hear or feel anything; Tanya and Isabella were still at the other end of the complex, in the Ball room. I walked down the dusty stables, past the old carriages and got to the tool room door. Suddenly I felt someone right beside me and scared the hell out of me - I clearly heard a male say "before the door". I was really freaked out and upon reviewing the footage the camera had stopped recording for several seconds as I walked down the stables!! This has never happened before. It was at that time a brand new camera and is always 100% faithful in it's operation.
I can't explain that experience at all........ And after reviewing what footage I had, plus the EVP app, heard a few odd sounds, like doors banging but I quickly de-bunked them as the barn doors moving in the breeze; so again I captured nothing to prove my experience, dammit.
So the day wound on and nothing else was seen. I again went back into the house by myself and videoed around but, alas with other visitors now walking noisily around the house nothing was seen or recorded.
All in all it was an excellent day with Tanya and I both experiencing things we both call paranormal. Monte Cristo run over night tours and sleep overs every Saturday night; a tour we will be going to very, very soon..... Stay tuned!!
www.facebook.com/Ghost.Towns.Australia
"Monte Christo Homestead is a historic Australian property located in the town of Junee, New South Wales. Constructed by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley in 1885, it is a double-story late-Victorian manor standing on a hill overlooking the town.
The Crawley family remained in residence until 1948. The house then stood empty under the care of several caretakers until 1963 when it was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored it to its current condition. It operates as a museum, antique store and tourist attraction.
Monte Cristo is claimed to be Australia's most haunted house, with reports of ghostly figures, strange lights, invisible forcefields, phantom sounds and animal mutilations. These are attributed to several tragic incidents in the property's past including the murder of a caretaker in 1961 and the imprisonment of a mentally impaired man for many years in the dairy. During the Crawleys' occupation a young child is said to have been fatally dropped down the stairs, a maid to have fallen from the balcony, and a stable boy to have been burnt to death.
Monte Cristo's reputation is well known within Australia, thanks partially to several television shows including segments on the property."
Further explanations and history of the Monte Cristo Homestead, including it's hauntings can be found at their web site: www.montecristo.com.au
Late October 2011. Tanya, Isabella and I made the trek from Sydney to Junee to see the allegedly 'Most Haunted Private Homestead in Australia" - Monte Cristo. The drive was long and uneventful and pretty warm. We arrived at Monte Cristo just before lunch and wasted no time getting onto the grounds. As we walked into the external entry cottage, we were met by the owner of Monte Cristo, Mr Reg Ryan. After a brief run down on the history and where he feels there is paranormal activity in his home, we headed out to the grounds and house.
As we rang the front door bell, Mrs Olive Ryan answered the door and introduced us into her home. Tanya, Isabella and I began walking around and exploring the front rooms. I had the video camera running the whole time, and after reviewing the audio and video of the front lower rooms of the house found that the small CD player playing at the front of the hour drowned out every noise that could have possibly been detected. There was nothing to be seen on the video either.
I was videoing the dining room when isabella came and told me meet with Tanya who was in the breakfast room. As I walked in, Tanya said "there's a little girl holding my left hand, it's icy cold and I've got pins and needles, feel it" I felt Tanya's right hand and it was warm, I felt her left hand and sure enough, her hand was icy cold! Again, the video was rolling and on review there was the noisy classical music booming out from the CD player so no EVPs or anything unusual on the video again.
Tanya was amazed that this feeling was not letting go. Her hand stayed icy and her sensations remained the same, even though Isabella (our 7 year old daughter) was there also; but she didn't feel anything.
We made our way upstairs and Tanya walked up as if she was leading the little girl by the hand. We got to the top of the stairs and Tanya turned and walked into Mr Crawley's room (The original owner of Monte Cristo who died in the same upstairs bedroom). As she walked into the room, Tanya felt the little girl let go and her hand went back to normal, the feelings of her presence now gone; as if she wasn't allowed into that room. Alas, upon review of the videos and photos, ............ Nothing was recorded.
But the feelings didn't pass for Tanya. As the little girl left, a feeling of heaviness and discomfort came over Tanya, feeling as though her throat was constricted, she felt tight in the chest and that she didn't belong in that room.
So, what was happening here? Well, for the full story on the history of the house, go to the Monte Cristo website but allow me to give a brief oversight.
Firstly the little girl. It is reported that a little girl was accidentally dropped down the stairs by her nanny and died shortly after of her injuries. The bottom of these stairs in question are at the door of the breakfast room and again it is reported that the nanny who dropped the little girl did so after she herself was pushed by a ghost.
The room upstairs was the room in which Mr Crawley died of heart failure as a result of severe infection to his neck.
Upon reliving this experience with Mr Reg Ryan, Reg simply smiled and nodded saying "yes, thats right. We get a lot of people feeling the same things in those two rooms. We've had psychics who have experienced exactly what your wife experienced with our little girl ghost taking them by the hand and Mr Crawley making people feel unwell".
Wow, impressed with that experience!
So Tanya, Isabella and I continued through the house and while there were a few "odd" moments, the rest of the homestead was rather uneventful. We went back to the breakfast room, but the little girl was gone. Upon going upstairs however, Mr Crawley was still making Tanya feel uneasy, so we went outside.
We made our way into the old homestead and had a look around. While the history in this old part of the estate was amazing, Tanya didn't feel anything and she and Isabella made their way outside. I was again all alone videoing and asking questions. I saw nothing, heard nothing and felt nothing. However, upon review of the video footage when we got home, and noting that Tanya and Isabella are now long gone from this location, over the opposite side of the courtyard at the ballroom.......... I captured on the video recording a distinct shadow moving across the wall inside the front bedroom! After some research, I found that there have been quite a few day time visitors to Monte Cristo who have captured similar shadows moving about the estate.
The grounds were quiet, nice but alas uneventful. There are reports of ghost children playing in the grounds, but we didn't see them. There are also reports of Mrs Crawley making her appearance about 10:30am each day outside the old homestead; but we were too late to see if that allegation was true. A caretaker was murdered on the grounds in 1961 and it is said that he makes his appearance outside the stables at 2:30pm each day.
Coincidently, it was at 2:35pm that I made my way inside the old stables.......
With video camera in hand, and my EVP recording app running on my iPhone I began asking if anyone was there to make themselves known to me. The day was bright and sunny and I couldn't see, hear or feel anything; Tanya and Isabella were still at the other end of the complex, in the Ball room. I walked down the dusty stables, past the old carriages and got to the tool room door. Suddenly I felt someone right beside me and scared the hell out of me - I clearly heard a male say "before the door". I was really freaked out and upon reviewing the footage the camera had stopped recording for several seconds as I walked down the stables!! This has never happened before. It was at that time a brand new camera and is always 100% faithful in it's operation.
I can't explain that experience at all........ And after reviewing what footage I had, plus the EVP app, heard a few odd sounds, like doors banging but I quickly de-bunked them as the barn doors moving in the breeze; so again I captured nothing to prove my experience, dammit.
So the day wound on and nothing else was seen. I again went back into the house by myself and videoed around but, alas with other visitors now walking noisily around the house nothing was seen or recorded.
All in all it was an excellent day with Tanya and I both experiencing things we both call paranormal. Monte Cristo run over night tours and sleep overs every Saturday night; a tour we will be going to very, very soon..... Stay tuned!!
www.facebook.com/Ghost.Towns.Australia