St Elmo: Tales of Ghosts, Parties and Survival

Perched high on the hill with a commanding view of the town is a masterpiece of nineteenth century architecture named St Elmo. What a colourful history it's had. Often the centre of Campbelltown's social life in days gone by, St Elmo survived demolition to become one of the town's most important historical buildings.

The two-story rendered brick house appears to have been constructed from the late 1880s and completed in 1892, although every source I find muddies the waters about when the first work was carried out. It was built for John Moore, a wealthy real estate investor from England. Apparently the builder was courting John's daughter but went broke and in the Depression and left for Melbourne. The origins of the name St Elmo are unclear. There is a theory that it relates to John Moore's nautical background and is connected to either St Erasmus, the patron saint of Mariners of which St Elmo is an abbreviation for or to 'St Elmo's fire' and the electrical discharge emitted from ships after storms.

Joseph Seddon on his pony in front of St Elmo around 1900

The building was sold and by 1916 the Allen family were living there. The family were lavish entertainers and huge parties were regular occurrences at St Elmo. Frances Allen was renowned as a splendid hostess at the famous parties. One of the daughters, Addie, played the piano which stood in the drawing room. She was also an accomplished organist, playing at St Peter's Church.

This view of St Elmo was taken ca. 1920

The original kerosene chandeliers were replaced (not long after the Allens moved in) by Quirk's Air Gas Lighting Equipment, which lit the exterior as well. This impressed the residents of the town, because beautiful St Elmo could be seen by night as well as day, from all over the district. Modern lighting was eventually installed after 1924 when electricity came to the town.

Now let me get to the ghost stories. The first occurred a long time ago. A statue once stood in front of the house. One evening a man (well "lubricated") startled the household by claiming he had seen a ghost. The family assumed it was the statue in the front garden which has caused the commotion!

In the 1920s a maid said she often heard footsteps but was unable to find who was walking. She also said doors opened without explanation. In the 1950s a child became upset after seeing a bearded ghost.

In 1985 Campbelltown alderman and campaigner John Hennessey walked around the back of his flat at St Elmo at 2am on New Years morning. He saw a young woman sitting on the old well, apparently waiting for him. The pretty 18-year-old was wearing a long white dress. John was almost within touching distance of her when she vanished into thin air. "I didn't think anything of it. I thought I was seeing things, or that someone was playing a joke on me," he said. He laughed it off thinking someone was pulling his leg. However, he had a "strange feeling" that someone was around the house. After about 30 minutes he went into the bathroom and looked out at the well. He saw the young woman standing beneath a tree about 10 metres away. She was looking at John and had a serene expression on her face. She then vanished after he turned on the outside light. "I didn't get a shock at all, just a funny feeling."

St Elmo in November 1979

John Hennessey was also responsible for a preservation order being placed on the building. There had been a suggestion that the building would be demolished to allow for widening of Broughton Street. A building conservation report was written to support further the conservation of St Elmo for future generations to enjoy.

I thought I would include a few more short interesting facts and stories about St Elmo:

• When Neil McLean moved in in 1947, despite the house being described as "in perfect order", it was not sewered, had no hot water system, damp walls, broken windows and rotted verandah boards.
• The bath was huge and was described as "the size of a Viking ship".
• St Elmo was divided into flats in the 1960s
• Henry Lawson and Jack Lang would regularly sit on the grass next to St Elmo and discuss various topics.
• In 1995 a fierce storm caused severe external damage
• The house was sold at auction in 1998 for the first time in 45 years
•  Owner Neil McLean ran a chicken farm there and delivered chickens around the metropolitan area. It was advertised as "Ronross Hatcheries" with chicks delivered from 1-9 weeks old.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Macarthur Advertiser, 28.06.1995 p3

Macarthur Advertiser, 02.09.1998, p45

Campbelltown District Star, 10.01.1985, p2

St Elmo House: A Building Conservation Report, 1993

FOWLER, Verlie in History Corner, July7,14,21 and 28 1982

The Haunted Harrow

Almost everyone in Campbelltown would be familiar with the story of Fisher's Ghost. Not many however would be familiar with "The Harrow"- the pub where John Farley ran to 'in great fright' to break the news of his ghostly tale. The Harrow therefore played an important part in Campbelltown's history. This is why I was fascinated by a discovery I made on Trove last week of an article from the Australasian Chronicle in 1841, just 15 years after the Fisher's Ghost legend was born. It appears that The Harrow became well known for other ghostly experiences other than those related to Fisher.

The Chronicle describes a letter written to the editor about "great alarm and sensation" in the village arising from strange experiences in the old pub.The letter explains that "...some unusual noises were heard, at unreasonable hours, in an old house occupied by Messrs. Shields and Patrick, in which is conducted the butchering business. These parties have been obliged to leave the premises every night, in consequence of the rumbling noises heard all over the building, and take shelter in adjoining houses." It went on to describe how a man named Baker had once lived there but had to vacate the premises because of the hauntings. The letter further stated that "I have often heard him say he could not get one night's rest in a week from the rattling and tumbling heard aloft when the serial beings were conducting their midnight orgies." I love the language.

The old Harrow actually survived for approximately another 118 years. It was built probably in 1822. Prominent businessman and ex-convict John Patrick owned the license shortly after the Fisher's Ghost experience. David Patrick researched the pub's history extensively and managed to pinpoint its exact location. He wrote an article in Grist Mills in November 1998 outlining his results. After John Patrick's ownership, the building would be used for various shops including a general store owned by the Graham Brothers in 1896, a fruit shop for G. Packer in 1915, C.W. Parker's Store in the 1920s and Romalis' Fish and Chip shop and café. It disappeared without trace after this. It is now the site of the Campbelltown City Centre in Queen Street, directly opposite Lithgow Street.

 

The Harrow became C.W. Parker's Store. This photograph was taken by Tom Swann in 1920. (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

 

 

 

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

 

Australasian Chronicle Saturday 27 November 1841, page 2

 

PATRICK, David

The Harrow: the Fisher's Ghost Pub

In Grist Mills 11 (3), November 1998

 

Eschol Park House

Eschol Park House c 1870 (Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)

Eschol Park House has a long and colourful history. From vineyards to ghosts to lost Nazi gold bullion, the place has long been a source of fascination. It was built on a grant acquired by Mark Millington in 1816. A small cottage was originally built on the site and can still be seen from the Queen Victoria Ballroom in the main house. The main house was built about 1820 by Thomas Clarkson and then changed ownership regularly throughout its history. The house is a mixture of styles and was added to, in stages. It was built using the ashlar method which is apparent on other houses built by Thomas Clarkson.

A flourishing vineyard was established on the property in the 1850s when William Fowler took over the large landholding.  He called it Eschol Park from the biblical reference to the 'promised lands of Eschol', a place of vineyards. Fowler built the two storey cellar into the hillside south of the house which still stands. He won numerous prizes for his wine.

Tragedy struck the Fowlers one night in the mid 1800s. Young Amelia Fowler, the granddaughter of William, was waiting for her boyfriend to come and get her in a horse drawn carriage to take them to a ball. In her haste she ran down the stairs, catching her foot in the hoops of her dress and fell down the steps, breaking her neck. It is Amelia's ghost that is said to haunt the building. A direct descendant of the Fowler family was attending a family gathering one night. Members of the family were waiting for her to come down the stairs at the end of the evening. However at the top of the stairs she froze to the spot and went into a dazed state. She said later she had gone through an instantaneous regression to the day of her forebearer's death, and could see the footman waiting at the bottom of the stairs to carry her to the carriage.

In 1876 William Fowler sold all of his land to Spencer Milgate. Milgate sold the property two years later to a Dutch photographer who lived there until the end of the century. The property's vineyards were wiped out in the 1890s with the coming of the phylloxera disease. The surrounding land remained as rural hills for many years until the mid 1970s when the suburb of Eschol Park was developed.

During the Second World War, the estate was used as a detention camp to house German Embassy staff. A fortune in Nazi gold bullion was believed to have been buried in the grounds of the property by the embassy staff.  Despite every square metre of the property being turned over, including the immediate grounds and the internal walls, no trace of the bullion has ever surfaced. Perhaps someone will dig it up from a backyard in the neighboring suburbs one day.

In 1991 a Croatian family named Masina purchased Eschol Park House and turned it into a fine wedding reception venue. Historically friendly additions were made to the property. The building, surrounds and driveway have been classified by the National Trust.

The house taken in 1999

Update

Evidence reveals Amelia Fowler was not killed by falling down stairs at Eschol Park House. She died at at a Queensland property known as 'Inkerman Downs' Station.

Written by Andrew Allen

Who was the Macquarie Fields Train Station Ghost?

There's been a lot in the local press in the last week about the ghostly happenings at Macquarie Fields train station. If you haven't read anything about this, here is a link to the Macarthur Chronicle article: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/teenage-ghost-girl-haunts-commuters-at-macquarie-fields-railway-station/news-story/6b2b9fb22747a927024aab552d6992c6

The article mentions a possible explanation for the spooky noises and the sightings of a 'young girl wearing dancing clothes, covered in what looked to be blood in her chest area'. The article describes how an Emily Hay Gengeson was reportedly hit by a train and killed along the railway line at Macquarie Fields.

I thought I would do a bit of investigating to find out more about the accident and Emily Hay Gengeson. My research yielded some fascinating results. The young girl was actually a 42 year old woman named Emily Hay Georgenson. She was killed on the Saturday afternoon of 7 July, 1906. Newspaper reports provide a gruesome description of what happened. The Cumberland Argus described how "an unknown woman was run over and killed near Macquarie Fields platform on Saturday afternoon by the train reaching Liverpool at 3.53pm. The line there is a straight down-grade from Ingleburn, and the train, which does not stop before it reaches Liverpool, was travelling with considerable speed. When near the platform, the driver noticed the woman attempt to cross in front of the engine, too near to avert the accident, and the woman was knocked down and run over and literally cut to pieces."

Before the accident, Emily had recently been a patient at a private hospital at Wahroonga. Before that, she had been living with her father, Gifford Georgenson at Darlinghurst. She had been in bad health for a number of months. The reports described how she had been suffering from sleeplessness and melancholia. Her insomnia was so bad that she had to be moved to the hospital or 'lunatic asylum' as some newspapers referred to it as.

On the Saturday, the day of her death, she went to Glenfield to visit some friends. A nurse was sent to be in charge of her and accompany her by rail to Glenfield. Emily required constant watching as she might do an injury to herself. She appeared normal on the train, but after they alighted at Glenfield and the train was taking off again, Emily jumped back on. Her nurse then drove to Ingleburn after her, but Emily had got off at Macquarie Fields. A driver of a train coming from Campbelltown that was approaching Macquarie Fields station saw a woman come out of a tool shed and walk towards the line and on to it. She threw herself down on her knees and the train passed over her.

The coroner ruled that it was not an accidental stumble and that Emily had committed suicide by throwing herself in front of the train.

Emily Hay Georgenson was born on 19 June, 1864 at Lewick, Shetland Islands in Scotland. Her parents were Jean and Gifford Duncan Georgenson. The family, including seven other siblings, came to Australia on 10 May, 1879 when Emily was 14. Gifford was a shipmaster and died at Mosman in 1912.

I'd like to do some more research on Emily. It would be interesting to know where she is buried and perhaps find a photograph of her. Stay tuned for further updates on this blog post.

I wonder, is it Emily's faint crying that can be heard on the breeze at Macquarie Fields station late at night? Perhaps they are cries of a tortured soul that will hopefully one day find everlasting peace....

Written by Andrew Allen

Update: Emily Georgenson was buried at Waverley Cemetery in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

The Minto Monster

Minto has a long history of strange sightings and weird noises that have defied explanation. Many locals believe they all relate to the Minto Monster- a creature that has been terrorising residents since 1932.

In that year farmers were looking for a cow in the moonlight and were shocked to see a 'bellowing' unknown creature which seemed to glide above the ground. Other reports described it as a "dark object gliding through space, 18 inches off the ground." Locals believe this apparition relates to a drowning of a convict that occurred on a dam built by Thomas Rose. This dam was on the corner of Pembroke and Ben Lomond Road. A plaque outlining the origins of the dam and the story of the drowned convict can be found on this corner.

A handwritten letter was unearthed in 1984 from the files of the Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society by historian and former resident Verlie Fowler. It describes the story of what happened that night in 1932. I won't give the full version here as it's too long, but this is part of it:

"It was full moon and my brother Jack, who was staying with us, was standing on the verandah scanning the paddock by the aid of the moon, watching for the return of our family cow which had strayed away early that morning.

Suddenly from the far distance, came the sound of a bellowing cow, and presently down the valley came the vision of an object which Jack at once thought to be the cow returning home.

He stepped off the verandah and walked toward our side fence which was only approx. 100ft. away from the line in which the "cow" was travelling.

As he approached the object, he realised it was neither walking nor running but just gliding through space, approx. 18 inches off the ground.

Unable to distinguish this dark object approaching, he called our small dog and sent him towards the object which, by then, was almost opposite him.

The dog made a rush, and instantly stopped, arched his back and retreated to my brother with his bristles standing straight up and stiff as though terrified."

The letter went on to say how "nothing more was seen of our 'Ghost' for about three years. Then my wife and I witnessed a similar experience to the one Jack had had. It is now over twenty years since this happening and we often wonder if this spirit has found rest."

The convict dam site in 1975 at corner of Pembroke Road and Ben Lomond Road, Minto with Minto Public School in left background
The Minto Monster was back in the news again in 1973 when claims that a mysterious creature had been 'terrorising' East Minto residents with its blood curdling screams. The monster's screams, according to one local resident, were like "a woeful cough that goes on and on, like a human being on their death bed". One bounty hunter suggested it was a lost species of extinct Tasmanian Tiger. The Campbelltown-Ingleburn News of the day quoted the hunter about his warnings about approaching the tiger "otherwise someone is going to finish up inside the animal's stomach." A group of residents conducted an armed search of Myrtle Creek but found nothing. (surprise surprise)

As recently as 1987, a Derby Street resident reported seeing a strange creature moving through the trees, making a terrible screeching noise. He described it as having "pointed ears and was a rust colour with three dark brown stripes." The resident told the local paper "If I saw him again, I'd start a discussion with him and entice him to wait for a photographer to come."

No reported sightings have been made since this last one in 1987. The mystery lives on.

Written by Andrew Allen

Campbelltown Town Hall

Many of Campbelltown's important historic events have revolved around one of the town's landmark buildings- the town hall theatre.

The land was originally the site of the Temperance Hall built by James Bocking in 1862 and before this it was owned by George Worrall, the murderer of Frederick Fisher. The original hall had a raised stage with dressing rooms either side and kitchen underneath with lighting provided by kerosene lamps. The local newspaper reported that it was "available to theatrical companies and with piano, for balls, entertainment, etc".

The Temperance Hall was purchased in 1884 by Campbelltown Council and was to be used as a town hall. A fire station was built next door in 1891. Almost immediately it was taken over by Council for the Clerk's Office and the following year a matching facade was added to the town hall. This facade of the fire station and the town hall is decorated in solid late Victorian style, and this is the main character of these buildings.

A free library and reading room functioned from 1886 to 1905 in the area beneath the existing stage. Council meetings took place in one of the upstairs rooms for 60 years up until 1953, when the move was made to the corner of Queen and Lithgow Streets.

One interesting fact about the building is that it was the first in Campbelltown to have electricity connected. This was in 1924 and it apparently bears the official connecting serial number of 1!

Up until 1964 when a new civic centre was constructed, the building was used as a town hall. This included dances, balls and concerts during World War II. Between 1964 and 1979 the building served as the home of the Campbelltown RSL Youth Club. Following this and after renovation in 1979, the theatre group adopted the town hall as its home.

The building has long been associated with numerous ghost stories and the resident ghost is of course named "Fred". Members of the theatre group are certain of Fred's existence and say that he makes cameo appearances when there are few people about the place. Lights turning on and off and footsteps after shows are just some of the antics Fred gets up to.

This photograph shows the town hall and fire station taken prior to 1920.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Macarthur Advertiser April 18, 1979

"History of the Town Hall Theatre"
In "Grist Mills" Vol.5, No.4, 1990 p.65