Ghosts at the Old Melbourne Gaol
Tuesday, 8 February 2005
Reporter:
Florenz Ronn
774's Virginia Trioli describes herself as "a little bit of
a sceptic, not a cynic, but a sceptical person". So how does
she re-act to "chilling new evidence of paranormal activity
at the Old Melbourne Gaol"?
The old gaol would be an incredibly suggestive and evocative
place, so that just by going through the door you'd feel as
if surrounded by ghosts.
Built in the mid 1800s, 136 prisoners were hanged there until its
closure in 1929, including Australia's most infamous
citizen, the bushranger Ned Kelly. It was used as a US
military prison during World War II.
To come to terms with the chilling new evidence concerning ghosts
in the Old Melbourne Gaol, Virginia spoke with Darren Done,
a paranormal researcher, who has documented some very
ghostly encounters. Darren believes that "there is something
there", and that "eventually it will be understood and
accepted".
He related the story of what he encountered on Saturday night the
4th February 2005, after setting up much 'ghost detecting
equipment', which includes night vision cameras, passive
alarm systems, and not to mention, laser guided digital
thermometers. The ghostly encounter happened when a group of
six people on a paranormal watch saw an unexplained light
cross a walkway.
Over the
years, the history of the Old Melbourne Gaol has attracted
the attention of people interested in the paranormal. One
team spent a night in the building, taking photos and making
recordings. One of the tapes captured the sound of a female
calling for help. It's not good quality, but it is audible.
When researchers on the staff heard it, they did some
digging. A woman in that cell block, Lucy R, had committed
suicide on the 21st of June, 1865. The very date in 2003
that the parapsychologists had spent overnight in the goal.
The
Old Melbourne Gaol is located on Russell Street, between La
Trobe and Victoria Streets behind the Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology and opposite the old Russell Street
Police Station. It is operated by the National Trust of
Australia (Victoria). The National Trust is Australia's
largest community conservation organisation: its aim to
conserve Australia's heritage for future generations.
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The above photo was taken during the Ned Kelly Exhibition.
Source: http://www.castleofspirits.com/Australianghosthunters/melgaolph.html
www.nedonthenet.com