Black Mountain: Australia’s Bermuda Triangle.

Free image courtesy Kenan Sulayman on Unsplash.

Located in far north Queensland, Australia, sits a mountain of rocks, known as Black Mountain. It’s an eerie terrain, appearing all the more mysterious after rainfall, where the mass of granite boulders become darker. As far back as the late 1800s, people and animals have been recorded as missing, earning it the label Australia’s Bermuda Triangle.

In 1877, a farmer riding on horseback, searched the area for his missing cattle, but neither he, his horse or his cattle were ever seen again. Since then, gold miners, police, and Aboriginal trackers are known to have disappeared. In the 1920s, a couple of men attempted to solve the disappearances, only to have met the same fate.

There are, however, some documented cases where the missing have returned. In the 19th century, an Aboriginal tracker came back ‘completely unhinged,’ the lone survivor of a search team.  A gold miner was found next to his rifle with a bullet wound to the head, and a hiker was found dead from unknown causes. Such incidents have only added to its mystique.

Image of Black Mountain, Queensland, Australia, courtesy John Robert McPherson Wikimedia Commons. No changes made.

A sacred place for the local indigenous people of the area, they hold Black Mountain in great respect. One of the Dreamtime stories tell of a fight between two brothers who were in love with the same woman. They threw rocks at each other, culminating in their deaths, leaving behind the pile of stones.

Like Uluru, the indigenous community advise people not to climb Black Mountain. There have been cases where those who choose to ignore such warnings have become very ill. The Aboriginals believe they are being tormented by the spirit of their ancestors.

The topography of Black Mountain may explain the number of disappearances over the years, however, people who venture around the area speak of a supernatural presence and feelings of dread.

When it comes to Black Mountain, it may be wise to heed the warnings, and err on the side of caution.

The Lure of The Devil’s Pool.

Free image courtesy TheDigitalArtist on Pixabay.

In far north Queensland, surrounded by lush rainforests, sits The Devil’s Pool, part of Babinda Creek. Large granite boulders fill the creek bed, making it a popular swimming and picnic area. Beneath its natural beauty lies deep channels, and a popular myth that is both haunting and terrifying.

According to legend, a young Aboriginal woman, named Oolana, was selected to marry a respected elder of her tribe. However, she had fallen in love with a young man from a rival tribe. Knowing they could not possibly remain together, they ran away, but were eventually found. He was banished, but as Oolana was escorted back to her tribe, she managed to wrestle free. Oolana threw herself into the waters of Babinda Creek, crying out for her lost love, and there she drowned.

Since then, it is believed she haunts the waters, luring young single men to their deaths in the hope that one of them is her lost love.

There is startling evidence to suggest there might be some truth behind this local myth. Police records, dating back to 1959, reveal that twenty people have drowned at Babinda, although the figures could be much higher. Each of the victims, except for one German tourist, have been single men, and the majority have all been tourists or ‘outsiders.’

Free image courtesy kazuend on Unsplash.

One such victim was 24-year-old Patrick McGann. A couple of hours before the tragedy, a photo was taken of him with a cigarette in his mouth. Police photographed the area after Patrick drowned, only to find that when the photos were developed, his face could clearly be seen in the water, complete with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

Today, a plaque lies at the site to his memory, and as a warning to others.

‘Pray for the soul of Patrick McGann. He came for a visit on 22.6.79 and stayed forever.’

Whether the events to this story are mere coincidences or there are actual supernatural forces at play, you can’t deny The Devil’s Pool certainly makes for one compelling, spooky story.

Do Ghosts Move with Dwellings?

During a visit to Sydney, I took a tour of The Australian Pioneer Village. Opened in 1970, it was established in an effort to preserve some of the history of the Hawkesbury area, about an hour outside of the city. An enormous undertaking; about two dozen dwellings were relocated and their buildings kept structurally intact. Apart from dwellings, shops were also relocated, along with a bank, post office, school, church and police station. By day, it’s a journey into the country’s colonial past, however at night; it could be the most haunted street in the country.

On an episode of Haunting Australia, the team visited the Pioneer Village to find any evidence that ghosts moved with buildings. Both visitors and workers alike have experienced unexplained phenomena at the village and ghost tours are regularly conducted. A young stable boy has been sighted outside the sulky shed, the ghost of a horse has even been sighted and numerous orbs have been caught on film.

Marsden Park Public School, Mitchell Cottage, Case Cottage and Perry House are among some of the better known buildings for paranormal activity. Case Cottage is a centre of spirit activity and a male and female presence has been known to reside in the tiny space of Mitchell Cottage. Perry House is known to have had a checkered past, which includes a saddlery, grocery store and a ‘house of Shady Ladies’. As a result, it is said there is much activity here.

Inside Perry House, once a ‘house of Shady Ladies’. Spirit activity has been known to occur here.

During their investigations, the Haunting Australia team encountered a female apparition, a moving curtain, a knock in response and an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). There was even a partial apparition sighted at the school house. Psychics reported sadness and requests for privacy from the spirit world.

With these results, this may warrant further study amongst paranormal investigators. Their findings only strengthen the belief that spirits move with dwellings; after all, people do become so attached to their homes that they may not wish to leave them after death.

Do you believe it’s possible for spirits to move with dwellings? Have you ever experienced any unexplained phenomena? Do you enjoy taking a step back into the past?

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