In the heart of Junee, nestled between Sydney and Melbourne, lies the Monte Cristo Homestead – a place that has earned the reputation of being Australia’s most haunted house.

The history of this eerie residence dates back to 1885 when Christopher William Crawley, a wealthy farmer and founder of Junee, built the homestead for his family. Despite the initial struggles, Crawley’s fortune changed when the Great Southern Railway Line opened in 1878, and he established a successful hotel along the rail line.

However, the Crawley family’s story took a dark turn following Christopher’s death in 1910. His wife, Elizabeth, became a recluse, confining herself to the attic chapel for the next 23 years.

After the last Crawley left in 1948, the house fell into disrepair until Reginald and Olivia Ryan purchased it in 1963, transforming it into a doll museum. It was then that the true extent of the homestead’s haunting became apparent.

The Ryans reported numerous supernatural occurrences, including ghostly lights, the inexplicable deaths of their animals, and the presence of at least ten ghosts.

Among these spirits are Christopher and Elizabeth Crawley, a pregnant maid who jumped to her death from the balcony, Harold – a disabled boy chained in the coach room, Morris – a stable boy who died in a fire, Ethel – an infant who died on the stairs, and Jack Simpson – a caretaker shot to death on the porch in 1960.

Visitors to the Monte Cristo Homestead have experienced a range of paranormal phenomena, from feeling icy hands on the stairs to hearing the screams of the deceased. The bloodstains of the pregnant maid are said to reappear on the steps, and children become inexplicably agitated when entering certain areas of the house.

Website: Monte Cristo Homestead

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