The forgotten newspaper reports of Burnett River and Wide Bay bunyip encounters
FLASHBACK: In the early 1900s, reports were popping up all over the place of creatures emerging from the region’s water holes.
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Newspapers in the early 1900s told tales of strange creatures in the region.
A story published in the Wide Bay News in 1909 details a case of creatures dubbed "bunyips" in headlines of the time.
Reports came in initially of strange creatures spotted in the Burnett River at Gayndah, which prompted others to contact the paper about their own encounters.
A Mr Williams reported spotting the creatures on his property, Greenfield, located eight miles from Torbanlea and 12 miles from Maryborough.
The property contained large lagoons, some of which were as deep as 60 to 70 feet.
In about 1904, Mr Williams said his wife and 14-year-old daughter saw two strange creatures about three-and-a-half foot tall, come out of the water holes and run towards them.
They called for Mr Williams, who managed to get a quick glimpse of the creatures before they'd dashed back into the water.
Reports said the creatures looked like little men covered in long, dark hair.
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Around 1905, Mr Williams' sons, aged 16, 17 and 19, reported seeing the same kind of creature on the banks of the lagoon.
When it realised it had been spotted, it too jumped into the water and swam some distance.
The Wide Bay Times reported others seeing the mystery creatures in the Brushwood Lagoon a few miles away during a drought.
The Wide Bay Times was not the only paper sharing a paranormal yarn back in the day.
The Maryborough Chronicle documented odd splashing sounds in the Burnett River near Mundubbera in 1934.
Apparently, fishers at the time believed something sinister to be at work, with some claiming to have seen something with gleaming eyes.
At the time, the newspaper editor guessed it may have been a crocodile.
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