Five frightening spots in Mackay

If you’re looking for a glimpse of a ghost you may not have to go far.

GHOST PATROL: Paranormal experts Deborah and John Christopher looking for ghosts at the Mackay Leisure Centre.

TONIGHT is Halloween and all the spooks will be out trolling for lollies — but what about the spooks that are out and about all year long?

There are numerous spots where Mackay locals swear to have seen ghosts but here are our top five. We think they are sure to give you a fright.

Greenmount Homestead

The iconic Greenmount Homestead is known for its rich history but with rich history often comes paranormal activity.

Mackay Regional Councillor Fran Mann said many of the volunteers at the homestead had often felt “a presence” and also had reported unexplained happenings, including seeing a ghostly figure on the premises.

Greenmount Homestead volunteer Rosemary Payne said she, along with a handful of volunteers, had seen an ethereal woman at the property.

“We’ve wondered if it might be Althea, Tom Cook’s late sister, but we are thinking it might be Mrs Cook,” Ms Payne said.

“She’s been seen a few times now and the sightings seem to be happening more, lately.

“A few of us were there after a shift one evening, about to leave, when we noticed that Mrs Cook’s bed was crumpled and appeared as if someone had been laying in it. The room had previously been immaculate and none of us had gone in there.”

Greenmount Homestead volunteers admit they have seen the ghost of Mrs Cook on many different occasions.

Mackay Leisure Cent re

Mackay Leisure Centre manager Anna Elfverson admits she’s never seen a ghost at the town’s beloved roller rink, bowling alley and squash courts but “several of the employees have”.

“We also get reports from customers now and then that they’ve seen something strange in the squash courts and it only ever happens later in the evening.”

According to local lore, a woman died in a horrific accident years before the Mackay Leisure Centre was erected, when it was he site of a canefarm

One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had seen ‘Faye’, as the staff call her, on many occasions.

“I would often see Faye late at night in the corner of one of the squash courts when I was locking up,” the employee said, adding that she had basically grown up at the leisure centre and wasn’t fearful of the ghost.

“But I’ve also seen her in the bowling alley on a few occasions, always beside lane 18.”

Faye is described as being about 169cm, slim and as a “shadowy silhouette”.

Another employee said he had once been recoating lanes on the bowling alley when he came into contact with Faye.

“I was about three-quarters of the way down and I was pushed across the lanes,” he said.

Ms Elfverson said she had been contacted several times by paranormal experts who wanted to document ghostly activity and she was always open to allow them to do so.

Bakers Creek Tavern

Publicans Kathy and John Read have encountered ghosts on more than one occasion at the unassuming pub just south of Mackay along the Bruce Highway.

“We often see a little old man in a chequered shirt walk through the place,” Mrs Read said.

“And about 12 months ago some of our guests encountered something really strange in the hallway in front of room seven in our hotel.

“They saw a laundry trolley being pushed down the hallway by itself. They checked out immediately, they were pretty frightened.”

Barmaid Kristie Gernhoefer has also witnessed paranormal activity at the tavern.

“I was once in the kitchen and the oven door opened by itself and we have that on camera,” Ms Gernhoefer said.

“I’ve seen the little old man, too but I’m not afraid of him. I believe he’s a friendly ghost.”

Good Shepherd Lodge

Samantha Munt is a Mackay woman who published the book And The Memory Remains, a compilation of ghost stories based upon local lore.

Ms Munt said one of the many tales shared with her over the years was the story of a ghost who often appeared in Cumberland House, the high care unit at Good Shepherd Lodge.

“Palliative care patients reported to staff on several occasions they had been visited by a lovely nurse who sat at the end of their beds, and was dressed in an old style nurse’s uniform,” Ms Munt said.

“The residents felt comforted from her presence. Staff would notice the hall monitors on in the nurses’ station late at night, upon investigating, the hall was empty, except for an occasional flash of light quickly exiting through the double garden doors.”

The Bowen River Hotel is said to be haunted by several different ghosts.

Bowen River Hotel

Bowen River Hotel lessee Clare Ringland said there were several ghosts “gettin’ round the place”.

“The one we see the most of is Greg ‘Dougie’ Dougan, who was once worked as a ringer on the property and died in a pretty horrific accident,” Mrs Ringland said.

Mr Dougan, or Dougie as the Ringlands fondly call him, accidentally stabbed himself in the groin while killing a beast on what was then Strathmore Station.

“Dougie doesn’t cause us any trouble, he just walks through the walls of the place,” Mrs Ringland said. “Many of our guests have seen him.”

There’s a room at the Bowen River Hotel where you might just get a glimpse of another ghost.

According to Mrs Ringland she is a young Aboriginal girl who worked at the homestead when it was a Cobb & Co station. She was strangled to death in her bedroom.

“The room is now available to hire for the night and a couple of people who have stayed in the room swear they’ve seen her — I have myself,” she said.

While neither of those ghosts cause much trouble for the Ringlands, there is one who does — a former stagecoach driver who was shot and died on the property.

“Apparently he was a bit of a pest and had far too much to drink the night of his death. He was annoying a couple of soldiers who had just returned from the first war,” Mrs Ringland said.

“Anyway, he didn't take notice of the warning and he was shot and killed.”

This ghost doesn’t like modern music, and Mrs Ringland said whenever they played anything a bit modern he had a tendency to fool around with the music.

“When we put on some more traditional music, we have no problems at all.”

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