Adelaide Arcade’s haunting anniversary: Historic gem in the birthday spirit after 140 year

There’s more than just hot products and heritage in this 140-year-old gem, according to one of the people who knows all of its secrets.

Adelaide Arcade general manager Andrew Jonats. Picture: Keryn Stevens

What’s not to love about a surprise visit from Mr Clooney?

Except we’re not talking about Hollywood heart-throb George, rather, Francis Clooney – Adelaide Arcade’s “head ghost”.

The arcade is celebrating its 140th birthday and the resident ghosts are getting into the party spirit.

While he can’t say, to borrow from the 1999 psycho-thriller The Sixth Sense, “I see dead people”, Adelaide Arcade’s general manager of 10 years Andrew Jonats has felt the presence of its resident ghosts.

“There’s lots of spirits around, and there’s a lot of people that have had more experience than me with the spirits, because there’s quite a few,” he says, adding: “One of the main ghosts is Francis, our head ghost.”

Adelaide Arcade GM Andrew Jonats. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Mr Jonats goes on to explain:

“In 1887 the buildings all had their own caretakers who lived on site. Francis Clooney lived in Adelaide Arcade, a caretaker flat with his family and children.”

“This building was one of the first buildings with electricity and there wasn’t a big power station … everyone had their own generator and we had a large one,

“The story goes that the electrician went off site and something went wrong with the generator and Francis, himself, went to inspect.”

“Apparently, he fell into it and when the electrician actually returned to Adelaide Arcade, he found bits of Francis.”

Despite his gruesome death, Francis sounds like a friendly ghost.

Footage from the security tapes at Adelaide Arcade, which many believe to be the ghost of Francis Clooney.

“Late at night, you get spirits … you feel things, up around the management office, because that’s where he lived with his children,” Mr Jonats said, adding: “Doors shut on their own, and, you never really know, because people say ‘it’s the wind’ … but there’s more to it than that, because I’m not the only one …”

Mr Jonats said there is also footage available on YouTube which shows what many believe has to be a ghost.

“There was an apparition on the security cameras … an image that just can’t be explained if you slow down the footage.”

Mr Jonats said two of the other ghosts were Florence Horton and her daughter.

“Florence was walking down Rundle Street (now the mall) with her friends when she was lured into a side alley by her estranged husband who shot her in the back,” Mr Janots said, adding: “Her friends found her bleeding profusely and brought her into the arcade because it was the closest building and tragically bled to death in front of shop 50 (near the now Adelaide Hatters).”

For those feeling spooked about shopping in the arcade – fear not. Mr Jonats says the ghosts only make their presence felt late at night.

“They don’t seem to like having too many people around, and that’s why we have ghost tours when the shops are shut and you get the arcade all to yourself.”

Originally published as Adelaide Arcade’s haunting anniversary: Historic gem in the birthday spirit after 140 year