There are many stories and anecdotes (whichever you believe, former or latter!), on ghostly experiences in Gympie. Here are some of the known stories and sites of eerie experiences:
Kingston House (11 Channon Street, Gympie)
In the 1930’s, the property was private medical practitioners and sadly Dr Cunningham was found deceased in his room there. He had mysteriously overdosed on insulin.
The original owners of the home were Mary and David Menzies. David Menzies died suddenly in 1929, but in Rockhampton, where he was fatally knocked down by a car. He was interred in Gympie Cemetery. His wife, Mary had passed the year earlier in Gympie.
Owners and staff in the past decade have reported haunting experiences of seeing glimpses of dark shadows flickering past, unexplained footsteps and music starting on the stereo (The Gympie Times, 12 December 2016, pp 6-7).
Gympie Fire Station
Firefighters and cleaning staff have reported eerie occurrences such as footsteps down the stairs, yelling voices and other creepy feelings.
Mr Bennett, a former firefighter is believed to have fatally fallen from the top level of the building in the 1940’s after a heart attack. Local fire fighters and cleaning staff have reported experiences and voices. (The Gympie Times, 12 December 2016, pp 6-7)
Jockey Club Hotel, South Side
Former employees have reported ghosts in the building, talking of things flying off the bar, shadowy figures have been seen on recorded CCTV footage and stools being pushed over with no-one near them.
Gympie Railway Station
The talk is that Mr Percy Priest (John Percy Allan Priest) is the stationmaster who still walks the halls, or rails.
Sadly in 1926, Percy slipped from the railway platform and struck his head on a rail, causing injuries which necessitated his removal to hospital (Maryborough Chronicle, 17 August 1926). He suffered a large laceration to the left side of his head and ear from the fall onto the rails.
He survived this incident but was not so lucky the following year, in April 1927 when at the age of 39 years, Mr Priest suddenly became ill on duty at the station around midday. He returned to his home on Apollonian Vale but tragically passed away two hours after returning home. He had sadly not been in very good health for some months after his previously mentioned incident and had only just returned to work at the station the week before he passed.
….and pretty much every old hotel site in Gympie!
Here’s a good ghost story, from 1931, published in the Maryborough Chronicle, 11 July 1931
Our blog cover photo comes from an advertisement from local optometrist, A. C. Carvosso who practiced in Upper Mary Street, Gympie.
Happy Spooky Season!
Gympie Regional Memories 