If you’re looking for a fun place to visit, then look no further than the town of Junee in New South Wales, Australia. Take a tour of the Junee Roundhouse Railroad Museum, or visit the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. But if you’re interested in something a little darker, might we suggest the Monte Cristo Homestead – the most haunted house in all of Australia.
Much of Junee owes its start to Christopher Crawley. He owned a great deal of land in the area, delegating the first 840 acres to his estate. In 1878 the southern railway to Albury and Melbourne passed through the area and the government resumed 80 acres of his land to establish the town of Jewnee (original spelling) – named after an early pastoral estate using a Wiradjuri Aboriginal word meaning “speak to me”. Crawley opened the Railway Hotel, now known as the Junee Hotel, and sold some of his lands for a high price.
By 1884, Crawley sold his hotel, and used the funds to build his estate. Built in 1884, the Monte Cristo Homestead is comprised of 2 houses, the first of which was built in 1876, and later became the servant’s quarters, kitchen, and dairy after he built his Victorian, two storey, home.
Crawley became a gentleman farmer, a term granted to a wealthy man who farms for pleasure or personal satisfaction. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had seven children and donated land to the Catholic Church. To townsfolk, the Crawleys were good people. However, when no one outside of their estate was looking, they were not so pleasant.
It is believed that Mr. Crawley impregnated at least two of the family’s maids. While some would call Mr. Crawley too loving, hence the pregnant maids, Mrs. Crawley was described as hateful. She was cruel and harsh, ruling the house with an iron fist.
Crawley died in 1910 from heart failure and blood poisoning caused by a boil on his neck.
Devastated, Elizabeth became a recluse. She converted the upstairs box room into a chapel and immersed herself in the Bible and her faith. It is believed she left the house only twice before her death in 1933 from a ruptured appendix. Some would say she never left at all, instead remaining and making others aware of her presence with a sensation of icy air, falling like snow from above. Mrs. Crawley does her best to make any guest in the home feel unwelcome, scaring them until they ultimately leave.
Mr. and Mrs. Crawley weren’t the first to die in the home.
Ethel Crawley’s, just a baby, died after being dropped or pushed down the stairs by a nanny. The nanny claimed at the time that she, herself, was shoved when the baby was dropped. Today, children who visit the home become visibly upset or irritable when they are on or near the staircase. Others claim to feel hands pushing them, or even restraining them. Yet others have claimed to have felt the small, cold hands, of a child slip into theirs as they walk up or down the stairs.
One of the maids who worked in the home became pregnant. There was speculation as to who the father could be, most believing it was Mr. Crawley himself. When she fell from the balcony to her death, it was called a suicide. But was it really? There are those who believe she was pushed. Some believe it was Elizabeth Crawley who pushed her, killing her and her unborn baby. Today you will find a bleached step leading up to the house. This step was bleached as a result of cleaning up the maid’s blood.
Today, you can still see the woman, in victorian-era dress, walking from the balcony down to the bleached step out front.
Another maid had a son named Harold, possibly fathered by Mr. Crowley. As a baby, Harold was involved in an accident where he suffered a horrible head injury. Afterwards, he was left mentally disabled, and was kept chained in the caretaker’s cottage for 40 years.
Children in the area reported hearing howls and screams coming from the homestead. They all believed there was a monster locked away on the property. They played games, sneaking around in hopes of finding the “monster.” On the occasions they did, Harold would hiss at them.
After the death of Elizabeth, Harold’s mother was left in charge of the estate. For a long while, it was just her and Harold at the home. Still chained to the wall when his mother died, Harold was trapped for days with no food or water.
Authorities found Harold before it was too late, curled up in bed at his mother’s feet. He was starved and dehydrated. Harold spent what was left of his life at a hospital for the mentally insane. Though he did not die at the Monte Cristo Homestead, it is believed that his ghost haunts the grounds. You’ll know he’s nearby when you hear the sound of clanking chains.
Then there’s the story of Morris, the stable boy. He called in sick to work, and that was unacceptable. Believing he was lying, the stable master lit his mattress on fire, expecting him to jump out of bed. Instead, the boy died, burning to death. This boy remains a resident in the coach house, screaming and making his presence known to any who enter.
The Crawley family remained in residence until 1948, after which there were still more incidents.
A boy fell down the stairs and died, and another woman, pregnant, died while giving birth.
Perhaps one of the most haunting stories is that of Jack Simpson, the caretaker in 1961. There was a boy in town, inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho, who went to the Monte Cristo Homestead and knocked on the door. When Jack answered he was shot at point blank range and died instantly.
Today, you can see the words, “Die Jack – ha ha,” carved by the killer into the door of the shed.
From the time of the Crawley’s death until 1963, the house passed through multiple caretakers, ultimately falling into disrepair. That’s when Reginald and Olive Ryan purchased the house with plans to restore it.
Perhaps the first incident the couple witnessed was upon their return home late one evening after purchasing building supplies. They had not yet turned on the electricity, yet every light in the house was lit up. Telling their children to wait in the car, they went to investigate, and the lights shut off. No one was ever found in or around the house. Over the years, they would continue to find lights turned on, or off.
The Ryan’s have reported numerous encounters, from hearing footsteps to having a hand on their shoulder. Mrs. Ryan even reported hearing her name called when no one was home.
Perhaps one of the most eerie stories is told by their son, Lawrence. At the age of 5, was to be in bed while his parents hosted a party in the ballroom. When one of his sisters went to check on him, she saw something horrifying. An old man was sitting at the foot of his bed, watching him sleep. Suddenly he turned his head and glared at her. She let out a scream.
The family later realized that the man had to be Mr. Crawley.
Today, the Monte Cristo Homestead operates as a museum and antique store. Visitors can take a tour and learn about the history of not only the homestead, but also Junee. Some tours even have the option to stay the night. Mr. Ryan has said that those who opt to stay the night in the servant’s quarters, that they get “the best sleep of their life or no sleep at all.” He has also said, “Some people don’t make it through the night and drive into town and stay there. They wake up seeing children or spirits of the servants.”
The Monte Cristo Homestead has been the subject of numerous documentaries and shows such as Scream Team and Ghost Hunters International.
Up next: The Haunting of Myrtles Plantation
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