Author Topic: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA  (Read 4350 times)

Offline KANACKI

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Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« on: July 22, 2018, 01:02:12 PM »
What s pup if it has not got a colourful history?

Thankfully Australia is still has old pubs with colourful histories. The following pub is no exception.

The Port Dock Hotel in Port Adelaide has been a very significant pub for many reasons since its opening in 1855. It has long been rumoured that tunnels under the hotel out to the harbour where drunks would be “shanghaied” into becoming crew members.

Every State in colony at the time had a pub with similar reputation.The drunks would be taken onto a ship and the sails would be set. When the boat was just within view of the land they would wake the drunks, and offer them a choice: work aboard the ship or swim to the land. In an era where most could not swim, most often the men would become sailors.

Even so with such a sinister reputation now wonder the old pub is haunt?

To be continued....

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2018, 01:13:02 PM »
It is said the ghost of a “blue lady” is often seen in the basement of the hotel, and she has indeed been allegedly photographed.

Yet I have never seen the photograph myself.

She is alleged to have been the spirit of one of the ladies of the night that worked the hotels back in the late 1800s, she is often seen descending the stairs of the brewery into the dark and dank basement. You can see the stairs into the basement below. for those visitors to the forum who cannot see the image.  I suggest you sign up to the forum.

it is believed where she plied her trade after the sailors had plied their beers in the bar above! However most likely there was an agreement with hotel keeper that some upstairs rooms of the hotel was used as bordello.

How and Why she is allegedly haunting the stairs is mystery ? Was she pushed down them by a drunken angry sailor perhaps rejected by her from his drunken advances?

Mystery indeed......

to be continued....

Kanacki




Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2018, 01:16:24 PM »
As you can see in basement pictures below. The entrance to an alleged tunnel to harbour where drunken sailors would be carted off onto ships.

To be continued....

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2018, 11:49:01 AM »
You have piqued my interest KANACKI and I look forward to the next Chapter!! LOL
To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue;

These five are gravity, generosity of (the) soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
(Confucius)

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2018, 04:10:06 PM »
Hello Simon

Hold that thought? I  have to find my notes. It is in either one of ten memory sticks or two other computers. I think it is in my office computer.

But fear not I will get back to you.

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2018, 10:02:58 AM »
KANACKI, You have got me laughing, so early in the morning; is it a similar excuse that "The Dog Ate My Homework". ROFL

To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue;

These five are gravity, generosity of (the) soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
(Confucius)

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2018, 05:25:56 AM »
Hello Simon

That's my excuse and i am sticking to it.  8)

Built in 1882 in Port 'Misery', this building has had quite a colorful history as a bordello, boarding house, offices and a hotel serving the dock workers, as well as those entering and leaving the port.

The building that houses the Port Dock Hotel was built in 1882 as the Dock Hotel but this is in fact the second building built on the Todd Street site. On June 19 1855 the Dock Hotel along with 15 other hotels through out South Australia were proclaimed when granted their first liquor licenses.

At the time Port Adelaide was a thriving settlement having being chosen as the site for South Australia's main port only about twenty years before. Some saw this as a strange decision and having the States Port and Capital City (Adelaide) separate was strongly opposed. Regardless Colonel William Light, the states Surveyor General stuck to his decision and 'Port Misery' as it was affectionately known was founded.

With lack of fresh water in the port and the fact that 'water makes you rusty' drinking establishments soon sprang up all over. The Dock Hotel was very well situated between the wharves, specifically that of the South Australian Company which was located just over the road from the hotel, and the railway station.

To be continued....

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2018, 05:27:49 AM »
The hotel reopened in 1986 as the Port Dock Brewery Hotel. In the years between the building saw itself used as a Boarding House, a Stevedores Office and a Bordello.

It is this last use that perhaps explains one of the resident ghosts. Visitors, staff and management alike have all experienced the 'Lady in White'. Why the ghost known as 'Emily' is also known as the 'Lady in White' is not known as she is seen wearing a green dress. Along with the dress she is seen in a white shirt with frills and a large Victorian styled broach.

Most of the witnesses have seen 'Emily' on the first floor landing, others through reflections in windows or metallic objects. She is overly made up as was the style for the bordello's madame at the time yet through the make-up one can see a sad expression on her face.

Another of the resident ghosts is that of a old sea captain who haunts the underfloor cellars. It is said he is looking for his mate. There are legends that a tunnel used to run from the Docks cellar out to the wharves so that drunks could be apprehended and pressed into working on the ships. If the legend is true maybe the captains mate was one such person press-ganged into service?

(It is mentioned that last ghost and tunnel legend may have been cooked up for promotional purposes of a brew being released at the time. A good story though and one I'll happily drink too!)

Finally the ghost of a child has been seen along Todd Street and in a few of the taverns and hotels located along it. No one knows who the child is or why he is still haunting the streets of 'Port Misery'.

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2018, 01:42:33 PM »
Wow, you have certainly out done yourself this time; three Spirits, each quite different.

I can only surmise the following, as I get no feedback from the photographs and/or words, so if we assume each Spirit exists, my thoughts are as follows:

1. The Lady In White/Green: Perhaps, given the long dresses of the day, "Emily" just tripped and fell down the stairs, instantly breaking her neck. Given the speed of the issue that caused her death, Emily still believes she is alive and keeps wandering the rooms of the Hotel, looking for someone who she can ply her trade with;

2. The Sea Captain, is a bit more tricky as looking for his Mate he could have been murdered by an angry drunk, who woke before the ship sailed, found his way back via the tunnel and on finding the Captain, killed him from behind with a heavy object, thus causing instant death and on "waking", as he did not know he was dead, still wanders the lower area, still looking for his "Mate"; and

3. Perhaps the boy was hit by a carriage or other vehicle as he walked the street or passed away as he was being taken to the local Medical/Hospital Rooms, by his parents.

Hence, the Spirit of the boy wandering the street, etc.

I cannot emphasise the fact that when we die all "physical concepts", time being one of these, no longer
exist in the Spiritual Worlds including, the Spirit World, that exists between the Physical and Main Spiritual Worlds.
To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue;

These five are gravity, generosity of (the) soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
(Confucius)

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2018, 12:15:42 PM »
Hello Simon

I agree with your thoughts about the 3 alleged ghosts. 3 ghosts from 3 tragic deaths . 3 spirits trapped in void between life and death. 3 reasons one way or another cannot pass on?

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2018, 10:10:28 AM »
Hi KANACKI, you have "hit the nail on the Coffin". I have always wondered why a "Coffin" or am I wrong in my saying.

I am compiling a note of things to ask, after I Passover sometime in the future; but wait, my Spirit already knows the answers to these questions. ROFL
To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue;

These five are gravity, generosity of (the) soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
(Confucius)

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2018, 11:39:45 AM »
Hello Simon

nothing wrong with saying. A coffin is powerful symbol of death as its the vessel that carries the deceased physical body into eternity.

Some times the spirit does not travel on the astral boat to the the other side.

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2018, 03:56:45 PM »
KANACKI, just a point on the "physical body", it is, in the main, either Buried or Cremation, no going off to "eternity".

KANACKI, you are proposing something aligning with a bit like "Day of the Dead". ROFL
To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue;

These five are gravity, generosity of (the) soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
(Confucius)

Offline KANACKI

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2018, 06:05:48 PM »
Hello Simon

Hahaha the day of dead already here?

We have had over 30 years of dumbing down the population now glued to am Iphone to act as brain to think for them.

Travel on Sydney trains or on the over chocked roads in traffic jams like on the M4 or M5? A lot of people wandering around dazed and confused with no idea what they are doing. :-)

Gee a bit like Canberra these days looking more everyday like a zombie apocalypse . :-)

ZOMBIES EVERYWHERE!

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

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Re: Phantoms of the Dock Hotel Port Adelaide : SA
« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2018, 04:36:33 PM »
KANACKI, an excellent observation, which I totally agree with.

I have been going through my Notes in 2013 and earlier and even back then, one of my critical observations, within highly democratic, wealthy, etc., Country's ("First World" versus "Third World" Country's) have already commenced intellectual regression, by placing more reliance on using Mobile Phones, Mobile Pads and Portable PC's in a more "Casual" manner rather than for Intellectual (Work, School, Reading, etc.,) Usage.

The Percentage of Casual versus Intellectual Usage, although initially slowly moving up in Casual Usage, has increased in pace as technology increased in relation to more Casual Applications.

In short, I wrote that, Intellectual Regression is getting worse from the Millennials, Onwards.
To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue;

These five are gravity, generosity of (the) soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
(Confucius)

 


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