Author Topic: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC  (Read 2767 times)

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Even government offices in various state capitals have had their fair share of haunting.

The following story was reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner Newspaper (WA : 1895 - 1954), Saturday 3 January 1925, page 4

MELBOURNE GK&ST STORY' STRANGE HAPPENINGS. POLICE PERPLEXED.

Melbourne Jan. 9.

Ghosts' have reappeared in the Victorian Titles Office, Lonsdale- street. Many years ago rumblings as if a horse was galloping up and down the corridors used to be heard, and one of the constables keeping watch in the dark trembled so much that he exploded his revolver and shot himself in the arm.

Police headquarters, made the following report to-day: — 'Early this morning I found that a heavy grating over a coal hole outside the office was open. I closed and locked it securely . and went to tell the
caretaker. ' When we returned to the grating it was open again.

To open the grating- it is necessary to push it from the inside, 'although the bolts are outside. A large squad of police surrounded and entered the building. They switched on all the lights and made a thorough search without finding anyone.

While they were scattered through the building the lights were mysteriously switched off. A further search was fruitless, there was a careful watch over the building until daylight.

To be continued...

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2020, 11:39:21 AM »
Here is a picture of the 1925 newspaper report. For those guest unable to see it I suggest signing up to this wonderful forum to see interesting documents pictures connected to the paranormal.

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2020, 11:40:39 AM »
Now the mystery remain what or who was the ghost haunting the office in  1925?

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2020, 11:42:39 AM »
Well we have a clue with the sounds of galloping horse?

Could this be clue to the identity of this ghostly manifestation?

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2020, 11:52:47 AM »
In 1888 a man by the name Rupert Baldwin riding a horse in Lonsdale street was galloping his horse where it stumbled and rolled over him and gave him a fatal head injury. In which he later died.

Here is a newspaper account mentioning his death in 1888 below.

Was his tragic death recorded some how resonating in the hall of this office building 37 years later?

Many questions but so few answers?

Kanacki


Offline Simon2

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 2345
  • You cannot open a book without learning something
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2020, 10:18:49 AM »
KANACKI, another interesting tale. I can't see any mention about whether the horse also died as a result of the incident; I'm assuming the horse lived on.

Sometimes a spirit may exit a person at a point where death is going to happen rather than at the time death physically occurs if that makes sense.

It is therefore possible that Rupert Baldwin's spirit exited at the point of the accident and is indeed the
Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Spirit / Ghost.
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

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2020, 12:11:31 AM »
A lot of times when a horse stumbles and falls it can get badly injured in a roll over itself? Most likely a broken leg resulted in the horse being shot?

Most likely the rider was riding his horse to gallop and the horse stumbled and breaking its leg and rolling over giving fatal head injuries to the rider? Perhaps the solution is not the death of the horse or rider but to whom they was riding from or why the rider was riding at a break neck speed to begin with? Was the rider on an urgent errand with a message? But died in the process  of trying to deliver that urgent message?


 And some how the horse and rider are fatally locked in an endless quest to pass on the message?

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 2345
  • You cannot open a book without learning something
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2020, 07:43:25 AM »
KANACKI, it may be as simple that the rider likes to ride at speed, only this time it cost his and the horses lives.

The horse is the innocent victim I feel.

But, even in death, the rider still may like to go fast!!
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

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2020, 08:19:06 PM »
Indeed perhaps that very moment before death some thing triggered the accident ?

Kanacki

Offline Simon2

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 2345
  • You cannot open a book without learning something
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2020, 11:04:06 AM »
Yes, very true KANACKI, something innocent may have spooked (LOL) the horse or the horse may have been tripped by a small hole or indentation in the road.
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

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2021, 03:22:45 PM »
Definitely an intriguing ghost story.

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2022, 01:37:20 PM »
Greetings all just an update on this alleged haunting. Another version has come to light. Many thanks to headless uncovering some information below.

The World's News (Sydney, NSW : 1901 - 1955) Wed 16 Feb 1938  Page 22 newspaper reported thew following story.

A MELBOURNE GHOST

Probably some of your readers have heard of the Melbourne Titles Office ghost. I first heard of it about 20 years ago. I was then a member of the police force. One night about 12 o'clock, I was visited by a senior constable at the corner of Queen and Lonsdale streets, where the Titles Office stands.

After entering up his beat book, he asked me if I had heard the ghost. I thought he was trying to put a joke over; but he assured me that mysterious sounds were heard there, and that no one could give any satisfactory reason for them. He told me that the noise generally commenced after the trams had stopped, and the city was comparatively quiet. We both stood and listened outside the building in Queen Street, and very soon the noise could be heard inside.

To me, it sounded as though a man with boots on was running along the floor. The same noise was repeated at frequent intervals. After the senior officer left me, I went inside and had a talk to the constable on duty inside the building. He could not account for the noise, and, as he was not particularly interested in ghosts, we made a cup of tea and discussed more interesting subjects.

But, night after night, l heard the sound of footsteps running along the floor. I understand that the contractor who erected the building shot himself there. A few years ago, the ghost turned up again. This time, a door which was securely locked, was suddenly forced open and then slammed, without any apparent cause.

Was it this alleged contractor who killed himself haunting the building?

Kanacki

Offline KANACKI

  • Senior Contributor
  • *****
  • Posts: 4353
  • Kanacki ceisiwr o'r ateb
Re: The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office Ghost : Melbourne VIC
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2022, 01:48:27 PM »
Searching for this new clue a contractor that shot himself sadly I found now suicide recorded in the papers that are in Lonsdale street relating to a building contractor killing himself with a gun. i did find the following below.

On the 3rd of June 1887 a newspaper reported the following.....


 SUICIDE OF A WELL-KNOWN TRADESMAN. On Friday the mystery attached to the disappearance of Mr David Dawson, plumber, of Lonsdale-street, from his private residence in St. George's road, North Fitzroy, on the 20th inst., was cleared up by the finding of his dead body in a quarry-hole, near Mary-street, Richmond.

Mr. Dawson has been in delicate health since November last, had been under the care of a medical man, and been the subject of-great care and watchfulness on the part of his family. On the morning of the 20th instant he got up before 6 o'clock, and stated his intention to go for a walk. Mrs. Dawson persuaded hint to wait whilst she made him a cup of coffee, intending to call his son to accompany him.

She left the room to get a box of matches. and.when she came back a moment later her husband was gone, and was never seen alive again by his family. Every effort was made to trace him, the creeks and holes in the neighbourhood being dragged. On Friday a boy saw the body floating in the water in a quarryhole at Richmond, and informed the police.

There is little doubt that the deceased committed- suicide," but it is known that:he was in such a state of mind as not to be accountable for his actions at the time. -He had no doubt taken the train, which passes close by his residence at North Fitzroy, into Melbourne, and from thence made his way to Richmond almost immediately, as the body had been in the water for a considerable time.

He had divested himself of his hat and coat before plunging into the water, and it is stated that these were found near the quarry-hole some days since, but led to no suspicion as to who their owner might be and of- the fate that had overtaken him.

The deceased leaves a wife and five children. He was widely known and highly respected in North Fitzroy, being a prominent member of the local bowling club. He was very successful in his business as a plumber, and had recently erected a large establishment in -Lonedale street?

Was David Dawson the ghost haunting The Lonsdale St Department of Lands Office?

Kanacki

 


SMF 2.0.18 | SMF © 2021, Simple Machines | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
SimplePortal 2.3.3 © 2008-2010, SimplePortal