Headless Ghost of American Creek: Figtree : NSW

[KANACKI]

Greetings once again lovers of paranormal tales 0f ghoulish folklore. Grab your favorite brew and gather around the campfire of half forgotten Ghost stories of people and many places  many people never heard of. One such stories linger in the distant folk memories of people living around Figtree Unanderra area of the Illawarra.

A once mysterious dense forest opened up by the cedar getters in the 1820s and 1830. Through blood sweat and tears the early pioneers hacked a living from the forest. In times farms appeared and in time again suburbia appeared destroying large tracks of forest and farmland. The area was once nicknames Hells pocket?

And perhaps for good reason? Once the haunt for escaped convicts, bushrangers and murderers. Once even a battle ground between police and bushrangers where gun battles took place in the bush. And place for the odd traveler to go missing also?

But also mysterious still back in time the first nations people fought a battle between two apposing tribes  Dharawal clan  and Korewal Elouera Jerrungarugh clan. There was a mysterious bora ground there once now lost in time. What positive and negative forces have changed up over time seeping into the atmosphere the quiet hours of  night?

But time even though moves on ghostly memories lingers on. One such ghostly memory is of the ghostly apparition that was seen on occasion on the banks of American creek. A headless man standing and swaying as if confused what to do? The site of this apparition I believe was near the now erected footbridge that provides pedestrian access across American creek for students to Figtree high school built in 1970.

However that been memories lingered of a terrible tragedy of the headless ghost haunting American Creek.

T

[KANACKI]

The old Figtree hotel now gone was once called the MT Keira hotel. It is at the present site of Figtree Hotel. Two patrons in mid 1930s rushed into the pub claims they had seen a headless figure standing and swaying in the creek. The hotel patrons at the time told them not to be silly. However they adamant that they saw a headless man standing on the banks of America Creek swaying. Once patron scoffed that probably seen a cow or horse and from the angle looking like headless man? Another said it was probably a bush swaying and joked maybe its time for both of them to go home.

Yet the two men in earnest claimed the same thing. After a barrage of skeptics making fun of them. Said we will take you to the spot. There was a few volunteers who decided to go. They went to the creek which is just down the road and saw of course just moon light but not house cow or bush could be seen to exact spot they pointed. And the air was still with no breeze whatsoever.

There the matter ended but the memories of this strange encounter lingered and spread among the local folk of Figtree.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Well the matter was almost forgotten until the 1940s during world war 2 Two soldiers claimed they saw a strange apparition there in about 1941. They reported to their NCO. And he lambasted them for drinking in which they said they had not.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

After the war in 1950's Jimmy Smith and his wife to be was walking along American creek in the early 1952. And sure enough getting close to evening the day was quiet and no wind they was started to see a strange figure in twilight? On a closer look they was horrified to see the figure had no neck or head. The figure wobbled and fell backwards and vanished.....

Both of them was terrified. They had heard stories from locals remember of rumours of previous encounters. But never really believed the stories. As by the 1950s many stories was circulation around the area at the time.

Years later Jimmy told me the story back in the early 90's. It was just one of many stories and ghost yarns I heard years ago. Sadly a few years Ago I heard Jimmy has passed away from  Brain Tumor. He would be in his 90's if he was alive today.

By the 1970's he had heard stories of headless ghost in the early years of the students of Figtree high school in which over time. the ghost story faded virtually from public memory.

Was there any truth to such claims?

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

I have to give Headless a big shout out for finding the story below. The Labor Daily (Sydney, NSW : 1924 - 1938), Wednesday 27 May 1931, page 5 reported the following.

MAN ENDS LIFE BY USE OF HIGH EXPLOSIVE? HEAD TORN FROM HIS BODY GHASTLY FIND BY CHILDREN
FIGTREE SUICIDE

WOLLONGONG. Tuesday.

Hearing a terrific explosion at noon today, children ran along the creek, near Figtree, and were
horrified to see the body of a man half lying against the bank of the creek, with the head and neck
severed completely from the bleeding and mutilated shoulders.

Small pieces of scalp, bone and flesh bespattered the bank and the grass, making a most
gruesome spectacle. It is believed that the' man placed gelignite in his mouth; then exploded
the charge.

Residents of the township thought that blasting operations were being carried out, and were shocked to learn of the appalling discovery from the children. Illawarra District Ambulance and  police were summoned. The ambulance officer placed the mutilated body in a bag and took it to Wollongong  Hospital morgue

Two boys, Albert Herd and Brian Sullivan of Figtree, were playing at the top of a hill nearby, when hearing  the explosion, they saw smoke arising from the creek. They ran down to the place within ten minutes, and gave the alarm.

On the other side of the small creek, in a secluded niche In the bank was the ghastly headless figure of  a man. The shoulder of the body was blown out of the shirt and coat  and the cloth was torn off the lapel of the coat, while the first two fingers of each hand were shattered, having apparently being held up to the head when the explosion occurred.

Some people believed that; the man placed in his mouth a detonator embedded In a plug of  gelignite and exploded it, while others thought that he had bitten a detonator and caused
it to explode to his mouth. No sign of a fuse could be  found.

The form was dressed in the garb of a tradesman, in clean and tidy fashion. A fresh tin of tobacco was found in a pocket,, and the top of a box of matches lay nearby.

A man named Hayes; alright in a a house next to the bridge at the northern side, had been painting his garden fence in the morning and recalled having seen a Wollongong man named Beveridge an upholsterer, walking backwards and forwards between the Figtree Hotel and the bridge; a distance of about 50  yards. He had spoken to Beveridge, who said that he was waiting for the publican, from whom he hoped to get a job. Hayes saw Beveridge walk pass the bridge and thought no more .about him until told of the tragedy.

Later this afternoon police had the body identified as William John Beveridge, 59 of Church Street Wollongong. Beveridge lived with his wife and family of three daughters and two sons, the youngest being a boy of 17 years and had worked casually at his trade as an upholsterer for many years in Wollongong.

One of his daughters stated that her father had said he was going to Klama In a bus to look for a job, and was quite normal when he said goodbye on leaving his home this
morning.

Three years ago he had been knocked down by a drunken man, and suffered a fracture of the skull and concussion and was given only three hours to live. He was never the same in health again.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Here is a picture of the approximate site where the grizzly suicide took place. A picture also of the historic old Figtree cut down in 1978. I was lucky enough to see it in the early 1970's. And the old Figtree hotel before the newer Figtree hotel was later built further north. The old hotel was next to the golden fleece petrol station. I never got to see the old hotel, but the new one.

Perhaps forever stained as moment in time of a terrible tragedy? For those guests who cannot see the pictures I suggest signing up to the wonderful forum to get a unique insight into haunted places in Australia.

Kanacki