The Rosewood Hotel

[Headless2]

Sadly, her husband who had been left with their infant son, chose to dispose of the license on the Royal Hotel a few weeks later to return to Brisbane. In October that year, Patrick Downey died after falling and hitting his head on the concrete floor while a patient at Brisbane General Hospital. The 30-year-old publican and his four-year-old son had fled Rosewood after the mysterious death of his wife.

The boy, assumedly, eventually went to live with relatives while Patrick, according to the Brisbane Truth (October 24, 1926), never got over his wife’s death.

“It was a shock which unnerved him. He seemed absolutely unable to bear the loss and took to drink as a solace and a means of forgetfulness. But alcohol brought only torture, misery and degradation. Days passed and he drank more and more, but seemingly never succeeded in forgetting the fire and the woman who perished in it. When Downey came to the institution, he was bordering on delirium.”

Patrick took to leaving his hospital bed and wandering the wards, falling over on several occasions. At nine on a Monday night, one of them proved fatal. He died on Oct­ober 20 and was buried the next day, a hasty affair with the hospital keen to denounce any blame for the man’s death. So hasty in fact, that the death certificate, which recorded alcohol poisoning as the cause, was only handed to the ­undertakers at the gates of Nudgee Cemetery on the day.

If ever a tale of tragedy was to give rise to a haunting, this would most undoubtedly be it, unfortunately, it happened at the Royal Hotel, not the Rosewood Hotel.



To be continued…..

[Headless2]

As for the U.S. Serviceman who was apparently shot dead by Military Police in the doorway to the Rosewood Hotel, no records exist to support this claim, although we must also take into account that this ghostly information, like the rest, was offered up by an unnamed "psychic." 

It was not unusual for the U.S. Forces in Australia during the Second World War to demand media silence on "unsavoury" events involving their soldiers - for anyone who is aware of the events that took place during the sensational Battle of Brisbane, virtually not a word was published about it in the Brisbane newspapers at the time on the request of the U.S. Military hierarchy, however, I am sceptical if this event at the Rosewood Hotel ever took place.



To be continued…..

[Headless2]

Could Mrs Downey from the Royal Hotel be the ­female ghost named Lizzie reportedly seen at the Rosewood Hotel?

And could the lodger “Sandy” who died in the Royal Hotel fire of 1933 be the water ghost “Rusty” who haunts the Rosewood?

Or were they advertising a bogus "ghost” at the Rosewood Hotel based on historic events conveniently borrowed from the Royal Hotel?



To be continued….

[Headless2]

According to David Pahlke’s bio, he "has developed a passion for ghost paranormal viewpoints" what these paranormal viewpoints are is anyone's guess. 

In the City West News, published on the 20th of October 2008, page 6, an article ran on the ghosts of Pahlke's Rosewood Hotel.

In a final comment, the article detailed that:— "historian and ghost tour operator (whom I won’t name on this site) has stayed in the hotel and confirms something happened while he was here. He will even dedicate a chapter to the hotel incidents in his book Haunted Ipswich, which is due for release next year." 

Thus, the media's attention was now drawn to the Rosewood Hotel.



To be continued…..

[Headless2]

By mid-2009 plans for a public "ghost hunt" of the Rosewood Hotel were already well underway. 
Mr (again, whom I won’t name) and his Brisbane-based Ghost Tours company, in league with an outfit calling themselves Queensland Paranormal Investigators, stirred the media pot to announce that the haunted mystery of the Rosewood Hotel would finally be unlocked - a "ghost hunt" was planned for the 27th of June, and 20 members of the public could book to attend for a $65 fee per head...first in, best dressed. 

An article promoting the "ghost hunt" was run in the Queensland Times on the 2nd of June 2009, stating, "Customers are given the opportunity to use scientific methods such as EMF readings, or detecting disturbances in the electro magnetic field, and old fashioned methods like flour through to divining rods and spiritual boards." 

And with that, the "hunt" went ahead on the 27 of June. 



To be continued…..

[Headless2]

On the 30th of June, the Ipswich News ran a follow-up piece, detailing what had been uncovered -

"The investigators picked up quite a bit of activity. It was all a bit of fun, but I don’t think they left disappointed. One of the things they picked up were words (through Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVP) on tape of an English lady talking. She was speaking phrases you wouldn’t use today.”

“A few psychics who visited said similar things which also seem to line up. They mentioned a pioneering lady in early costume who was a cook. They also spoke of a man named Billy with red hair and a man named Rusty with red hair, who could be the same person." 

So, we now have some historic evidence, backed by "evidence" collected by a few psychics, all of this material seemed to strongly corroborate what was known about the haunted history of the hotel. And not to mention the unknown number of "guests" who were fleeced out of $65 each for the privilege of "hunting" ghosts in the wrong hotel. 



To be continued…..

[Headless2]

Here is the only fatality I found at Rosewood Hotel.

SUDDEN DEATH AT ROSEWOOD HOTEL

Sat 5 Jan 1929:— While sitting on the verandah of the Rosewood Hotel this afternoon, a man named J. O'Connor was noticed by the proprietor (Mr. Baker) to have become alarmingly ill. Assistance was sought and Sergeant H. Tighe (who lives almost opposite the hotel) and Dr Wallace were quickly on the scene, with Rev Father O'Rourke.

The unfortunate man, however, was past human aid, death taking place within about 20 minutes. On the footpath a bottle, which might have contained poison was found.

A post-mortem examination was conducted by Dr. Wallace in the presence of Sergeant Tighe and Constable Nolan and the contents of the man's stomach have been forwarded to the Government Analyst.

The man; who was about 60 years of age, traded as a fruit hawker in Rosewood. For some time he resided at Thagoonas, but recently came to Rosewood. It is known that he had a daughter and two sons, and at one time lived at Mt Morgan where a sister named Mrs Bird also resides.



Ultimately, dodgy tour operators seeking fast bucks with less-than-reputable ghost "investigators" in tow, are the scourge of the paranormal field, and further aid in destroying any reputation legitimate researchers have.

That leaves us with one final question.

Is the Royal Hotel haunted?



To be continued…..

[Headless2]

HAUNTED HOTEL?

Sun 24 Oct 1926:— Since the fatal fire residents of Rosewood find the Royal Hotel a centre of morbid attraction. Timid folks tiptoe past the hotel in awe, others breast the bar to hear the weird story that is some times told there.

The rumour is that every night mystery footsteps are heard mounting the stairs and walking around the veranda of the hotel. "The spirit of Mrs Downey" whisper superstitious folk and, as of those softly thudding steps.

However, this is a story for another day.

[KANACKI]

Hello headless another great story. A fair balance one of opinions.

Regardless such stories intrigues and mystifies us of what if?

Kanacki