Introduction

The Australian Ghost Hunters Society offers up Investigations for the general public to participate in. It is specifically set up for the public who may have never had the opportunity to investigate or spend a night in a haunted site and would like to do so in the company of other experienced professionals.
We offer up our advice and help for investigating and hopefully will capture something on the night.

If you would like to participate in one of our public events, please join our yahoo group for further information and details of anything up and coming:

Date: 31st August, 2007 - start 9.00pm - Finish 3.30am

Site: Geelong Gaol, Myer Street, Geelong

PARTICIPANTS:

AGHS MEMBERS - Rowena Gilbert, Ronalee Kodric, Andrew Fitgerald

5 other members of the public

EQUIPMENT:

Digital Cameras (various)
EMF readers
Digital thermometers
Digital Handycam
Laptop Computer (toshiba)
Honeywell portable weather station

HISTORY:

Geelong Gaol was first constructed between the years of 1849 and 1864 to house convicts and prisoners. It was closed in 1991. In 1865 1871 the prisons East Wing was used as an Industrial School for homeless girls who lived on the streets in the Geelong area. The Industrial School was closed when it was noted that the conditions were unsuitable, dismal and resembled dungeon cells. In 1877 the Gaol was then used as a Hospital Gaol for disabled or elderly prisoners, many who died within the prison walls. It was then converted into Army Detention Barracks in 1940 and used by the military for this purpose until 1947. From 1947 until 1991 the prison was then returned to normal use and included such notorious prisoners as Mark "Chopper" Reid. Prisoners were removed to the newly built Barwon Prison in 1991. Prisoners were hung at the gallows at Geelong Gaol or on the Gallow Flats (no longer visible and located across the road). Executed and other expired prisoners were buried within the Gaol walls, standing up and facing inside the gaol, so as to never escape their sentence, and never see freedom. There are believed to be at least 3 burials within the prison grounds. One noteworthy death within the Gaol involves a prisoner who fell or was pushed from the top level in front of cell 77. He hit the crossbeam in front of cell 43 where the bend can still be seen to this day, and landed on the 1st floor outside cell 6. The prisoner died from his injuries four hours later. Wire mesh was then added between each floor to protect future prisoners from any harm such as this. There has been well over 100 deaths within the Old Geelong Gaol.  

HAUNTINGS:

Ex Prison officers, now employed with Barwon prison, who were employed at Geelong gaol, have reported seeing apparitions of prisoners within the Kitchen area on a regular basis at Geelong Gaol. They witnessed apparitions walk through walls of the kitchen out into the old morgue area. They have also reported seeing figures on the upper floors looking down on them and felt as if someone was standing behind them on very regular occasions. Cell 45 is often frequented by a ghostly figure standing outside. Reported by various visitors to the Gaol. Sounds of girls weeping and crying have been heard by both visitors and ex-inmates. Many people who have visited the gaol see men walking the floors or feel a cold breeze near the gallows. Activity has been caught by GRI (Ghost Research International) in the Infirmary where often people report a strange feeling or a strange coldness or chill down the back of the neck. The outside shower block is also a reported site of paranormal activity with activity reported by many other paranormal groups investigating the gaol.

HOTSPOTS:

Gallows located on 2nd floor

Outdoor Shower Block 1st floor

Cell 45 2nd Floor

Infirmary upper level (yellow stairs)

East Block (Left upon entering main gaol) - Old Girls School

Kitchen Area, towards back wall (nearest to the outside)

Outside Area behind Kitchen (site of old morgue)

REPORT:

I have visited Geelong Gaol many times over the last 5 or 6 years, unfortunately I have never had the feeling it was particularly haunted. Although there are areas that seemed as though they would be interesting for further investigation, the site always seemed extremely "dead" to me ...pardon the pun.

We had done some baseline investigations during the day approx 1 month earlier and found the gaol just as quiet on this time. The staff did not wish to talk of the ghosts, as most do not believe in them. However on one of my past visits one staff member mentioned that she refused to go upstairs at night, she had a bad feeling from there and simply was too afraid to go upstairs after dark had fallen.

We arrived at approximately 9.00pm and took a walk around the gaol as a group to take photos, and get the feel of the place. All areas at this point still seemed very quiet.
Photos and recordings were taken at this point which reveled nothing.

We returned to settle in for the night and set up some equipment, such as cameras, handycams, (I did not have a working voice recorder at this time so could not attempt to capture EVP's this night unfortunately). We talked about what areas we would look at further and some reports of strange noises, including a woman screaming from within the eastern block (old girls school) part of the gaol was heard.

Members reported seeing figures and also hearing other noises. Two members witnessed footsteps from above and a noise such as a latch? or a door being touched or moved. There was nobody above us (confirmed) at this point and most other participants were outside the gaol.

EVENTS AS RECORDED:
10.00pm - Jason captured orb on camera while feeling a presence and seeing a guard in uniform

10:35pm - Lady heard screaming in West wing by other participant.

Soon after a presence was felt in the shower block.

10:47pm - Ronalee & Jason heard footsteps upstairs near gallows, also heard latch sound (nobody was upstairs)

11.00pm (approx) between cell 43 & 44 Andrew felt leg going numb and felt ill.

11:05pm Ronalee and Rowena felt weight pushing down on them inside activities room.

12:43am Chain to bell tower moves and taps mesh for approx 10 seconds

1.18am footsteps heard by participant in East wing.

2.40am Camera problems in East wing, camera turned off and on (Andrew)

Photographs at time did not reveal anything except this photo by Andrew:

photo has been lightened
click for larger image

However this photo may be the result of Ronalee's camera or flash (Ronalee states the flash did not go off at the same time as Andrew's photo however we cannot confirm this) - or as a direct reflection off Ronalee's camera from Andrew's flash. However another note - Andrew seems to have strange lights turn up on lots of his photos for no reason. View his other ghost photos by clicking here.

Member and Psychic "Jason" reported seeing a guard figure in the darkness, west wing, watching us. On a previous visit another psychic had also reported seeing the same figure. These two people have had no contact with each other and did not know each other's stories.

We continued to take readings and photograph the site.

The temperature at all times stayed steady, with a steady humidity reading and no changes except slight drops as the night cooled.

We had no unusual events in any of the cells or hotspots.

After spending hours exploring the hotspots, and other sites of the gaol we ventured up to the old infirmary area, where other's had caught strange photos and film of activity to experiment with seances.

Seance participants were Rowena, Ronalee and Jason.

We held the seances with an Ouija board, it should be noted that this is not used as evidence and merely as an experiment.

We also could not provide a varied seance experience as other members did not wish to participate. I usually like to swap people around the board to ensure that one person on the board (consciously or subconsciously) is not forcing or altering things in a certain direction.

Spirits that were contacted:

1895 Prison Guard by the name of "Biv".
Claimed he did not like working in the Gaol and retired from Gaol (did not die within).

Wade Austan - prisoner from 1959 who was at the Gaol due to being mentally ill.
Died in prison and buried at the cemetery nearby. Had no relatives nearby. Was originally from Germany and arrived by boat at the age of 10 with parents.
Parents came to Australia for refuge. Life in Germany was bad. He was an only child and grew up in Balaclava.
Wade made money by boxing in Melbourne and traveled around australia and did not ever go to school.
Stated he has a "light" (cigarette) and was watching the smokers of our team outside the gaol.

Jake - prisoner in 1913. Was in the Army

Dale - prisoner in 1930. Stated he was not given a chance, was convicted for killing someone's child, but did not do it. Claims he was convicted wrongly and stated he "was not given a chance" in court/at trial. The child was stabbed, but not by him. He said he is/was 59 years old. Was a sailor at Port Melbourne.

Joan - worked at gaol in 1920. Continued to say her job was "god spy" we worked out later she was saying "Good speller". No children and not married. Taught prisoners to read. Lived in Geelong and was 42 years old. She also answered that she had no favorite prisoners.

The seance moved very fast and extremely strong. We were tired at this point and ended the seance at approx 2.30am.

After the seance the Gaol appeared to be very quiet and after exploring the upper and lower floors again we decided to call it a night.

Unfortunately there was not much evidence of the gaol being haunted on this night.

Our conclusion is that Geelong Gaol may hold the spirits of the past, but it requires a lot of further investigation and we hope that other groups will be able to find some evidence of paranormal activity in the future.