Monte Cristo homestead was the country’s most haunted home. And it doesn’t seem to have fazed them – they still live there. Reginald’s nephew and his wife once visited Monte Cristo and were looking for the loo late one night. A young woman dressed in white appeared before them, whispered “Don’t worry, it will be all right” and vanished. Olive once found dead and mutilated cats in the kitchen. Visiting children inexplicably throw tantrums around the staircase, where a child once died. There are phantom footsteps, strange apparitions and haunting noises. It’s little wonder the home’s ghost tours are booked out months in advance.
Monte Christo Homestead is a historic Australian property located in the town of Junee, New South Wales. Constructed by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley in 1885, it is a double-story late-Victorian manor standing on a hill overlooking the town. The Crawley family remained in residence until 1948.
The house then stood empty under the care of several caretakers until 1963 when it was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored it to its current condition. It operates as a museum, antique store and tourist attraction.
Monte Cristo is claimed to be Australia’s most haunted house, with reports of ghostly figures, strange lights, invisible forcefields, phantom sounds and animal mutilations. These are attributed to several tragic incidents in the property’s past including the murder of a caretaker in 1961 and the imprisonment of a mentally impaired man for many years in the dairy.
During the Crawleys’ occupation a young child is said to have been fatally dropped down the stairs, a maid to have fallen from the balcony, and a stable boy to have been burnt to death. Monte Cristo’s reputation is well known within Australia, thanks partially to several television shows including segments on the property.
These include the current-affairs show Big Country in 1977, the travel show Getaway in 1992, the paranormal based game/reality show Scream Test in 2000, and Ghost Hunters International 14 January 2010.