Standing on Dominion Road near the Balmoral Road intersection, the Mount Eden War Memorial Hall is a familiar community landmark. Built in 1957–58, the hall was created as a “living memorial” to those who served in the two World Wars. The foundation stone was laid in September 1957, and the building was officially opened the following year.
Despite its relatively modern construction, the building has acquired a curious reputation for unexplained activity.
I was recently invited to give a talk in this hall, and was reminded of a couple of stories that had come in about this location.
People who have hired the hall for functions and events have reported hearing footsteps when nobody else was present, particularly when rooms or parts of the building were temporarily empty. Others have described hearing sounds suggesting that someone was moving around nearby. Doors, movement and unexplained noises coming from adjoining areas when there appeared to be nobody there.
Perhaps more unsettling are reports of figures being glimpsed inside the building. Witnesses have described seeing something resembling a person moving through a room or corridor, only for the figure to disappear or the area to prove empty upon investigation.
The hall’s layout may contribute to some of the experiences. It contains a large main-stage room, an upstairs Chamber Room, backstage areas, and other spaces, with much of the building available to hire for private functions. Auckland Council currently describes the venue as unstaffed, meaning that people hiring the rooms may find themselves in a surprisingly quiet building once an event has finished.
Whether the footsteps and shadowy figures are the result of acoustics, reflections, the building settling, people moving elsewhere in the hall, or something considerably harder to explain, remains open to interpretation.
One report I had in my files came from a guy called Dave, who had made contact in 2018.
“I’d hired the hall for a family function, and I went in earlier than everyone else to get everything set up. I was on my own for quite a while, putting out tables, arranging chairs, and getting the decorations ready.
At one point, I was in the main hall when I heard loud noise coming from the kitchen. It sounded like someone was in there moving things around. There was the sound of clutter, and then what sounded like taps being turned on and someone doing dishes. It was quite distinct. I remember thinking that maybe someone had arrived and I just hadn’t heard them come in. So I went through to the kitchen to see who it was. There was absolutely nobody there.
The taps weren’t running, there was nobody washing dishes, and nothing obvious that could have made that sort of noise. I checked around because I thought perhaps someone from the family had arrived early, but I was completely alone in the building. I carried on setting things up, though I was definitely a bit more aware of the noises afterwards.
Later that night, I was back in the kitchen area when I heard this really loud bang. It sounded like something had fallen over. When I went to investigate, I saw the broom lying just outside the kitchen doorway. What made it strange was that I knew exactly where I had left it. It had been leaning upright against the wall inside the kitchen. It hadn’t been lying near the doorway.
I picked it up and put it back against the wall, but I couldn’t work out how it had ended up there. There was no one else around, and I hadn’t seen or heard anyone come into the kitchen.
Maybe it hadn’t been balanced properly and somehow fell and moved further than you’d expect. But when I heard that bang and found it sitting outside the kitchen, I honestly couldn’t explain how it had got there. The whole thing was just… odd.
I was completely on my own both times, and I know what I saw and heard. I just can’t tell you what caused it.”
