Holding the notorious reputation as Australia’s most haunted house is the Monte Cristo Homestead.

It’s rumoured 11 people have died at the residence, with murder, suicide, torture and insanity all a significant part of its history.

Join ANZPJ as we take you through the property’s history and look at other haunted locations around the country.

Australia’s most haunted house: Monte Cristo Homestead

The original owner of the Monte Cristo Homestead was Christopher William Crawley, who acquired two parcels of land in Junee on conditional purchase in 1876.

When the Great Southern Railway Line opened in 1878, Crawley acquired a license and built the Railway Hotel across from the station, with the township benefiting from the influx on travellers visiting the region following the opening of the hotel.

Crawley’s wealth increased as a result, with the businessman acquiring almost the entire township.

He donated a parcel of land to the catholic church, helped finance the construction of St Joseph’s Church and played a key role in other civic projects.

With a newfound social status, Crawley constructed the Monte Cristo Homestead to be an omnipresent symbol of his success – it sat perched high on a hill so Crawley could survey the township from the second-floor balcony.

Despite Crawley and his wife appearing to be the quintessential Victorian couple, staff would later recount stories of harsh mistreatment, which spawned many ominous legends persisting today.


The family’s time at the house would be met with tragedy, with one of the couple’s children dying after falling down stairs.

A maid was also believed to have died after falling off the balcony and a stable boy allegedly burned to death at the property.

Mr Crawley died at Monte Cristo on 14th December 1910 from heart failure, secondary to blood poisoning caused by a carbuncle on his neck becoming infected from rubbing up against a starched collar. He was 69 years old.

It’s believed his widow only left the house on two occasions in the remaining 23 years of her life follwing his death.

She is said to have turned an upstairs storage room into a chapel, where she immersed herself in the Bible.

Mrs Crawley died at Monte Cristo on 12th August 1933 of heart failure, secondary to a ruptured appendix.

A look at a room from Australia's most haunted house - the Monte Cristo Homestead

A room at the Monte Cristo Homestead. Credit: Twitter

Monte Cristo would remain a Crawley family home until 1948 when the last members of the family vacated.

It’s also believed a mentally ill man named Harold was chained up on the property,  with someone else murdered once the home was sold.

Visitors to the Monte Cristo Homestead have reported eerie lights, and children become distressed near the staircase, which an infant was fatally dropped down in years past.

The property operates as a tourist attraction, with ghost tours available throughout the year.

Oakabella Homestead

Often said to be the most haunted house in Western Australia, the Oakabella Homestead is located between Geraldton and Northampton.

Sitting on 50,000 acres of land and was built in 1851, the interior resembles that of a museum.

There are stories of accidents, sickness and murders that make up the homestead history, with guests claiming to see doors opening and closing on their own, and strange lights, smells and temperature drops.

Emmett Cottages

These squat semi-detached cottages in Picton are part of a town with the reputation as a front-runner for Australia’s most haunted house.

Shop owners nearby find their goods and displays have been moved or tampered with when they come in to open for business in the mornings. A ghostly face has also been known to appear in the windows of the house.

Picton is also believed to have a ghost haunting the town’s Redbank Tunnel.

The spirit is believed to belong to Emily Bollard – a young girl who was killed by a train in the tunnel at 1916.

Over the years, local residents and tourists have reported seeing a white flowing figure of a woman who has no face within the tunnel.

A tunnel in Picton, which is believed to have a haunted house

Picton is known for its hauntings

Franklin House

Franklin’s House was built for a former convict Britton Jones in Tasmania.

The 1938 colonial house in Launceston has been investigated by ghost hunters many times over the years.

The place became the custody of a National Trust, with workers and volunteers claiming to have seen paranormal activity.

“I’ve noticed a few things move around… Just enough for me to notice that it was a bit unusual that it keeps happening,” volunteer Leonie Ingram previously told the ABC.

Old Melbourne Gaol

Technically not a house, the Old Melbourne Gaol was home to a number of prisoners.

When the Old Melbourne Gaol was built in the mid-1800s, it dominated the Melbourne skyline as a symbol of authority, holding dangerous criminals alongside petty offenders, the homeless and the mentally ill.

Between 1842 and its closure in 1929 the gaol was the scene of 133 hangings including Australia’s most infamous criminal, Ned Kelly.

The site now a major tourist attraction complete with morbid memorabilia of the prisoners and staff – death masks of the executed criminals are just some of what’s available.

Inside the Old Melbourne : One of Australia's most haunted locations

Inside the Old Melbourne Gaol.

Whespstead House 

The Whepstead House is believed to be possessed by the ghosts by the entire family who first lived there.

Located near Brisbane at at Wellington Point, Moreton Bay, the massive 19th century manor was first built by Gilbert Burnett – one of the first settlers in the area.

When forced to sell due to debt, the property acted as a private hospital during which time dozens of people passed away.

Former owners have claimed a number ghosts haunt the heritage-listed mansion, with hair inexplicably pulled and candles lighting unexpectedly.

Martha Burnett, Gilbert’s wife, apparently haunts the house as well as their son, who has a withered leg and can be seen peering through the banisters on the central staircase.