Another contender for Australia’s most haunted town?
by Murray Byfield
Morpeth is located in the Hunter Region in NSW Australia, it began as a land grant to Lieu Edward Close in 1821 originally known as Green Hill, Closes property was originally known as “Illaluang” an aboriginal wording which means “high dry place”. It is believed under pressure from Closes wife the name was changed to “Morpeth”. Named after the town of the same name in the UK in the county of Northumberland.
Close began to subdivide his grant in the 1830’s as Green Hill was quickly becoming the major river port for the Hunter Region as Queens Warf at Morpeth was as far as the ships of deep berth could travel.
The produce from which was heavily supplying food and wool to Sydney.
Consequently, a transient town sprung up on the Hunter River which eventually included nearly 20 Inns, a flour mill, candle factory, soap factory, private wharves, a courthouse, school of arts, a stone church built by Close, a bonds store, four train stations and many warehouses on the river associated with the river trade.
Morpeth prospered well till the end of the 19th century, but river trade was hindered by the construction of the railways. River trade continued into the early 20th century when the very last commercial cargo leaving the wharf in 1950. By the 1970’s Morpeth was a literal ghost town with a small population of which many were considered of the lower socioeconomic class.
With the restoration of Campbell’s store in the late 1980’s Morpeth slowly became a tourist destination and a place of art, culture and cafes. Also due to the largely intact historic building’s dating from the early 19th century which would have been demolished if the town had continued as a place of major commerce.
Morpeth is a town known locally about its many ghost stories, historic tours and ghost tours have been conducted there since the 1980’s by various people.
Ghosts have been witnessed on the main street, in many of the historic buildings including Campbell’s store, the old Convent, Churches, Hotels also private homes, nearly every building in town has its own ghost tales to tell.
A very well-known story is that of the ghost of Stephen Cantwell who drowned in the well out the back of Campbell’s store when the premises was being constructed in 1860’s. Only a rough pile of stones indicates where the well once was. People have felt their clothes being tugged by unseen hands around the vicinity of the well.
Is Morpeth one of Australia’s most haunted towns? You’ll have to visit to find out?
Morpeth is approximately a 2hrs drive from Sydney, half an hour from Newcastle and about 45 mins from Port Stephens.
