BY day, Berrima is a quaint village that provides insight into Australia’s early colonial history.
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By night, the old sandstone jail and courthouse loom out of the darkness, illuminated by the orange glow of the occasional street light.
The town has an eerie quality and Ros Dale who runs ‘Mrs Mulligan’s Ghostly Whispers of Old Berrima’ has a myriad of stories to tell about the spirits who still call Berrima home.
This Halloween, or Samhain as it was originally known, you can join Ms Dale on a tour through the haunted town that is not to be taken lightly.
The tour will take in 12 sites in both the northern and southern end of town, including a lightless walk through the courthouse where some of Australia’s most notorious early criminals, including the first serial killer John Lynch, were tried and executed.
“The courthouse has a lot of resident spirits and I’ve identified five of them, but there are more,” Ms Dale said.
“There’s one in particular, a woman, who loves women’s hair.
“She whispers in people’s ears and plays with their hair, which freaks them out.”
Ms Dale said she wasn’t quite sure, but thought it was the ghost of Lucretia Dunkerly, a murderess who was hanged at the jail in 1843 along with her lover and co-offender Martin Beech.
“She’s been seen by people I know, so she’s still hanging around,” she said.
During the evening, Ms Dale will discuss recent sightings of John Lynch and one of his victims, a young Aboriginal boy, and Lucretia Dunkerly.
The tour is not for the faint hearted or young children.
This is especially so when Ms Dale takes the group to the southern end of town where she said there was a very different sort of energy.
Tickets are $50 per person and the tour starts at 7pm on Friday night.
Bookings are essential.
“Bring an open mind, good walking shoes and a good camera,” Ms Dale said.
Details: Details: 0401065077 or www.ghosttoursofberrima.com.au