Massey Homestead, Mangere. Auckland

The Massey Homestead is an imposing historic building set in extensive gardens on Massey Road, Mangere East. It was for some years the home of William Ferguson Massey, who was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925. This is a brief history of the homestead, its ownership by

The Huntly Ghost Bride

There are stories that tell of a mysterious alleged ghost ”bride”, that is witnessed from time to time standing , or wandering along the railway tracks adjacent to the Huntly Cemetery located along State Highway one; about an hour south from Auckland. She has been described as wearing a long,

Kingseat re-visit. Random photo 2018 gallery

Whatipu Caves exploration and investigation – Session 1

Whatipu is a remote beach on the rough and rugged West Auckland coastal bay, at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges. Swimming there is considered risky due to all the currents and rips. The region has a dark and tragic past. mysterious deaths, suicides, drownings and murder. Tragedy occurred

Howick Historical Village: Solo Overnight Sessions – Mark’s night in Johnson’s Cottage (Toy Room)

The principle goals of this project were to at first try our luck at ascertaining whether there may or not be some form of residual remnant, or possible paranormal activity present in any of the other houses and buildings with the village; and if so, attempt to either experience or

HAPPY KRAMPUS DAY! Dec 5th

HAPPY KRAMPUS DAY! Today is Krampus Day, when many around the world celebrate an entity that appeals to my own twisted tastes more than that over-weight, old, Coca Cola sponsored toy giver. Krampus (or Krampuslauf) are definitely a thing. The word Krampus derives from the old Germanic word “Krampen” which

Return to the Russell Hotel, Sydney

Set in the historic heart of Sydney’s The Rocks, the 1887 construct of the Russell Hotel is a piece of Australian history which retains all of its old world charm and decor. Decorated with traditional furniture, rooms add distinctive touches like open fireplaces or bay windows. Encompassing Sydney’s oldest bar,

Tell us what you really think – The Solway Firth Spaceman

Another Monday and another entry into “Tell us what you really think” So, this week…Tell us what you really think about… The Solway Firth Spaceman, real life inter-dimensional space visitor or simply a case of mistaken identity? On 23 May 1964, Jim Templeton, a firefighter from Carlisle, Cumberland (now part

Northern Cemetery – Dunedin [Photos by Lisa Ward]

In July 2017, Team Member Lisa visited the beautiful and historic Northern Cemetery, whilst holidaying in Dunedin Photos by Lisa Ward

Suburban Vandal Magnet

Editor's Choice

St James Theatre, Wellington11/01/2014Haunted LocationsThe St James Theatre, (previously known as His Majesty’s Theatre, and the Westpac St. James Theatre from 1997–2007) (shortened to “St. James” by locals) is a stage theatre located in the heart of NZ’s capital city, Wellington. The present theatre was designed in 1912 by Australian theatre designer Henry Eli White. The theatre currently faces on to Courtenay Place, the main street of Wellington’s entertainment district, opposite the Reading Cinema complex. The building is number 83. The building is classified as a “Category I” (“places of special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value”) historic place by the New Zealand Hstoric Places Trust History The St. James has had a long history, with its success in its early years, a near demolition in the 1980s and to its return to the city’s cultural light in the late 1990s. The theatre’s land had been used as a church and volunteer hall prior to it being bought by the famous entertainer John Fuller on 23 December 1899. The St. James was made famous by Fuller, who had also built over 60 other theatres in New Zealand. He revamped the hall in 1903 and named it “His Majesty’s Theatre”, or nicknamed “Fuller’s”. During its use, the hall was host to pantomimes and a Cleopatra act, which involved the first and last import of snakes into New Zealand. However, Opera of any kind was seldom allowed by Fuller, who usually directed any opera show to Wellington’s Opera House down the road. Fuller used the old hall until November 1911, when it was eventually declared a fire hazard and demolished. After this demolition, Fuller vowed the new theatre he was going to build would be the best in New Zealand. Fuller enlisted the help of Henry Eli White, who had already designed other theatres around the country for Fuller. White, fresh from building theatres in Timaru and Auckland, set out to plan the St James. The St James theatre was the first entirely steel frame and reinforced concrete theatre in the world and plans made sure over 650 people could escape the auditorium in the event of a fire. Pillars in the auditorium were also kept at a minimum to allow perfect viewing, and seating was arranged in the arc of a circle to view the stage. The St. James was then adorned with marble pieces, carved face masks and cherubs to be placed on the ceiling and coloured glass. The plaster work was made by William Leslie Morrison, who reinforced the lime plaster with cow hair. Morrison used his grandson as a model for the plaster cherubs and modelled the full-figured seen near the stage after Bacchus and Apollo. The wooden floors of the St. James were made of rimu and jarrah, along with totara for window frames and deal for doors. After the plans had been set, construction began on the theatre in March 1912. To speed progress, White himself designed two electric cranes to lift the in excess of 500 tonnes of steel. In all, the St. James cost £32,000 to build and took 9 months to build. The theatre was officially opened 8pm on Boxing Day, 1912, by the Wellington Mayor, David McLaren. During the new theatre’s first months, it was used primarily to play silent movies. The St. James was changed nine months later to present live performances. However in 1930, after 17 years, it was again converted back to playing both movies and occasional live performances. This was after the St. James’s life long opposition, the Opera House began screening movies. After this change to the “talking films” or “flicks”, on 3 May 1930, His Majesty’s was closed and reopened as the St. James Theatre. Over the years, the St. James was slowly brought back to showing live performances. Many shows were performed at the venue; everything from Shakespeare, to minstrel acts to ballet. After Fuller died, the St. James passed through numerous owners. Decline and restoration After its enormous success over the past decades, in the 1970s, the St. James theatre fell into decline and was effectively closed down. Shows began performing at the Opera House and newer venues such as the Michael Fowler Centre, Downstage and the restored town hall. Rumours of ghosts haunting upper seat levels didn’t help the theatre’s reputation either and soon the theatre was forgotten. On 7 May 1987, the St. James played its last movie, ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive”, to a small group. The site was then declared unpractical and was abandoned. The theatre was nearly demolished in the 1980s and ’90s after the owners placed a destruction order on the plot. However, due to the efforts of an objecting group, the St. James was eventually spared and restored to its former glory. The alarm had been risen after a photographer, Grant Sheehan, was told by the theatre’s curator that the St. James was set to be demolished by the Chase Corporation. For nearly a decade, a wrecking ball sat poised above the theatre, but it was never used after the owners were finally persuaded to save the property. The company looking to build on the site, Chase, were still angered by the result, so a trade-off was made by the committee vouching for the St. James; Chase would be allowed to build a tower in Wellington exceeding current height restrictions if the committee could save the theatre. The offer was highly contested, with some companies near the new tower protesting at its aimed size. The Opera House objected to the St. James’s restoration, saying that the city would not be able to sustain two theatres. In any case, the council rejected the committee’s proposal to allow Chase to build higher. Chase retaliated and immediately asked the council for a demolition permit. However, the council slowed progress on getting the report so the Historical Places Trust could add the St. James to its list. The plan succeeded and a limited protection order was placed over the St. James. Now Chase could only demolish the site with consent from the Trust. Knowing that the protection order would only last for a limited time (in fact only until 31 March 1988), there was a frantic rush to get Chase to sell the building to the council so they could restore it. Fundraising events were commonplace during this time, most asking for donations towards the “Save the St. James fund”. Eventually, after hard negotiations the plan to sell and restore the theatre went ahead, due to the theatre’s good aspects and proximity to the city’s hot-spots. Due to the increasing amount of theatre-going public, the Opera House would not be able to support the demand, especially when the Wellington Festival of the Arts arrived. The council finally agreed to allow Chase to plan its tower in Willis Street in return for $7 million to refurbish the theatre; the other option that was not taken was for the government to raise $18 million to purchase and restore the building. However, once again bad luck fell upon the deal, when the financial crash of 1987 struck most companies in New Zealand, including Chase. The building and deal were abandoned once again and time passed with no results. Chase hadn’t secured a tenant for its new tower and the council began to doubt whether it should spend millions on a single theatre. After the finish line for the protection order over the St. James ended, Chase gave their word that the theatre would not be demolished. Eventually, Chase went into liquidation and all its properties were put up for sale. The St. James was put on the market for $7 million, double what Chase had paid for it. The council declined and over the months, the price fell dramatically as Chase saw an absence of offers. The price fell to below what even Chase had paid for the theatre. The council still declined and a massive campaign to save the theatre arose. Eventually on 22 September 1993, the council sought to buy the property and succeeded with their offer of $550,000. The council handed the St. James over to a new St. James Theatre Charitable Trust. Soon it was booked out and live performances were shown frequently. An $18.5 million restoration plan was set out in 1995. However, this was considered worth the risk, as it was estimated the theatre would bring over $3.6 million into the local economy. In 1996, the council gave a $10.7 million contribution towards the restoration plan, in addition to $2.4 million from a Wellington Community Trust grant, $3.5 million from the Lottery Board and over $1 million in donation from the public. The total of around $17.7 million allowed the St. James Trust to confirm they would start restoring the theatre. Current situation Restoration work finished in late 1997. Most of the theatre’s aspects were modified, including the addition of “The Jimmy” a café on the theatre’s ground floor. “The Jimmy” was the nickname given to the St. James Theatre by technicians, thus the name was utilised. The St. James currently holds many shows and a large portion of the New Zealand International Arts Festival. The building also hosts the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Art shows are often held on its second floor, as well as conferences. The theatre was also fitted with an orchestra pit, which is located many stories below the stage’s level. The bank operating in Australia and New Zealand, Westpac until 2007 held the naming rights to St. James, as well as other stadiums, including the Westpac Stadium, also in Wellington. A face-lift of the facade in 2007 included removing the Westpac name from the Brickwork frontage. In July 2011 Positively Wellington Venues, an integration between the Wellington Convention Centre and the St James Theatre Trust, began managing this theatre along with five other venues in the capital city. Reported haunting There have been numerous reports of several spirits or ghosts in the St. James Theatre. One of the most seen ghosts is that of Yuri, a Russian performer who supposedly fell to his death from the flies several metres above the stage. Another account, more widely accepted, says he was pushed by a female named Pasha, also a Russian performer. Yuri has been encountered playing with the lights, especially turning them all back on again once cleaners have left for the night. One projectionist says Yuri saved his life twice. While on stage, the lights went out in the auditorium. While searching for the light switch, he was pushed backwards by what he believed was Yuri. The lights turned back on and the projectionist realised he was only inches from the orchestra pit and if he had not been pushed back, would have fallen in. The second time he says Yuri saved him was when he was on stage with his infant son. He suddenly heard a beam collapse above him. The projectionist insists he was pushed back by Yuri and that his son was “carried” through the air for about 3 metres. Other than Yuri, many other ghosts have been reported in the theatre. The “Wailing Woman” is a frequent apparition who is said to wail throughout the theatre. According to accounts, she was an actress trying to make a comeback. However, she was booed off stage. She later slit her wrists, either at home or in her dressing room. She is also said to be the cause of many of the odd occurrences surrounding lead actresses in plays performed at the St. James; many actresses performing on stage have sprained their ankle, one fell from a ladder, one suddenly caught a cold and was hoarse for her opera part. Another ghost is that of Stan Andrews. He is often heard wheezing around the backstage corridors at night, checking on his ushers. Also, a boy’s choir is said to haunt the auditorium. The choir played their last song at the St. James during World War ll before sailing off on tour. Their ship was never seen again and workers at the theatre often hear their music in the stands. However, when they investigate the sound, it moves to a separate part of the seats. The reason there is so much paranormal activity at the theatre is disputed, although there have been claims that the old choral hall was built on a cemetery or burial ground. This claim however, has never been proved. The paranormal activity of the St. James was investigated in 2005 on the New Zealand television show Ghost Hunt. The three investigators captured paranormal photographs and numerous ‘orbs’ inside the building and the elevator used suddenly began to malfunction which is a common among workers moving instruments from the orchestra pit to the loading bay. The programme also featured other haunted locations around New Zealand. [...] Read more...

The Coventry Spectre14/01/2014HauntingsJanuary 22nd, 1985 – the Coventry Freemen organisation and their guests stand in prayer during a dinner event. All the guests are still and as it was a dark room so the photographer probably thought it would be the perfect time to allow for a longer than usual exposure to get enough light into the picture. Nothing was though out of the ordinary at the time but as people started to see the print of the picture a mystery surfaced. Who was the robed figure standing near the end of one of the tables? No one had dressed up for the event, no one remembers anyone standing there as they stood for prayer. The figure also seems to be taking part in the prayer, head slightly bowed, hands clasped in front. St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry, Warwickshire, is where the event was hosted. It has many legends of ghosts and paranormal goings on – apparitions of a grey lady, a girl in a blue dress, strange lights and a monk. Could this photo have captured one of these ghosts. This photo is often included as one of the top ten best ghost photos but some people disagree, maybe it is two people standing close together, their features merging on the film during the long exposure? What do you think? Does this photo show some the ghost monk that has been reported about the location? Or is it somehow a light anomaly? Or do you think it is a set up, a complete fake? Something else entirely? Fact or Fiction, you decide! [...] Read more...

Omakau’s Mysterious Newly-wed Corpse17/03/2021Haunted Locations / Hauntings / Opinions and Theories / True Ghost Stories / Urban LegendsOn our way to St Bathans to investigate the notoriously haunted Vulcan Hotel, we stopped in at the Muddy Creek Cafe in Omakau, for a fish and chip break about midday. Waiting for our order of blue cod and chips (some of the best blue cod I have ever tasted, by the way), I walked out and wandered around the corner to explore this tiny historical stopping point for a few minutes. I found a small junk shop. A few tables of pretty much worthless trash on sale. I asked the guy there about local hauntings and if he’d heard of anything or could recommend somewhere close by we could check out whilst in the area. He too claimed to be a sceptic, but had a story to tell that had intrigued him for many years. He told me of an incident which happened about a decade or so back. Something that had shocked those at the scene, to the core…. to the point the local police had been called in to investigate. On Cambrian Road, a gravel turn-off road just before St Bathans, there was a small memorial graveyard set up on a little hill, just in from the road entrance. The story goes, that workmen were excavating just behind the cemetery, for which reasons are unclear at this point. Unfortunately, due to a lack of suitably visible or accurately placed markers, the digger carved too close to the cemetery land. The digger blade, on slicing downward, uncovered part of a coffin half way up the hill. The workers were shocked and immediately put a halt on the work. The casket was sticking half out of the hill, with the soil crumbling away quickly underneath it. The police were called, but before they arrived the coffin dislodged itself from the remaining loose soil, and slid a couple of meters down to the ground below; where it broke open. Inside was the corpse of a woman; wearing a full white wedding dress. The thing that struck the men hard at that moment (aside from the fact there was a corpse in front of them) was that the body appeared “fresh” and wasn’t in any state of decay and looked as though she had only just recently been put in the ground. The men, in a state of shock and unable to look at the body any further, moved away from the site until the police arrived to sort things out. On returning to the scene with the police they found something even more disturbing. (Now here’s where the story, or urban myth, gets a little cloudy). The corpse had now either “disappeared… or turned to dust”. There was no body in the coffin when the men and police officer returned to it! I found the location. Indeed there is a small hill, a small picketfenced square of a “graveyard,” and right behind it an obvious carved-away slice of the land. How much of this story is true is unknown to me, but hearing about it, and standing on the actual piece of land itself afterwards, sure put shivers up my spine! [...] Read more...

Garth Homestead – Misery and Death10/01/2014Haunted LocationsGarth Homestead, in the Fingal Valley, Tasmania, is known not for the fear it puts into those who visit after dark, but rather the terror. It is a rare occasion indeed, for a paranormal investigator to last a full night. From a rejected mans suicide, to a drowned girl and her nanny, Garth has it all. It is unlived in, as those who have tried have never lasted long, always leaving due to the otherworldly inhabitants that do not like to be disturbed. Who could the spirits be that reside in the ruins? A Most Haunted Site Garth Homestead, now part of the Rostrevor Estate, is located along the Esk Highway, in the Fingal Valley just North East of the town of Avoca. What was once a solidly built two storey sandstone building, is now reduced to a set of crumbling ruins, located on a hill looking out over the South Esk River. During the day you may find historic groups looking amongst the ruins, trying to recapture some of the splendour of this very early part of Tasmanias history. By night, the ruins take on a completely different feel, for it is said that Garth is one of the most haunted sites in Tasmania. The ghosts of Garth come in the form of shrieks, moaning and howling of the sad and lost souls that still reside there. Many an investigator and thrill seeker has left the location, in more than a hurry, and it is not just humans that feel the presences. Horses are said to shy away from the location, refusing to take the rider closer than a few hundred meters from the buildings remains, and grazing livestock will not venture near the area. The First Tragedy The history of the location has been told through many newspapers, and more than a few books that detail haunted locations around the country. It seems that in the 1950’s, newspapers from around Australia took an interest in promoting the stories of tragedy that marred the otherwise scenic site. Many websites and online journals also detailed the location. The following, is a montage of different versions, from many sources. Most agree on certain aspects, and it is with these that I keep it together omitting one off pieces of information. The story of Garth begins in the early 1830’s when an Englishman (name unknown) travelled to Tasmania and was granted a plot of land. With convict labor, he soon set about building a grand two storey sandstone building, not just out of necessity, but also out of love. The Englishman had left behind the woman he loved, promising her he would be back to collect her once the new home was almost complete. When all but the ceilings and plaster work was complete, he travelled back to England to collect his bride to be. Upon arrival, he learnt that while he was away she had fallen and love and had married another man. Dejected, the Englishman returned to Tasmania and killed himself in the courtyard of his still not completed home. Further Tragedy Tragedy was about to strike again, as new owners moved into the home along with their young girl, and her convict ‘nanny’. The nanny was very strict and would threaten the child with being thrown down the well, if she did not behave. The little girl took this very seriously after the nanny had held her over the well by the ankle. One day the girl did cause some sort of trouble, and thinking she knew what was to come threw herself down the well. The nanny, guilt ridden tried to help her charge but also fell in, both dying in the freezing waters. Soon after, a Scotsman named Charles Peters, was granted some land nearby, and in the late 1830’s he also took over the lands containing the Garth house. The home was still very well, kept so Charles Peters moved into the house with his family. In September 1840, Charles Peters two year old daughter Ann ran into the parlour screaming, her hair and clothes were on fire. Ann had been watching the house staff making jams over the fire, when she got too close, and the flame caught her. Ann Peters did not recover from her burns, and her small grave can be seen a little way from the ruins. Charles Peters and his wife left Garth in 1845, after they built the now Historic Fingal Hotel. Garth went to his eldest son who leased it out. The house soon suffered badly during a fire, after which another of Charles Peters’ sons moved in. Thomas Peters restored the house, but near completion another devastating fire went through the building. The building stayed in the Peters family till 1922 though no one has lived in it since the start of the 19th century. Some people may say that the ruins of Garth Homestead are the most famously haunted ruins in Tasmania. Others say that the story and the history surrounding some key deaths is completely unfounded. Many say that either way it makes for a good ghost story. I will leave it up to you to decide. Ashley Hall [...] Read more...

Northern Cemetery – Dunedin [Photos by Lisa Ward]03/07/2017Cemeteries / InvestigationsIn July 2017, Team Member Lisa visited the beautiful and historic Northern Cemetery, whilst holidaying in Dunedin Photos by Lisa Ward [...] Read more...

Torpedo Bay Navy Museum – Devonport, Auckland23/03/2013Haunted Locations / Historic BuildingsHoused in a 19th Century submarine mining station looking over the Waitemata Harbour, the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum showcases the rich history of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Torpedo Bay, on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour in Devonport, is the new home of the Navy Museum. The site itself is of exceptional significance, developed as a torpedo station in the 19th Century as part of Auckland’s coastal defense network. Inside these heritage buildings are an outstanding café, conference facility, education space and completely new permanent exhibitions. Our Museum tells the story of the Navy’s contribution to the development of New Zealand identity through the lens of the Navy’s values: commitment, courage and comradeship. The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum is the official museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy. It opened in 2010, to replace an earlier naval museum. The museum is located in Devonport, Auckland. History The first Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) museum was established in 1974 and was housed in a single room within HMNZS Philomel, the navy’s main administrative facility at Devonport. It was only open to RNZN personnel for two hours per week, though groups visiting the base could also view the museum by appointment. In 1982 the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum was moved to a small building on Spring Street at the edge of HMNZS Philomel. This building proved too small, however. On 9 October 2010 the RNZN Museum moved to larger premises at Torpedo Bay in Devonport. It is housed in buildings which were constructed in 1896 to control naval mines at the mouth of Waitemata Harbour. These buildings were refurbished at a cost of $NZ 1.5 million. Exhibits The exhibits on display at the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum trace New Zealand’s naval history since the Flagstaff War in 1845. One of the first displays covers the New Zealand-funded British battlecruiser HMS New Zealand, and includes the piupiu (Māori warrior’s skirt) which was presented to the ship’s commanding officer during the vessel’s visit to New Zealand in 1913. The piupiu was worn by the battlecruiser’s captains in battle during World War I as a good luck charm. Displays on World War II cover topics such as the cruiser HMNZS Achilles and the battle fought between the small minesweepers HMNZS Kiwi and HMNZS Moa and the larger Japanese submarine I-1 on 29 January 1943 off the island of Guadalcanal. The museum also has displays on the RNZN’s role in the Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Vietnam War, Gulf War and the current War in Afghanistan, as well as the navy’s contribution to the New Zealand peacekeeping force which was deployed during the Yugoslav Wars. Other displays cover the RNZN’s peacetime roles of fisheries protection, search and rescue, disaster relief and conducting hydrographic surveys. History of the Navy Museum The need for a Naval Museum grew with the increasing number of donations to the Navy by families of ex-navalmen during the early 1970s. In 1974 the Commodore Auckland, J.F. McKenzie, directed the Commanding Officer of HMNZS PHILOMEL to make a surplus room available for use as a Museum and the institution was born. The Museum was opened to naval personnel for 1 hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and by arrangement for groups visiting the Naval Base. The Museum’s policy was to display items of naval interest with the aim of creating and maintaining a permanent record of the history and development of the RNZN. Advice was sought from the Auckland War Memorial Museum with respect to basic conservation and display techniques. The Navy Museum at Spring Street By 1981 the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral K.M. Saull, believed there should be a proper museum for the Navy. A modest building on the edge of the Naval Base was chosen. The Museum moved to Spring Street and was officially opened by Rear Admiral K.M. Saull on the 5th May 1982. Almost immediately after the re-opening more room was needed. Public contributions, coupled with some fundraising enabled a modest extension to be built, which was opened in December 1989. In May 1988 the Trust Board of the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum was established and the role of the Museum was amended to: “To be an educational and recreational facility that presents to the RNZN and the public in general, the naval influence on the history of New Zealand.” In May 2010, 28 years after it opened, the Navy Museum at Spring Street closed the doors to the public for the final time. For the next five months, exhibition designers, installers and Navy Museum staff prepared for Open Day at Torpedo Bay, 9th October 2010. Torpedo Bay Navy Museum Torpedo Bay, on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour in Devonport, is now the home of the Navy Museum. Torpedo Bay itself is a site of exceptional significance, having been a key part of Auckland’s early defence system as well as having been continuously occupied by New Zealand military forces since 1880. Torpedo Bay is the most substantial and intact 19th century mining base to survive in New Zealand. Having relocated to Torpedo Bay in 2009, the Navy Museum is the newest chapter to the site’s extraordinary heritage, with the original 1896 buildings redeveloped to accommodate the Museum’s exhibitions and visitors. As New Zealand’s only Navy Museum, the Torpedo Bay facility strongly complements other icons of New Zealand’s military, maritime and social heritage, such as the War Memorial Museum, Voyager Maritime Museum, North Head, Bastion Point and Auckland Art Gallery. Alongside Auckland’s other museums and heritage sites, this creates an unmatched cluster of valuable national historic facilities spanning both sides of the Waitemata Harbour. The Navy Museum at Torpedo Bay is an important part of our local Devonport community, our regional community as part of the new Auckland City and our national community. Reported Occurrences Items have been moving around. Lights have been turned on and off without explanation. Odd things have been seen on security cameras. A bright light was seen coming from one area inside the museum one night but when they checked the area it was coming from there was no light to be seen at all. Weather Conditions on the night: Fine and warm Luna Cycle: Three quarter moon The Haunted Auckland Team arrived at the Devonport Naval Museum on time, as it was closing. We were shown around all areas including the courtyard, storage sheds, board room, museum, chippie shop and boatshed by the very helpful and informative guide host, Kate. We began our investigation outside in the courtyard where activity had been noted by museum staff, then went around to the chippie shop, boatshed and beach area (including “the pool”). We then returned to the museum where we investigated the storage sheds and the actual museum. Towards the end of the night we were shown around the administration office. This comprehensive investigation took over five hours and over the course of the evening we took hundreds of photos, many hours of audio recordings, hours of video and infra-red footage and took numerous data readings from various atmospheric field meters throughout the night. Barbara: “The actual museum was smaller than I thought it would be but the area we were investigating was huge. The courtyard, storage sheds, boat shed, chippie shop and offices all looked very interesting. The actual Museum was relatively new although the land it is built on is old Maori land. The Three roomed storage shed, chippie shop, boat shed and office building were all much older.” “I was looking forward to commencing our investigation. I thought the boathouse had a feeling of people working hard. The Chippie shop also seemed to have a residual energy of men working about it. The boatshed had a real feeling of history and I think that there was possibly some activity in there but I was unable to actually capture anything besides a few odd noises. The storage sheds were definitely very eerie and the courtyard was very interesting!” “While sitting in the room in the museum with the artwork in it, I suddenly had a pain in my collarbone. It felt like I had dislocated it although I hadn’t done anything to do that. It stayed like that for about 5 Minutes and then faded. Also a short while later in the mock bunk room I had a sudden sharp pain in my thigh. That one lasted for a second but was painful! I have not had either pain since (nor before!!).” Heather: “As the actual museum was the newest part of the area, it still had a newness to it, totally surrounded by history. Even though it displayed items of the past, it fitted in with the rest of the ambiance of the historical place that was outside and around it. There were various rooms within the museum, there was a place for kids to explore, a war room which you could hire for conferences. The museum itself was the youngest part of the area, the same as the other buildings which had been built on top of the old navy base and before that, it was a maori pa, where archeologists have discovered old Moa bones and fishhooks.” Matthew: “The publicly accessible buildings feel rather new, until you notice the details of the design and structure. For instance the bomb-proof thick walls of the “War Room” and the structural beams and supports of the museum. The other buildings; the mine storage areas, Chippy Shed / Jail and Boathouse all look and feel their age. The mine rooms, in particular the right-most one, had a definite cave-like feel. In the center mine room, the back wall was un-even and lumpy in places, and appeared thicker towards the floor. It appeared to have been either repaired or concreted over.” “Our guide for the evening , Kate, mentioned the light anomaly which had been seen on the security cameras. A beam of light which emanated from the “Mess” (an area made up to look like a bunk room), which showed up on one camera, but a camera with an different view of the same area showed no change in lighting. She also mentioned reports of movement in the courtyard which triggers the motion sensing cameras. Also uneasy feelings in the “Gun Room”. No anomalous EMF readings at all that I could find.” “There was some minor fluctuations in EMF (between 0.3 and 0.5 milligause) within the museum when the EMF meter was sitting stationary, however no significant spikes. Some of the display lighting gave off high EMF, particular in the south-eastern corner of the museum area. Thoroughly checked the “Gun Room” where people felt uneasy but EMF appeared low/normal in that area. “I conducted a solo EVP session in the left-most mine room, however nothing of note turned up on the recording. The reverberations of the cave-like structure did cause some audio issues. Recordings outside where generally contaminated by sounds from the nearby houses and park.” Jessie: “It was a smallish building. There was the main area which was a storehouse or warehouse that was turned into / expanded onto, to make the Museum and Cafe area. Behind that building there were the three side by side mine stores which were pretty much empty other than a few bits in the first mine store (closest to the road) and some shelving in the middle room and nothing at all in the last mine store (closest to the courtyard). Then there was the ye old Chippie Shoppe which was full of bits and bobs. Last of all there was the boat shed which had some boats in it.” “I felt very comfortable in all the rooms. I was very drawn to the courtyard area though and I really liked sitting out there on my own. I heard a shuffling sound and similar noises behind me while I was sitting in the courtyard. I could hear people in the car park whilst of in the middle of hearing the shuffling and it sounded very different from the shuffling noises.” “It appeared to be closer, possibly around the two mine stores, closest to the courtyard. When Barbara, Mark and I went down to look, it was very quiet and I didn’t feel there was anything there other than my ears popping on a few occasions, usually accompanied by back of the neck goose bumps. My battery also went from full (had charged it just before going to Devonport) when going into the Museum and sitting down just behind the big gun and the car. Went to take a pic and camera went dead.” Mark also reported numerous battery drainings whilst in the mine rooms and out in the courtyard. Mark: “Luckily I brought a new box of batteries along with me. Not sure why, but I ended up going through quite a few AA batteries whilst spending time in the Mine rooms and sitting out in the courtyard. I took EMF meter and thermometer reading as these occurrences of battery drain were happening. Nothing seemed to change atmospherically at the time. No unusual readings were recorded.” Heather: “The photos of the heroes that had passed away during the many wars NZ had been involved in, were watching us as we wandered around. If only they could talk, imagine the stories that could be told. The more interesting areas were the mine rooms, now empty but full of history. The boat house was on the edge of the shore with a wharf down one side of it where you could go fishing.” “The most interesting part of the whole area was the courtyard between the museum and the mine rooms and towards the chippie room which had been fenced off and the staff’s bathrooms. The courtyard was amazing probably because you could feel the history coming out of the hillside, was part of this used as reclaimed land that the museum now sits on. One part close to the hillside was a shed used for chemical testing of the mines, all is left now is a concrete slab stuck on the wall and a concrete slab that the mines use to rest on. The mine rooms next to the courtyard, still had some of the rail tracks that the mines were moved on, and the rotating base has gone and now in its place is a concrete circle.” “The staff bathrooms were built on top of a concrete base that was deeper in the ground than it looked on the outside, you could see in the shower when the concrete walls finished and the extensions and roof were added on, this was rumoured to be where the infamous secret room was? Is it still underneath? We tried a couple of EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) sessions in the mine rooms to try and record any incoming audio. However, we were unable to pick up on anything. Or any thing on the audio recorders.” The team spent the majority of time exploring and documenting the three mine storage rooms. These were old, mouldy solid brick and concrete rooms that were used to house the mines. Now unused except for random items for storage. Trigger Tests Barbara: “I left my round metal torch in the storage shed and asked if anything could move it while I was gone. It was not moved when I returned. I placed my little infra red camera outside on motion detect but it didn’t pick up any movement besides us. We held numerous EVP sessions over the five hour period. They were all recorded but the only possible capture I had has been debunked by the team.” Summary Barbara: “The investigation went really well. Its just a shame that it appears that we were not able to actually capture any activity. I found that because we started relatively early when it was still light and people were still out and about my first three or so hours of audio have people yelling, children screaming, dogs barking etc right through it. As a result it really would not have been useable if I had thought I had captured any EVPs.” “Apart from that I think we covered the whole area really well. Unfortunately due to the fact that I neither saw nor heard anything paranormal during my visit there and I found nothing which could not be explained in my 5 hours of audio recordings, hundreds of photos and several hours of video I cannot claim that the Museum is haunted. This does not mean that it is not haunted, just that I was unable to capture any activity at the time we were there.” Jessie: “I think it was very uneventful and i really didn’t feel there was much at all. I just don’t think there is much there and if they are I’m pretty sure they are not ‘intelligent’. I think it was a great place with lots of history but as a “Haunted” site I think it leaves a lot to be desired. I think we had a good investigation there but personally we didn’t come back with much at all.” Heather: “The nostalgic atmosphere of past and present sharing the same space it made you appreciate just how much history NZ has being involved in the wars because NZ was part of the old British Empire, and then the Maori wars for the territory previous to that and how we became our own self reliable navy. I got caught up in the history of the place, there is only so much information that we have read, but there’s still a lot more to be discovered. I got lost in time.” “It was interesting, all that history, and a lot of it still needs to be recorded. Spending time in the courtyard, seemed to the centre point of what was happening in the past, especially when Barb picked up on the Maori kids playing on the beach. I could spend hours in each room, building, the court yard just soaking up the atmosphere and just write whatever comes to me.” “As for whether or not I feel its haunted, it’s hard to say, I don’t think the place is haunted, but I could be wrong, as the history of the part of Torpedo Bay is overwhelming. That’s what I was connecting to all the time we were there, I felt like if I spent longer there I could have gone back in time.” Matthew: “Nothing paranormal seen or heard by myself during the investigation. The building will have soaked up a lot of history over the last 150 years, plus the museum artifacts could lend themselves to “object attachment or residual type hauntings, along with the possibility of Maori settlement in the area. However, during the time we spent there I did not encounter anything which would lead me to believe the Naval Museum to be any more haunted than any other location.” Mark: “It was a fascinating night for the night, for sure. Being offered a rare opportunity to roam and explore the behind – the – scenes areas of this place was a great thrill and privilege. The mine rooms were incredible and I could have happy spent an entire night sitting in their total darkness, soaking up the atmosphere.” “I didn’t record any unusual EMF readings and the temperatures stayed quite steady throughout the session. I found the entire museum to be a very peaceful place. From the inside of the museum, to outside in the back courtyard, to the deep dark cavernous mine rooms, even out on the public car parks, there was a sense of peace. Having said that, Devonport is known for its tranquil and peaceful setting, so it’s the perfect position for a building like this. Probably one of the more pleasant and relaxed investigations I’ve been on.” “Whilst we didn’t capture anything conclusive on the investigation, upon reviewing our many hours of audio and video, plus the many 100s of photos and data recordings, that doesn’t mean that the navy museum isn’t haunted. The buildings have a varied and rich historical back story. Plus there are the stories given to us by those that work there and the stories they themselves have been told by past staff and customers to the museum. These stories cannot be dismissed.” “As we’ve found in our many years of research and investigation, more often than not, paranormal activity can be very elusive and it comes down to being in the right place at the right time to witness it. Those that are lucky enough to witness it first hand are privileged indeed.” Haunted Auckland would like to thank the Management of the museum for granting us entry after hours to spend time furthering our research. Also a big Thank You to Kate for being so helpful on the night.If you’re ever in Auckland, head over to beautiful Devonport on the North shore and spend a few hours visiting the fascinating Navy Museum in Torpedo Bay. [...] Read more...

“Pioneers in the field…. Leading the way with Paranormal Research in New Zealand” – Connor Biddle, Paranormal Encounters.

“I have much respect for the level of study Mark and his team have put into the paranormal phenomenon through the years. His work is interesting and very well researched.” – Murray Bott, U.F.O Researcher & NZ’s MUFON representative.

”Refreshing to see solid and innovative investigation work, done with passion and honesty. Haunted Auckland stand out in the crowd and dont fit any typical mould. This is a very good thing”. – Paranormal Review newsletter

Paranormal New Zealand is the home of Haunted Auckland, a Paranormal Investigation and Research group.

Whether you’ve been aware of Mark Wallbank’s research work since the 1980s, attended his early 90s discussion events, received the quarterly newsletters, subscribed to his popular mid-2000s online blog BizarreNZ, followed the Haunted Auckland team since 2010, or just recently discovered us; WELCOME and thanks for joining in the fun, learning, and adventures.

We are a dedicated group of paranormal researchers, all having one thing in common – a passion and drive to find out as much as humanly possible about the mysterious and unknown field that is the Paranormal, as well as documenting New Zealand’s historical buildings and landmarks in their current state.

Paranormal (păr′ə-nôr′məl) adjective.
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as beyond normal experience or scientific explanation. The term “paranormal” has existed in the English language since at least 1920. The word consists of two parts: “para” and “normal”. The definition implies that the scientific explanation of the world around us is “normal” and anything that is above, beyond, or contrary to that is “para”.

We’re always learning new things, so hope to pass that knowledge on to you all so that you might learn as we do, in this crazy but fascinating world of the paranormal.

Our primary reason for existing as a team is to experience first-hand and document any perceived paranormal activity so that we may learn to better understand the phenomena and the misconceptions surrounding it. Our aim as a research team is to study these phenomena as closely as possible to form more educated opinions via experimentation, documentation, and simply being present at the moment to record and respond accordingly to it and wherever it may lead us.

Firstly a few things you should know about Haunted Auckland. We’re a small Auckland based team of friendly, dedicated, well seasoned and enthusiastic researchers with differing levels of experience, knowledge, skills and expertise. Our investigators are intelligent, honest, compassionate and possess critically thinking (yet wide open) minds. We’re also very good listeners.

We work closely with Property Managers, local Councils and Historical organisations to help preserve local histories, bring further awareness and raise funds by running public events.

In our time, the team has successfully raised many (much needed) thousands of dollars, to assist with the upkeep and general running of these wonderful historic locations. Something we are very proud of.

We are also very proud to have worked alongside and assist both the NZ Police and NZ Fire Services with our work.

Haunted Auckland has it’s roots deep and strong. Going back to 1984, with a team (Auckland Ghost Hunting Group) formed by H.A founder, Mark Wallbank; making them NZ’s longest running Paranormal field-research entity.

What we aren’t:

We aren’t Ghost Busters, Ghost Hunters, Exorcists, Mediums, Clairvoyants or Psychics and we don’t do clearings, blessings or rid homes of alleged demons. We don’t do prayers, rituals, or bring in any religious elements to our work. We aren’t mental health experts or sleep disorder professionals, though we do work closely with mental health professionals.

We travel that spooky road, between sceptic and believer. We are happy to sit right in amongst it all and take the research wherever it may lead us.

While we are sceptical and doubtful of certain cases and ideas, we have seen and experienced enough in our time to realise that dedication to the research is definitely a worthwhile cause. Instead of blindly believing (or disbelieving), or just accepting what we are told is true and real, we prefer to seek out the answers ourselves through first-hand, “boots on the ground” investigation. Experimentation, observation and documentation. We don’t have all the answers and we don’t consider ourselves experts.

We don’t make bold claims we can’t back up with evidence or reliable data.

The team prides itself in being quite a bit different from other paranormal investigation teams out there. We tend to stay away from the mainstream gadget fads.

Research time in locations is valuable and a privilege, so wasting it on pointless flashy boxes that offer no accurate data in return or are vague and open to interpretation (as well as mis-interpretation) is counter-productive and a poorly used opportunity. Thinking outside of the ‘’box’’ confinements of the popular T.V and social media- lead mainstream is something, the team sees as important if the field is to move forward and gain any serious credibility or traction within scientific or academic circles.

The team utilises a combination of old-school thinking and techniques, coupled with a modern way of thinking. Simple and stripped back yet embracing current technology to work though theories and ideas that may find their way into our research. We don’t make claims we can’t back up with evidence or reliable data.

We pride ourselves in keeping it real. No faking evidence or embellishing of facts. If nothing happened, nothing happened.

Why we don’t offer Clearings and Banishings

We decided many years ago to stop offering clearings and cleansings, as the more we learned, the more unethical (even damaging) we could see it was on a few levels.
We wanted to experience and observe these ”beings” and learn about them. Learn from them directly, if such a thing is possible.
To hopefully interact and document as much as we could of it to advance the study of the paranormal.

If the theories on spirits are correct, then clearing, or ”banishing” becomes nothing more than a punishment, torture, an eviction from a home, or even a death. Death to a person (possibly living in an alternative dimension we are yet to even understand or comprehend), that has as much right to exist as ourselves.
Until ghosts, spirits, negative energies, and demons have been sufficiently verified to actually exist, (to which they as yet haven’t, outside of belief, possible misinterpretation, and superstition) it would be unethical to assume a position of knowledge and superiority enough to think we have rights that far outweigh theirs. That we may enter their home and try to evict or eradicate them as if they were cockroaches or some other household pest.

It’s about respect, understanding and compassion; on both sides.

What we are, is “real world” researchers. Learning by doing. If we don’t know something, we say so.

We don’t charge anything for what we do. The opportunity to investigate a location and hopefully further our research is its own great reward.

We follow the Scientific Method as closely as we are able to; though it’s not always easy to create a fully controlled environment and the fact that true paranormal activity is sporadic and very rare means we don’t always have a lot to go on. Still, we do our best with what we have to work with at the time and go wherever it takes us.

We go to where the stories come from in order to see for ourselves. We talk to the people involved to get their sides to the occurrences.

Our conclusions are never really final and we find multiple return visits yield the best results; so have built up trusting relationships with quite a few locations within the historical communities in this country.

Our clean and respected reputation within historical circles is something the team prides itself on, as it has grown over the last decade and is based on well over 200 investigation sessions within that time.

For a full listing of References & testimonials, please visit our TESTIMONIALS page on this website.

Exploration – Observation – Experimentation – Documentation … Ultimately leading to Interaction, Understanding and Conclusion.

KEEPING IT REAL

Please check out our website and don’t hesitate to make contact if you have any queries or would like to know more about what we do.

We’re always happy to talk about spooks!

Through the years the team have investigated:

Auckland

Auckland Civic Theatre
North Head
The Auckland Town Hall
St James theatre
Victoria Theatre
The Howick Historical Village
The Smith & Caugheys building
Kinder House
Lopdell House
The Pumphouse Theatre
The Bluestone Room
Fort Takapuna
Massey Homestead
The Hard To Find Bookshop
Hollywood Cinema
Avondale Town Hall
Spookers
Alberton House
Bell House
Theatreworks
Carrington (Unitec)
The Queens Ferry Tavern
Regent Theatre
Ewelme Cottage
Laishly House
Onehunga Blockhouse
Puhoi Centennial Hall
Kingseat Hospital
Puhinui Homestead
The Kentish Hotel
AUSA Building
Helensville Museum
Waiuku Museum
Lake House Art Centre
Molloy’s Antique Centre
Whatipu Caves
Capitol Theatre
Gibbons Homestead

Wellington

Dixon Street Basement
Private Residence
Inverlochy House

Northland

Dargaville Central Hotel

Coromandel

The Junction Hotel
Mount Moehau
Bella Street Pumphouse

Waikato

Hawkes Bay

Central North Island

Chateau Tongariro Hotel Jubilee Pavillion – Marton

Northern South Island

Trout Hotel

West Coast and Central South Island

Seaview Asylum
Otira Stagecoach Hotel

Canterbury

The Old Shipping Office (Akaroa)

Otago

Cardrona Hotel
Vulcan Hotel (St Bathans)

Dunedin

Seacliff Asylum
Chalet Backpackers
Globe Theatre
Dunback Inn
Leviathan Hotel
Larnach Castle

United Kingdom

The Drovers Inn – Scotland
Traquair House – Innerleithen
Ancient Ram Inn – Wooton-Under-Edge
30 East Drive – Pontefract
Boleskine House – Scotland
Ballachulish Hotel – Glencoe
Chillingham Castle
The Golden Fleece – York
Bunchrew House – Scotland
Oswald House – Kirkcaldy
The Skirrid Inn – Abergavenny
Halston Hall – Carlisle
Airth Castle
Dalhousie Castle
Barcaldine Castle – Oban
The Witchery – Edinburgh
Edinburgh Vaults – Scotland
Touchwood House – Scotland
Greyfriars Kirkyard – Scotland
The Hellfire Club – Ireland
Ostrich Inn – Slough
Caynton Caves – Shropshire
Four Crosses Inn – Staffordshire
Torwood House – Scotland
Dalhousie Castle – Scotland
Windhouse – Yell, Shetland
Swan Hotel – Wooton-on-Edge
Weston Hall – Staffordshire
Clava Cairns – Inverness, Scotland
The Queen’s Head Hotel – Troutbeck
Haunted Antiques Paranormal Research Centre – Hinkley

Australia

YHA [Katoomba]

Hartley Village [NSW]

Quarantine Station [Manly]

The Russell Hotel [Sydney]

Maitland Gaol [NSW]

Kilmore Gaol [Melbourne]

Aradale Lunatic Asylum [Melbourne]

Hawaii

Kaniakapupu Palace Ruins – Nuúanu Pali – Manoa – Oahu Cemetery [Oahu]

Norfolk Island

New Gaol – The Crank Mill – Bloody Bridge

Cryptozoological Field Research

YOWIE RESEARCH: Blue Mountains [ Australia] – Kanangra Ranges [Australia] – Blue Mountains Exploration: Research Area – Bullaburra [Australia]

MOEHAU RESEARCH: Coromandel Ranges [New Zealand] – Urerewa Ranges [New Zealand]

LAKE MONSTER RESEARCH: Loch Ness [Scotland]

… as well as many private home visits around Auckland and surrounding towns and extensive investigation and exploration internationally.

Some of the services and experience we have on offer:

Research and Investigation of buildings, historical locations and businesses

Photo & video analysis

Photographic enhancements

General paranormal consultation

Historical Research

Conferences / Public speaking

Educational talks & fundraising for historical locations

Media interviews