Monte Cristo Homestead located in New South Wales, Australia, is listed as one of the most haunted homesteads in the country. Originally built in 1884-85 by Christopher William Crawley, he was a struggling farmer and led a basic life in a primitive slab hut. Crawley’s fortune changed when the Great Southern Railway Line, opened in 1878, Crawley may have tipped because the previous year he acquired a license and built the Railway Hotel opposite the soon to be busy railway station.
The township benefited financially from both the railway and the hotel, incoming tourist and workers, led to a booming area. The house or castle was built sitting high on a hill, giving the appearance of the lord overlooking the minions within the community. The home spared no expenses, it was built of sandstock bricks that were fired on site and laid on the drystone foundation, in over a century a single brick hasn’t cracked.
The walls were made of solid brick, the upstairs was constructed of cypress pine milled locally. The interior plan was very simple with the rooms opening off the central, running through the house. Renowned as the regions social center, holding balls and hosting the local gentry who enjoyed the country pursuits, playing tennis and playing golf on the regions first golf course.
The Crawleys raised seven children in the house, one of the Crawley’s servants dropped their infant daughter down the staircase, rumors swirled that the servant actually threw the baby, but the servant insisted an unseen force pushed the child from her hands. Christopher Crawley died of heart failure in 1910.
Elizabeth Crawley, his wife, changes after his death, becoming a recluse until she died in 1933. During the time period prior to her death, a pregnant servant fell to her death from the balcony, the rumor was that she was carrying Christopher Crawley’s baby and a young boy servant also burned to death. A housekeeper was said to have kept her mentally ill son tied in the out for over 30 years, eventually, he was found curled up next to her dead body, he was later sent to a mental institution where he died shortly thereafter.
The home stayed in the Crawley family until 1948, when the last remaining family members moved out. Even though it remained deserted, there was still a mysterious death that occurred, 1961 there were reports of a caretaker shot dead on the property.
The Ryan family purchased the home in 1963, they began seeing and hearing things almost immediately. The house was lit up despite not having any power, the family felt like they were being watched, hands on their shoulders, their names being called and hearing footsteps on the balcony. The family has collected multiple photographs that they claim shows ghosts in the pictures.
The Ryan family continues to own the Monte Cristo, after having restored it to its original glory, they now offer ghost tours and sleepovers at the haunted mansion. The tour gives visitors an opportunity to walk through the main homestead, servant quarters, stables and the ballroom, and they can decide if the ghost stories are true.
